Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

By Sam Sifton

Updated January 22, 2024

  • A blue platter holds oven-roasted chicken shawarma with a small dish of olives. Dishes of pita bread, tomatoes and cucumbers and feta cheese are nearby.
    Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Hadas Smirnoff. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgepeth.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
45 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
5(31,345)
Comments
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Here is a recipe for an oven-roasted version of the flavorful street-side classic usually cooked on a rotisserie. It is perfect for an evening with family and friends. Serve with pita and tahini, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, some olives, chopped parsley, some feta, fried eggplant, hummus swirled with harissa, rice or rice pilaf. You can make the white sauce that traditionally accompanies it by cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon juice, and flecking it with garlic. For a red to offset it, simmer ketchup with crushed red pepper and a hit of red-wine vinegar until it goes syrupy and thick, or just use your favorite hot sauce instead.

Featured in: Chicken Shawarma Deluxe, No Rotisserie Required

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 lemons, juiced

  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons paprika

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric

  • A pinch ground cinnamon

  • Crushed red pepper, to taste

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

7 grams carbs; 142 milligrams cholesterol; 393 calories; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 463 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and crushed red pepper in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

  2. Step 2

    When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.

  3. Step 3

    Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.)

  4. Step 4

    Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
31,345 user ratings
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Comments

me!

• White sauce = plain yogurt, scant 1/4 c. mayo, 1/2 lemon juiced + lemon zest, basil/parsley/zatar/sumac/minced garlic. Chill for 4-5 hours.
• Marinade meat overnight & cooked with peppers & onions. F
inish with broil for 2-3 minutes
• Serve with tortillas instead of pita + sliced cucumbers & tomatoes + feta. (Hummus is overkill side)
• Serve with chickpeas salad (olives, tomatoes, red onion, parsley/basil)

Christine Staples

I've lost track of how many times I've made this amazing dish since I first cut it out; there's some in the fridge right now. I have made the following additions: more onion - it's so good. More chicken - it goes so fast: 3 pounds. Two pounds of carrots, which I toss in the marinade and roast with the extra red onion. An astonishing recipe!

Sam Sifton

Trim eggplant and cut it into long slices. Salt the slices and let them sit for 20 minutes or so, then pat them dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a wire rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil until a drop of water flicked into pan sizzles. Working in batches, fry eggplant until just tender, 20 to 30 seconds per side. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. Nice with shawarma!

Bklyn Scientist

Believe the hype! When I see a NYT recipe with a 5-star average, it goes on the must-try list. For white sauce I subbed the amazing garlic dip from TJs (busy mom here, don’t judge :)). Roasted zucchini, corn & tomatoes on the side. Easy prep and a hit with the whole family - a true unicorn!

thoughtful reader

Delicious! I will add more red onion next time, because it's sooo good, and might reduce the olive oil a smidge. I made cucumber, tomato, red onion, and parsley salad tossed with lemon juice and olive oil, and stuffed the chicken and this salad into homemade pita. Couldn't decide between tahini and tzatziki, so each pita half got a smear of one or the other. I think for this dish I'm on Team Tahini, though both were good. The whole house smelled great during and after the cooking, too.

Amarar05

I liked them fine, and maybe it was the crowd I served, but these did not go over well.

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