This homemade chicken shawarma is juicy, flavorful, and perfect for feeding a crowd. Slowly roasted on a rotisserie and served with a fresh salad and creamy garlic sauce, it rivals any takeaway. With simple ingredients and bold Middle Eastern flavors, this recipe shows you how easy it is to make restaurant‑quality shawarma at home.
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
3 kg / 6.6 lbs chicken thighs
60 ml / ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 tbsp PitmasterX Classic seasoning
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 small red cabbage
Garlic Sauce
400 g / 14 oz crème fraîche
400 g / 14 oz mayonnaise
4 tbsp chopped parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
2 large or 4 small garlic cloves
2 tsp sugar
Shawarma Salad
1 onion
2 carrots
½ head lettuce
2 tbsp pickle juice
Pickles, sliced
- 1 tbsp PitmasterX Classic seasoning
Tools
Thanks to Kamado Joe for sponsoring this recipe Visit their website to learn more.
How to
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl, add olive oil, PitmasterX Classic seasoning, cumin seed, and ground coriander, then mix thoroughly and refrigerate while preparing the grill.
- Fire up the BBQ for indirect heat at 120°C / 240°F and prepare the rotisserie setup.
- Make the garlic sauce by combining crème fraîche, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, minced garlic, and sugar; mix well and refrigerate.
- Prepare the salad by seasoning sliced onion with PitmasterX Classic seasoning, then add grated carrots, chopped lettuce, sliced pickles, and pickle juice; toss to combine.
- Build the shawarma stack by placing half a red cabbage on the rotisserie skewer, stacking the marinated chicken thighs tightly, and topping with the other half of the cabbage; secure firmly.
- Place the rotisserie on the grill, turn on the motor, close the lid, and cook until the chicken reaches a core temperature of 75°C / 167°F.
- Remove the shawarma, let it rest briefly, then slice off the crispy outer layers with a sharp knife.
- Return the shawarma to the grill for more browning if desired while assembling your sandwich.
- Slice open Turkish bread, spread with plenty of garlic sauce, add sriracha if you like heat, spoon in salad, and top generously with sliced chicken shawarma.
