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Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce

Chicken shawarma with garlic sauce featuring deeply golden, spiced chicken thigh slices and a creamy, garlicky toum-style sauce. Pan-seared for a quick, homemade shawarma texture, then served in warm pita with pickled onions and fresh tomato for a classic Middle Eastern wrap.
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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: 980
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 salt To taste (use as needed).
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste (use as needed).
Garlic sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt Use 1 option.
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 salt To taste (use as needed).
Serving
  • 1 warm pita
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 pickled onions

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. In a bowl, mix cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper with the olive oil. Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Sear in a cast iron skillet
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the marinated chicken in an even layer. Cook for 6–7 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.
Rest, slice, and make the garlic sauce
  1. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt), minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt until smooth and well seasoned.
Assemble the shawarma
  1. Warm the pitas, then fill with sliced shawarma chicken and drizzle with garlic sauce. Top with tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions and serve right away.

Notes

Pro tip: for maximum browning, make sure the skillet is truly hot before searing and avoid overcrowding the pan. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze chicken slices (without pita) for up to 2 months and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise in the garlic sauce.