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Shwarma, shawarma, donair, döner, or kebap, is a Middle Eastern preparation of spiced and marinated meat that is slowly roasted upright, on a spit. No matter what you call it, it’s delicious and one of my all time favourite foods. It can be made with chicken, beef, lamb or any combination. You can find it served in a pita, on a laffa, or any other type of local flat bread. It is also commonly eaten as part of an entrée with salad, rice and/or potatoes. If you venture to central Mexico you will find a very similar dish, typically made using pork, called ‘al pastor’ (shepherd style), which likely arrived with Lebanese immigrants. If you ask me, the Mexicans do it best by serving their version on a tortilla! What can I say? I’m partial to tacos!
Shwarma typically takes at least two days to prepare. The meat needs to be marinated for at least 24 hours before it is arranged on a very large metal spit and slowly roasted for hours. Before serving, the meat is sliced (either by hand or with an electric meat shaver) and usually crisped over a griddle top. The whole process is time-consuming and requires specialty kitchen equipment, which makes it particularly difficult for home cooks who want to enjoy some freshly-made shwarma at home. Sure, you can order some take-out if you want, but I think shwarma needs to be eaten fresh and on the spot. The meat needs to be juicy and crispy and the only way to get that magical combination of textures is to devour it immediately.
For the past year or so I’ve been tinkering with this recipe. I’ve worked diligently to figure out a way to not only recreate the flavours and textures I love so much, but also to do it without any of the kitchen gadgets I lack. Yes, I could have purchased this Shwarma Grill on Amazon for a hundred bucks, but I have this odd feeling that I would use it only once before it got stashed away, never to see the light of day again.
I also wanted to see if I could cut the prep time. There is a time and place for marinating meat and yes, this chicken does taste better when left to soak in all of those beautiful spices overnight. However, it tastes very, very good without any of the marinating time. As with my Emergency Roast Chicken recipe, you can make the decision to marinate or not.
I’m very happy to say that at long last, I think I’ve finally done it! At least, I’m as close as I’m going to get to delicious homemade shwarma without taking a trip to the Middle East and begging vendors to share their secrets with me. If I’m being honest, I knew for a long time that the secret to this dish was cooking the meat in a cast-iron skillet.
What took me forever to figure out was the spice-mixture. I tried countless combinations but nothing really brought me back to my memories of eating shwarma in Israel or my favourite spots in Toronto. Speaking of, you’ll notice that there are quite a few spices used in this recipe. Each is as important as the next, no matter how small the measurement. I, therefore, encourage you to use all of the spices and if you don’t have them, seek them out! A Middle Eastern grocery store is probably your best best. Otherwise, you may have to order online if that is an option.
Given the fact that this recipe takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, start to finish, I have to go on record in saying that I hesitate to call it proper shwarma. Instead, I would call it a bootleg version since I skip all of the marinade time and don’t use a spit. Having said that, I would put this up against the top spots in my city and think you will love it. Oh, it just so happens to be Whole30 compliant as well!
Whole30 Chicken Shwarma
Ingredients
For Chicken Shwarma
- 2 Lbs Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- 1 Tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 Tsp turmeric
- 1/2 Tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 Tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 Tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 Tsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- sumac powder, for garnish
For Garlic Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Whole30/Paleo compliant Mayonaise
- 1-2 Cloves Raw garlic, Finely grated
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
For Garlic Sauce
- Add mayo, garlic and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl. Stir until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For Chicken Shwarma
- Rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towel. Slice into thin strips, width-wise, and transfer to mixing bowl along with all of the spices and 2 tbsp avocado oil.
- Preheat cast-iron skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil and the chicken. Spread meat evenly across the pan and cook undisturbed until browned (approx. 6-8min). Note: you may have to cook in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Flip chicken and cook additional 4-5 minutes or until fully cooked through and crispy.
- Serve shwarma with a side salad, potatoes and/or cauliflower rice. Drizzle garlic sauce overtop and season everything with a dash or two of sumac.
About the Author
Hi, i'm Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
This was incredible! I couldn’t find cardamom anywhere but I still think it’s awesome. I will be making this regularly
Ronnie, this recipe is amazing. I saw your stories the other day making your shawarma dinner and I knew I had to make it ASAP. So good, didn’t change a thing except I couldn’t get cardamom in my grocery order. Made the salad that you showed in your stories, subbing the mint for fresh parsley. One of the best meals I’ve made (and definitely the tastiest chicken I’ve ever cooked). Thank you so much!
WOW. Delicious and filling while still being light! We are stuffed over here
WOW!!! One of my favorite restaurants is a Lebanese place that makes amazing chicken shawarma. I think this recipe may top it, which is saying a lot. So so so good!
Absolutely delicious! This is a complete fail safe recipe! For the tastiest and healthiest fake-away ever! I’ve made it at least four times and every time is as good as the first! Make sure you let the chicken crisp up undisturbed for those 6-8 minutes. Thanks so much for sharing your amazing recipes.
How would this work using tofu instead of chicken??
I’ve never tried it so I can’t say.
This is the best shawarma EVER. I don’t double it, I don’t triple it, I make the recipe x5, and freeze it. But even then, it doesn’t last long. We are all obsessed – from the 8 year old up to the adults. Thank you!