Published by Sheena Strain, last updated
Recipe
My Chicken Shawarma is packed full of warming spices and Middle Eastern flavors! It’s not hot and spicy but we have added a small amount of cayenne pepper so you can adjust the amount up or down to suit your tastes.
This recipe for Chicken Shawarma is naturally low carb and keto friendly with the main flavors coming from a small amount of lemon juice, garlic, and a mixture of warming spices including cumin, coriander, a little ground cloves, and the wonderfully healthy turmeric which gives it such a fabulous color too.
Coming in at only 3g net carbs per serving this low carb chicken Shawarma is a perfect healthy addition to your low carb dinner menu rotation.
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The best way to make Chicken Shawarma
So the first thing you need to do is ensure that the chicken is evenly coated in the marinade, and that you leave enough time for the marinade to infuse all its wonderful flavors into the chicken.
I’d say an hour minimum if you’re in a rush, but the longer the better for a more flavorful final result.
Then you need to decide how you are going to cook it.
In my opinion the very best way to cook Chicken Shawarma is over a grill, but I realize that’s not alway convenient so my second choice method, and actually the one I used to cook the chicken you see in these photographs, is with a cast iron grill pan.
I have a cast iron grill pan and I’ve used it for years, it will give you these lovely grill marks on the chicken and you don’t even need to go outside! my quick tip for using it is to scrape out any cooked chicken and marinade bits that collects in between the ‘grills’ on the skillet as they can start to burn after you’ve cooked a couple of batches of chicken.
Don’t have a grill pan or an outdoor grill? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered too! This recipe for Low Carb Chicken Shawarma is equally easy to cook in the oven. Simply line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up and then add the chicken thighs.
You’ll find all the cook times for each of these methods in my recipe card at the end of the post.
Where does Chicken Shawarma Come from?
Chicken Shawarma is a middle eastern meat dish based on a doner kebab that would originally have been made with lamb or mutton.
Traditionally the pre-seasoned meat is pushed onto a skewer and cooked over hot coals or on a spit.
Chicken Shawarma is one of the world’s most popular street foods and is particularly common in the Arabian Peninsula.
What’s best to serve with Chicken Shawarma?
Chicken Shawarma is most often served as a wrap inside some sort of flatbread. If you’re looking for a low carb bread to serve this with you can use myLow Carb Keto Coconut Flour Tortillas which are the same tortillas pictured in the recipe photos above.
It’s also delicious if you serve it alongside a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions for a fantastic flavor combination, you can either add them inside your chicken shawarma wrap with a little natural yoghurt, or serve them on the side with a little oil and vinegar dressing.
What does Chicken Shawarma Taste Like?
The combination of cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic and lemon juice, plus a very small amount of cloves, give this chicken shawarma recipe a distinctive warming spice flavor that’s quite unique.
If you love grilled chicken in general but are looking for something not too spicy then you’ll love the taste of this recipe.
I prefer to use chicken thighs for my chicken shawarma as they have a higher fat content than chicken breast and fat=flavor.
More Low Carb Chicken Recipes
Keto Low Carb Creamy Tuscan Chicken | Keto Low Carb Chicken Stir Fry | Chicken Korma | Low Carb Chicken Spaghetti | Keto Low Carb Chicken Fried Rice | Keto Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps | Keto Low Carb Chicken Divan | Keto Low Carb Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Shawarma Recipe - Middle Eastern, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo
Chicken Shawarma recipe with warming spices & Middle Eastern flavors, it's naturally low carb, keto, Paleo, whole30, a healthy grilled chicken recipe.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Total Carbs: 3 g
Net Carbs: 3 g
Protein: 29 g
Servings: 6
5 from 17 votes
Ingredients
- 2lbsboneless skinless chicken thighs, 907g
Chicken Shawarma Marinade
- 3tbspfresh lemon juice
- 3tbspolive oil
- 4clovesgarlic, minced
- 2tspsalt, fine salt, not flaked
- 2tspblack pepper
- 4tspground cumin
- 4tspground coriander
- 2tsppaprika
- 1tspturmeric
- 1/2tspground cloves
- 1/2tspcayenne pepper, or more to taste
Instructions
Add the chicken shawarma marinade ingredients to a large ziplock bag along with the chicken thighs.
Marinate chicken for 1 - 8 hours, or overnight.
How to Cook Chicken Shawarma on a Grill
Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking and allow to come to room temperature.
You'll need a hot gas or charcoal grill. Place the chicken thighs onto the hot grill grates and close the lid and let them cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken thighs and cook the other side for a further 3-4 minutes or until they are fully cooked
Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F
How to cook Chicken Shawarma on the Stove
I prefer to cook boneless Skinless chicken thighs in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, if you can get the cast iron grill pan that will give you lovely grill marks on your chicken.
Cook the chicken thighs for about 4-6 minutes per side, and until fully cooked at the thickest part of each chicken thigh.
Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F
How to Cook Chicken Shawarma in Oven
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up, don't use foil as the chicken will stick to it.
Preheat oven to 400F
Bake for about 25 - 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked at the thickest part of each chicken thigh.
Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F
Recipe Notes
3g net carbs per serving
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Shawarma Recipe - Middle Eastern, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo
Amount Per Serving
Calories 258Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 143mg48%
Sodium 914mg40%
Potassium 463mg13%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 515IU10%
Vitamin C 5.8mg7%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 2.7mg15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional information on Noshtastic is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Author: Sheena Strain
Course:main
Cuisine:Middle Eastern
About Sheena Strain
Sheena Strain is the proud owner of Noshtastic, a gluten free website that specializes in easy family meals including Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and many pressure cooker recipes.
Reader Interactions
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Erin says
Marinade came out more like a paste but was super flavorful! We used chicken breasts and cooked in air fryer. Everyone agreed this recipe is a keeper! ❤️Reply
Cyndi says
sounds amazing. going to make thisReply
Barbara says
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. It’s a definite keeperReply
Joy D says
My family love this!! It has fantastic flavor without the spicy hot. It has become a favorite in my house.Reply
Alba says
Amazing recipe! I have to make it once a week, because is a family favorite 🙂
As almost everybody, I have also made some changes just to make the process easier for me. I use breats, cut them in cubes, marinate them, and then to the pan they go in High. We eat the shawarma with garlic sauce, too
Thank you for a delicious dish!Roger says
The cumin was over strong flavor but I didn’t have 2 of the other spices.
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Heather says
Marinated about 3 lbs of chicken, with a bit of extra lemon, for about an hour. Cooked under the broiler. Served with naan, cucumber, tomato and red onion. Sooo good and so easy.Reply
Kyle says
My husband and I enjoyed this immensely.Reply
Miriam Kook says
This is delicious!! Thank you so much! I’m adding to my favorites!Reply
Eileen says
Loved this!! We will be fixing this again!Reply
Kathy H says
Made this dish for friends since we are discussing the Exodus.Reply
Mary says
Enjoyed this dish a lot!Reply
Donna says
Sounds great, I want to try when I get home, traveling right now. Sure hope I can save it.
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Sheila says
Great recipe! I had no idea what Shawarma was but it was mentioned in The Marvel
movie Avengers so I figured since my daughter is a huge marvel fan I’d make it. I will definitely be making this again.Reply
Barbara McNichols says
This sounds delicious but I am not allowed turmeric as it messes with a necessary medication. Is there another spice/herb you’d suggest as a substitute?
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Sheena Strain says
Just omit it
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Carmen says
We have eaten chicken shawarma at an eastern restaurant and it was cut in very shaved, thin slices. I’m wondering how it would be cooked this way.
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Sheena Strain says
I think restaurants like that cook it on a large spit over hot coals and then cut off thin slices.
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Kev says
You can place the chicken (pounded to thin slices) on top of each other and put a skewer in the middle to hold in position. Cook and then slice yourself as you would see in a kebab restaurant.
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Liza says
Does the fresh lemon juice not start to break down the chicken while it’s marinating? I am looking to make this but have always been of the understanding that fresh lemon juice can only be used in a chicken marinade for no more than three hours.
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Sheena Strain says
I’ve never had a problem with it
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Janet says
Delicious! My whole family liked it, which is no small feat at my house. One question: if I make this with just a pound of chicken thighs, would I half the marinade amounts or keep them the same? Thank you so much for such a delicious recipe that I have added to our rotation. 🙂Reply
Sheena Strain says
I’d half it as I don’t think you’ll need it all. What I usually do is make up a batch of the dried spice mix (so it’s the marinade minus lemon juice, oil, and garlic) and just use what I need and keep the rest for next time in an airtight container or little ziplock bag.
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Janet says
Thank you!
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Jessalyn says
This recipe is delicious! It’s become a regular for me, I make it about once a week because it’s my husband’s new favorite. I use chicken breast tenders and bake it in the oven. Soooo good!Reply
Todd says
My whole family really enjoyed this! Super versatile as well.Reply
Emily Ann says
I modified this recipe a bit – only because I didn’t read the ‘let marinade’ part. ha! Doused my chicken breasts in the seasoning mixture, transferred to the cast iron. 7 minutes on each side, took out, cut up and returned to the pan with lemon juice and garlic.I’m actually eating it as I type this. PHENOMENAL recipe. 13/10 would recommend!
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Sheena Strain says
So glad you liked it Emily Ann!
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Kulwinder says
This recipe is amazing! Simple ingredients and I made it so many times without a fail. I gave this recipe to my friends who tried my cooked chicken. Even made vegan version of it for a party. Today I revisited to double check on my ingredients and thought why didn’t I write a review about it. So here you go, 5 stars! Believe me it’s worth it. To make it more simple I use garlic powder and onion powder (I am big fan of onions). I even throw vegetables in marinations and cook one pan meal. Sometimes my dish leaves water after cooking so I mix some cooked rice in it to make another dish out of it. I love Mediterranean food. Thanks Sheena for sharing it!Reply
Kristina says
Have you tried this using chicken breasts?
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Sheena Strain says
Yes, you can cut them small like chicken tender size and it will work best that way 🙂
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