Marinate bite-sized chicken pieces in this flavor-packed shawarma sauce, then thread onto skewers and cook until tender and juicy. These chicken shawarma kebabs are perfect for summer grilling, but you can also bake them in the oven or cook on the stovetop to enjoy them any time of year.
Shawarma Chicken Kebab at A Glance
- Three cooking options:
- Recipe instructions in tips for baking, outdoor grilling or cooking these shawarma skewers on the stove top.
- Chicken thighs work best (but breast work too):
- Chicken thighs are much more forgiving when it comes to cooking over high heats. The higher fat content means more flavor and a juicer, more tender texture. That being said, chicken breasts works too – especially if you want a leaner meat option.
- Dairy free options available:
- Swap out the greek yogurt in the marinade for more olive oil and add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to help tenderize and flavor the meat.
How to Make these Shawarma Skewers
Summed up in bite-sized steps:
- make marinade
- add chicken & marinate
- thread chicken onto skewers
- cook
Shawarma Marinade:
Either add 2 tablespoons of my pre-mixed homemade shawarma spice blend or add the individual spices listed in the recipe card.
Add the the spices to a large mixing bowl or sealable bag and mix well with the remaining marinade ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil + 3 tablespoons yogurt + 2 tablespoons fresh garlic.
Chicken Prep:
Add chicken & marinate: Cut the chicken up into 1-2 inch pieces then add to the marinade. Let the chicken marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
Add to skewers: After marinating, thread the chicken pieces onto your skewers. You want the chicken pieces to be snug on the skewers so they stay moist & juicy, but not super tightly packed or the middle pieces will struggle to cook in time with the outer pieces.
Choose Your Cooking Method – Grill Bake or Stove Top
Bake in the Oven
Line a large baking dish with foil or baking paper then place an oven safe wire rack inside the pan and spray with non-stick oil.
- Preheat oven 450°F (230°C).
- Bake for about 15 minutes – flip the skewers halfway through cooking.
- Optional: Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end to encourage a bit of char/browning on the outside.
Pan Fry on the Stove Top
Use a grill pan if you want to have grill marks, but make sure it’s well oiled. Heavy-bottomed pans and cast iron skillets are ideal for maintaining an even temperature.
- Fully preheat your pan with a small amount of oil before adding chicken.
- Cook in batches (depending on the size of your pan) with room in between each skewer.
- Cook about 4-5 minutes on each side (about 15-20 minutes total) with the lid covering the pan.
Outdoor Grill
Make sure to let the chicken rest at room temperature while the grill heats up – no placing cold chicken on a hot grill grate.
- Preheat your grill to a medium high heat for about 15-20 minutes (around 375°F – 450°F | 190°C-230°C).
- Place the skewers over direct heat and cook with the lid up for a few minutes to sear the outside. Close the lid and cook another 4-5 minutes before repeating on the other side until cooked through.
Serve With
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this chicken shawarma recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Shawarma Chicken Kebab Recipe (Grill or Oven Bake)
These shawarma chicken kebabs are marinated in yogurt, olive oil, garlic and homemade shawarma spice making for juicy, flavorful chicken skewers.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil (45g)
- 3 tbsp unflavored, plain regular or greek yogurt (45g)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (about 8 cloves)
- 2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 ½ tsp sumac
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast
Instructions
Prep
- Make marinade: Whisk together all of the ingredients (except chicken) in a large bowl or a large zip-lock bag until combined.
- Marinate chicken: Add the chicken pieces and mix until fully coated in marinade. Cover bowl or seal zip top bag. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. If marinating longer than 30 minutes, place in the fridge until needed.
- Skewers: Thread the marinated meat on to the skewers - you want the chicken pieces touching so they stay juicy, but not too tight or the inner pieces won't cook in time with the outer pieces.
Grill
- Grill Prep: Heat grill to medium-high and lightly grease with oil.
- Cook: Add the kebabs and cook over the direct heat for about 2-3 minutes to sear the chicken then close the lid and let cook about 4-5 minutes. Flip the skewers over and cook each side for 4-5 minutes with the lid close until cooked through.
- Rest & Serve: Transfer the kebabs to a large plate or baking sheet, cover and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Stove Top
- Pan Prep: Lightly grease a large cast iron pan or grill pan and warm over a medium-high heat.
- Cook: Add 2-4 skewers to the pan (work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan). Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side (about 10-15) minutes total - time will vary depending on how big your chicken pieces & skewers are).
- Rest & serve: Remove from the pan when cooked through, cover and rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Bake
- Oven Prep: Preheat oven 450°F (230°C). Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with foil or baking paper then place an oven safe wire rack inside the pan and spray with non-stick oil.
- Bake: Evenly space the kebabs over the wire rack and bake bake in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes then flip the kebabs over to cook and cook another 7 minutes (15 minutes total).
- Broil: Switch the oven to broil or raise then temp up all the way and cook another 1-2 minutes to char or brown the outside.
- Rest & Serve: Remove the pan from the oven, cover and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store Leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate and enjoy within 4 days.
- Tip for bamboo or wooden skewers if grilling: To avoid splitting, breaking or catching fire, soak the skewers in water for about 20-30 minutes before using.
- Prep ahead: You can also thread the chicken pieces onto your skewers just after mixing into the marinade. This way you get the bulk of the messy work out of the way early so you're ready to bake/grill the skewers as soon as they're done marinating. This is best done with metal skewers that don't need soaking in water first.]
- Pre-mixed shawarma spice blend: You can replace the spices in the marinade with 2 tbsp of your preferred shawarma blend (store bought or try my homemade shawarma spice).
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