This chicken shawarma might just be the most flavorful, juicy, and tender chicken you’ll ever taste. This is one of those recipes that seriously delivers on flavor even though the prep is very simple. I take boneless chicken thighs and season them generously with my 5-minute shawarma seasoning, bake them on a sheet pan for 20-25 minutes, then cut and serve. It’s that easy.
Growing up, nearly every family barbecue featured plenty of koobideh and joojeh kabob, and more often than not, you’d also find these perfectly seasoned chicken thighs baking in the oven when the grill is too packed. I love these on a weeknight or weekend in pita bread filled with cilantro jalapeño hummus and cucumber tomato salad.
You can think of this recipe as a super spiced-up version of my joojeh kabob. You can cook this on the grill or skewers, and it’s close to the same ingredients, but instead of saffron, we use shawarma seasoning.
🧾 Important Ingredient Notes
If you don’t want to bake these, you could also cut up the chicken and cook them joojeh kabob style on skewers. However, I prefer this seasoning mix when baked.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Note that we are cooking the chicken at a higher temperature because shawarma is usually cooked on a spit where the meat is constantly rotating over an open flame. If you love al pastor, that’s also cooked this way.
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, minus the cilantro. Marinate the chicken thighs in the mix. Lay out the marinated chicken thighs on a foil-covered sheet pan. Shake off any excess marinade. Bake until cooked to 165°F internally. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice or don’t slice the chicken and serve.
🏆 Tips for The Best Chicken Shawarma
- Internal temp: It’s important to cook your thighs to a 165°F internal temperature because that kills any harmful bacteria while avoiding overcooking the chicken.
- Overnight marinade is best: Everything goes in the bowl to marinate with the chicken, including grated onion, lemon juice, spices, and olive oil. I like to marinate overnight, because the taste is just better if you leave it longer, and it’s easier because you don’t have to do everything the same day. Having said that, 30 minutes is okay if that’s all you have time for.
- No holes in the chicken: Don’t poke holes in the chicken before marinating, or the juices will run out and you’ll be left with dry chicken.
I love making a big sheet pan of these for parties since you just toss the chicken on and bake. It’s an easy way to feed a crowd. I usually fit eight thighs on one pan, but you can probably squeeze in more. Don’t worry about crowding; the juices mingle, but the flavor stays great.
🥗 What to Serve Alongside Chicken Shawarma
If you’re having chicken shawarma just with Persian rice, it’s nice to add brightness from fresh herbs like the cilantro. You don’t really need the cilantro if you’re doing a cucumber tomato salad or pita with hummus on the side.
For a serving suggestion that will get everyone talking, lay out a bed of pita and place your freshly cooked chicken thighs right on the bread. The juices and spices will soak into the pita, making a side that people will be fighting over.
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Boneless Skinless Chicken Shawarma
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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp shawarma seasoning see notes
- 1 yellow onion grated onion, including juices
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ lbs. chicken thighs up to 2 lbs.
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- cilantro minced, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients except the cilantro and chicken in a bowl.3 tbsp shawarma seasoning, 1 yellow onion, 2 tbsp lemon juice, salt, 1/4 cup olive oil
- Add the chicken and make sure it is fully covered. Marinade 30 minutes to overnight.1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs
- Preheat to 425F.
- Transfer to a sheet pan, shaking off any excess marinade.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 165F.
- Let them rest 5 minutes before slicing to let the juices settle. Garnish with the optional cilantro.cilantro
