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Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce

Chicken shawarma with garlic sauce: deeply golden, spiced chicken thigh slices cooked in a hot cast iron skillet and piled into warm pita. Finish with creamy garlic sauce plus tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions for a Middle Eastern-style shawarma wrap.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Calories: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Shawarma spice marinade
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne
  • 3 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 salt and black pepper to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste
Garlic sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
  • 3 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 salt to taste
Serving
  • 4 warm pita
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 pickled onions

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Mix cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper with olive oil until a paste forms. Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly and place them in the marinade.
  2. Marinate the chicken for 2 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator for best flavor. Keep the chicken covered so the spices stay on the surface.
Cook and slice
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet until hot over medium-high heat, then add the marinated chicken thighs in a single layer. Cook for 6–7 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Flip the chicken and cook for another 6–7 minutes until deeply golden and cooked through. Avoid crowding so the surface can brown.
  3. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes off the heat, then slice thinly for easy piling into pita. This helps the juices stay inside the meat.
Make garlic sauce and serve
  1. Mix mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and lemon juice until smooth, then add salt to taste. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt so the sauce is bright.
  2. Serve the sliced shawarma chicken in warm pita with garlic sauce, tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions. Load generously so the chicken and sauce look piled and overflowing.

Notes

Pro tip: for the deepest color, ensure the skillet is truly hot before adding the chicken, and don’t move it while it’s browning. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken (sliced or whole) for up to 2 months, then reheat until steaming. If you want a lighter option, use Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise for the garlic sauce.