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Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce

Chicken shawarma with garlic sauce featuring deeply golden, spiced chicken thigh slices in warm pita with creamy toum-style-style garlic sauce. Medium-high skillet cooking keeps the edges crisp while lemon and garlic brighten every bite.
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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: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken shawarma
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs Boneless and skinless.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 1 tsp coriander For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 3 clove garlic Minced (for marinade).
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice For the shawarma spice marinade.
  • 0.25 salt To taste (marinade).
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste (marinade).
Garlic sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt Choose one.
  • 3 clove garlic Minced (for garlic sauce).
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice For garlic sauce.
  • 0.25 salt To taste (garlic sauce).
To serve
  • 1 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, then coat the chicken thighs thoroughly.
  2. Cover and marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight for deeper flavor.
Sear and cook
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the marinated chicken and sear for 6–7 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.
Slice and make the sauce
  1. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then slice thinly so the surface stays juicy.
  2. Stir mayonnaise or Greek yogurt with minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt until smooth, then adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble the shawarma wraps
  1. Serve the sliced shawarma chicken in warm pitas and top with garlic sauce, tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions.

Notes

For best results, marinate up to overnight so the spices cling to the chicken and the slices stay tender after searing. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm chicken gently in a skillet (or serve cold in wraps). Freezing cooked chicken works, but the garlic sauce is best fresh—freeze the chicken only. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise for the garlic sauce.