Easy Chicken Shawarma Kebab

Our Easy Chicken Shawarma Kebab, is a great tasting chicken kebab flavoured with Middle Eastern flavours, including mild spices, lemon and garlic, and a hint of char from the grill.

The shawarma marinade for chicken takes minutes to prepare and you will likely have the spices in your own kitchen. Ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika and black pepper make up my shawarma spice blend, this is flavourful spicing but with no chilli heat.

These spices are combined with lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and thick and creamy Greek yogurt to make a great taking shawarma marinade for chicken.

I recommend marinating these easy chicken kebabs for at least half an hour, but ideally 6-8 hours. A longer marinate will allow the chicken to absorb the flavours and tenderise the meat beautifully.

What is Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken Shawarma is a kebab made with marinated pieces of chicken.

Shawarma is an Arabic word meaning “turning”. Shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food, where thin cuts of meat, usually lamb, mutton, goat, chicken, beef or a mixture of meats are added to a skewer and roasted by rotating the skewer around a heat source. In most restaurants this is done using a vertical rotisserie.

What is in a Shawarma spice blend?

Shawarma spice blend usually comprises cumin, cinnamon and black pepper, along with other spices. I like to add ground coriander and smoked paprika to the mix. I have used this blend of spices, along with lemon and Greek yogurt to make my shawarma marinade for chicken.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• These kebabs are mildly spiced there is no chilli added so they are suitable for most palattes.
• Mild spicing ensures these easy chicken kebabs can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
• Chicken kabobs are great for entertaining as you can prepare the chicken earlier in the day and the recipe is easily doubled or trebled depending on numbers.
• This dish is gluten free -and low carb, so suitable for Coeliacs or anyone watching their carb intake.

How to make Easy Chicken Shawarma Kebab:

Shawarma Marinade for chicken:

• Look out all the ingredients ready to start.
• Place all the ingredients for the marinated chicken into a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.

• Now add the chicken and ensure the chicken is completely coated with the marinade.
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, but ideally 6-8 hours.
• The longer the marinate the better the flavour.

Cooking the easy chicken shawarma kebabs:

• When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium high and line a baking tray with kitchen foil.
• Thread the pieces of chicken onto the skewers and lay on the baking tray.
• Place the tray in the oven and grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes until starting to brown and catching a little on the corners.
• Remove from the oven and turn the chicken over. Brush over any leftover marinade and place back under the hot grill.
• Grill the chicken for a further 10 minutes until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken kebabs from the oven and serve immediately.

Recipe substitutions and variations:

• Chicken Breast: I have used chicken breast as that’s what I had in my fridge, but skinless boneless chicken thighs work too. You can substitute the chicken with turkey; lamb or beef as all would work with the marinade.
• Greek Yogurt: is an ingredient you will always find in my fridge. Natural Greek yogurt not only adds flavour but it tenderises the meat too. You can also use regular yogurt if you don’t have Greek, just made sure its unflavoured.
• Lemon Zest & Juice: adds flavour to the marinade but also tenderises the meat.
• Garlic: use fresh or frozen garlic for the best flavour. Although garlic powder is a good substitution if you plan on barbecuing the chicken as fresh garlic will burn.
• Spices: I use a blend of ground spices, including cumin; coriander; cinnamon; black pepper and smoked paprika. Adapt the spices in this dish to suit your own palette. If there is something that you don’t like, then leave it out, or add something else.

Easy chicken kebab serving suggestions:

I like to serve my easy chicken shawarma kabobs meze style with a selection of fresh salads and vegetables alongside. A shawarma sauce is always included, made with yogurt, garlic, lemon and tahini. Then some flat breads and pittas and always some hummus or baba ganoush.

Here are some recipes you might also enjoy:

• Easy Baba Ganoush
• Lemon & Tahini Yogurt Dressing (Shawarma Sauce)
• Cumin & Honey Roasted Carrots
• Creamy Hummus
• Carrot Hummus
• Easy Yogurt Flatbreads

For more recipes read my Easy Mezze Platter Ideas post.

Can I make ahead chicken kebabs?

Chicken can be marinated the day before, in fact I highly recommend you do that as it will really intensify the flavour in the finished dish. Place the chicken in the marinade, cover and place the bowl in the fridge for 6-8 hours.

When ready to cook place the chicken onto skewers and cook under a hot grill as detailed in the recipe card below.

What to do with leftover Shawarma Chicken?

These chicken kebabs can be served warm or cold. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

The cold spiced chicken can then be used to make great tasting salads.

For a truly exceptional sandwich, layer the leftover shawarma chicken with crunchy salad leaves, freshly chopped mint, cucumber, mayonnaise and a squeeze of Sriracha sauce. Trust me this is close to sandwich heaven!

Useful hints and tips:

1. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes but ideally 6-8 hours. A longer marinating time will result in more flavourful and tender pieces of chicken.
2. If you are using wooden skewers, remember to soak them in cold water for an hour before you plan to cook with them. Soaking the skewers stops them from burning under the grill.
3. For smoky charred shawarma kebabs, cook on the BBQ over charcoal.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other spiced chicken recipes:

• Lemon & Paprika Chicken Kebabs
• Spicy Baked Chicken Wings
• Easy Chicken Tacos
• Easy Butter Chicken
• Cajun Chicken Traybake
• Ras el Hanout Chicken with Spicy Couscous
• Chicken & Nut Pilaf

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.