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Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce

Chicken shawarma with garlic sauce featuring deeply golden, spiced chicken thigh slices and a creamy toum-style garlic sauce. Pan-seared in a cast iron skillet and served in warm pita with crisp tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Olive oil
  • 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 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
Garlic sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
Serving
  • 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 the olive oil until evenly combined. Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly and place them in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Sear and cook
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Cook for 6–7 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.
  2. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice it thinly so the spiced edges stay crisp.
Make the garlic sauce and serve
  1. Mix mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt until smooth and creamy, then adjust seasoning to taste.
  2. Serve the sliced shawarma chicken in warm pita with garlic sauce and top with tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions.

Notes

For maximum flavor, marinate the chicken overnight so the spices fully penetrate. Store cooked chicken airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days; keep garlic sauce separate and stir well before using. Freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months (garlic sauce is best fresh, but you can freeze it and re-stir after thawing). For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise in the garlic sauce.