Shawarma with Grilled Chicken

With each bite, this dish for Chicken Shawarma delivers a flavorful explosion. Because you can whisk together the sauce and marinate at the same time, it comes together quickly.

This Shawarma Chicken is a Detroit classic!

I’ve introduced you to many classic Detroit foods, including Detroit style pizza and corned beef egg rolls. And thanks to a large Middle Eastern population, Detroit is also famous for our chicken shawarma!

It’s sold everywhere from ballparks to gas stations, with my favorite being from a restaurant called Bucharest Grill. Today, I am sharing my homemade version of this irresistible wrap sandwich.

While it may look like a long list of ingredients, it’s very fast to put together. In fact, you can make the chicken shawarma marinade and the sauce for the wraps at the same time. I’ll also offer shortcut ideas to make it even easier for a busy weeknight.

Why you will love this Chicken Shawarma Recipe

• A burst of flavor in every bite. The spiced chicken, creamy sauce and tangy pickles come together to make magic.
• Great as a meal prep recipe. The chicken can be cooked and the sauce can be made in advance, then just assemble the wraps when you’re ready to eat.
• Made with lots of gut-healthy Greek yogurt. Get those probiotics in in the tastiest way possible!

Chicken Shawarma ingredients

• chicken thighs – dark meat chicken lends the most flavor to grilled chicken shawarma. You can make this with chicken breast, but it won’t be quite as juicy and flavorful.
• Greek yogurt – acts as a tenderizer in the chicken marinade, and is also the base of the creamy sauce.
• garlic – another ingredient that appears in both the chicken shawarma marinade and the sauce to add that pungent garlic flavor that shawarma is known for.
• lemon juice – acts as a tenderizer in the chicken marinade and adds tangy flavor to the sauce as well.
• spices – a combination of salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, paprika and turmeric are used in the marinade to season the chicken. See the FAQ below if you’re worried about not having all of these spices.
• pita – wheat pitas or wraps provide a soft yet sturdy base for wrapping around the chicken. Information about toppings below!

How to make Chicken Shawarma Marinade and sauce at the same time

Because there are so many common ingredients in the marinade and the sauce, it’s easiest to measure for them and put them together at the same time.

1. Place a large bowl and medium bowl on your work surface.
2. Add 3/4 cup Greek yogurt to each bowl.
3. Mince 6 garlic cloves and add half of it to the large bowl and half to the medium bowl.
4. Juice 1-2 lemons and add 3 tablespoons lemon juice to the large bowl and 1-1/2 tablespoons to the medium bowl.
5. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons salt the large bowl and 1/2 teaspoon to the medium bowl.
6. Add the remaining spices (coriander, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric) to the large bowl.
7. Whisk each bowl separately.

How to cook shawarma chicken

Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove, to medium-high heat.

Put the chicken on the grill or in the pan and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F (should be about 12 to 14 minutes on an outdoor grill, but will depend on the size of your chicken thighs).

Let the shawarma chicken rest for 5 minutes before you slice it up.

How to serve Grilled Chicken Shawarma

You can fully dress your chicken shawarma wraps or keep them very simple with just the chicken and sauce, but here’s how it’s done around here:

• pickles – dill pickle spears are a classic element in a good Detroit shawarma!
• tomato – thinly sliced Roma tomato adds a refreshing and juicy element that balances the richness of the chicken.
• lettuce – adds a fresh element and gives the sauce something to cling to.
• red onion – adds that pungent bite that only raw onion can.