A straight-forward yet mouth-watering recipe for easy Chicken Shawarma. This perfectly-spiced Mediterranean style chicken is quick to prepare and perfect to make up any night of the week and is great for those who follow the paleo, keto, or Mediterranean diet!
Do you follow a Paleo diet? A Mediterranean diet? Something whole food-esque that you don’t really put a name to?
I recently listened to this podcast by Dr. Ruscio where he sites a study showing both the Paleo and the Mediterranean diets have been linked to lower instances of cancer and disease, and lengthen lifespan.
The study showed no preference over Mediterranean versus Paleo – both were equivalent in their efficacy to enhance overall health.
This to say, I find any diet that incorporates fresh, whole foods with an emphasis on adequate quality protein and unsaturated fats to be healing and ideal over a heavily processed diet.
Which brings me to my next point: Mediterranean-inspired Chicken Shawarma. Have you had it??
Tender chicken flavored with garlic, sumac, aleppo, cumin, cinnamon, and more is a mega win for those of you who love a flavorful cut of animal protein.
This ultra amazing recipe for everyday easy Chicken Shawarma comes from Samantha Farraro’s cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen. Just as the title suggests, Samantha’s book is comprised of 80 authentic Mediterranean recipes that are quick and easy to make any night of the week.
In case you’re new to this gem of a woman, Samantha is the blogger behind Little Ferraro Kitchen. I’ve been following her blog for years and years – she’s truly talented as a healthy recipe developer!
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys a eating healthfully and doesn’t necessarily have a ton of excess time to prepare it. If you follow a Mediterranean-style diet, you’ll love the book even more. The recipes are fresh and easy and jam packed with flavor.
Not to mention, the photographs in Samantha’s book are so gorgeous. After flipping through it, you’ll want to make each and every recipe. Guaranteed!
This easy Chicken Shawarma is seriously such a cinch to make.
How to Make Easy Chicken Shawarma:
Marinate the chicken in spices, olive oil, and garlic for 15 minutes to 8 hours.
While the chicken is marinating, whip up the amazing tahini sauce that Samantha suggests to go along with it. The tahini sauce is so herby, creamy, and perfect for dipping the chicken!
Serve the chicken shawarma however you’d like! You can turn it into a wrap using a tortilla or collard green leaf, use it in a salad, or simply serve it up as finger food with cucumber, tomato, and any other fresh vegetables.
I think it would also be lovely with my Rosemary and Cumin Roasted Carrots, Stir Fry Vegetables, or Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables.
Enjoy this incredible Mediterranean-style chicken on repeat.
Ingredients
Easy Chicken Shawarma:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp ground sumac
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Magical Herb Tahini Sauce:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Shawarma:
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the chicken. Use your hands to toss everything around until chicken is well coated in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (up to 1 hour).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Transfer chicken (including marinade) to a foil-lined baking sheet or a casserole dish. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until skin is golden-brown and crispy.
- Remove chicken from oven and allow it to sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving with magic tahini sauce.
Make Magical Tahini Sauce:
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to a small blender and blend until smooth. Taste sauce for flavor and add lemon juice or sea salt to desired taste.
Jen
Friday 13th of January 2023
Love this recipe, I keep making it over and over. I cook the chicken in the air fryer instead of the oven: air fry chicken thighs for 20 mins @ 380 instead - starting smooth side down for 12 mins, then flipping. I serve over red beans & wild rice, and cook the rice with mushroom and garlic powder
Julia
Tuesday 17th of January 2023
Ooh, I love the idea of making the chicken in the air fryer! Why didn't I think of that?! The way you serve the chicken sounds amazing - I'll have to try this too!
Stephanie
Friday 7th of May 2021
Do you think the sauce would freeze well?
Mary Perkins
Monday 11th of March 2019
Hello, I want to also make this recipe but thought to use breasts instead of thighs & can I marinad overnight & then cook on my grill?
Julia
Monday 11th of March 2019
Absolutely! Marinating the breasts overnight will make them taste sooooo lovely! Hope you enjoy! xo
beth
Sunday 3rd of March 2019
Hi, you call for boneless skinless chicken then you say to crisp the skin in the final stage of cooking. Can you clarify. I bought boneless skinless per the ingredient list.
Thanks!
Julia
Thursday 7th of March 2019
Hi Beth,
My apologies for the confusion. Yes, you want to use boneless skinless thighs, but the top layer crisps up per the instructions :) Hope you enjoyed the recipe! xo
Gloria Storey
Tuesday 26th of February 2019
This recipe sounds so good. I was wondering how do you think it would taste without the lemons or if there is something I could replace them with. My husband has an allergy to citrus.
Julia
Friday 1st of March 2019
Hi Gloria,
I think it will be just fine without lemons! You can add a tablespoon or two of cider vinegar for some tang if you'd like. Hope you and your husband enjoy! xo