Homemade chicken shawarma is the fakeaway that beats the real thing. Diced chicken breast soaks up a warm, garlicky yoghurt marinade, then roasts in a hot oven and gets a quick blast under the grill until it chars at the edges, just like the chicken kebab meat shaved off a spit. Wrapped in a warm flatbread with crunchy salad, pickles and a cool garlic sauce, it is a Friday-night favourite that costs a fraction of a takeaway and feeds six.
The best chicken for homemade kebab meat
You do not need a rotating spit to make great shawarma at home, just the right chicken and a hot oven. Our Diced Chicken Breast 1kg is ready to go straight into the marinade, with no trimming or chopping, and the bite-sized pieces cook quickly and evenly with plenty of edges to crisp up. It is 100% chicken breast with no added water, so it browns rather than stews in the tin. Prefer longer, thinner slices like a kebab shop? Slice whole fillets from our Chicken collection into thin strips instead and cook them the same way.
Makes: 6 wraps | Prep: 20 minutes, plus at least 1 hour marinating | Cook: 25–28 minutes
Ingredients
- 1kg diced chicken breast (or 1kg chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced)
- For the marinade: 150g natural yoghurt, juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil and 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice or mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
- For the garlic sauce: 150g Greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 small garlic clove, finely grated, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt
- To serve: 6 large flatbreads or tortilla wraps, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, 1 red onion thinly sliced, pickled chillies or gherkins, and chilli sauce
Method
- Mix all the marinade ingredients and spices together in a large bowl. Add the diced chicken, stir until every piece is coated, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight for the best flavour.
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a large roasting tin with foil or baking paper. Spread the chicken out in a single layer, using two tins if needed so the pieces are not crowded.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is golden and cooked through with no pink in the middle (at least 75°C in the thickest piece).
- For proper kebab-shop charring, switch the grill to high and grill the chicken for 2–3 minutes until it catches and crisps at the edges.
- While the chicken cooks, stir together all the garlic sauce ingredients and chill. Thinly slice the onion and toss with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon to soften it.
- Warm the flatbreads in a dry frying pan or wrapped in foil in the oven for a few minutes.
- To assemble, spread each flatbread with garlic sauce, add lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion, then pile on the hot chicken. Finish with pickles and a drizzle of chilli sauce, roll up tightly and serve.
Butcher's tips for juicy, charred chicken shawarma
Give the marinade time. The yoghurt and lemon tenderise the chicken and carry the spices right into the meat, so if you can mix it up in the morning, you will taste the difference at teatime. Spread the pieces out well in the tin. Crowded chicken steams and stays pale, while chicken with room around it roasts and catches at the edges, which is where all the flavour is.
Do not skip the final blast under the grill. That charring is what makes it taste like proper chicken kebab meat rather than a traybake. Keep an eye on it, as the spices can go from charred to burnt quickly. If you want to double-check timings, our guide on how to cook diced chicken breast covers the pan, oven and grill.
Air fryer, grill and BBQ chicken shawarma
In the air fryer, cook the marinated chicken in a single layer at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway; our air fryer diced chicken guide has more detail. In summer, thread the pieces onto skewers and cook over a medium-hot barbecue for 10–12 minutes, turning often, for a smoky chicken kebab. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes first so they do not burn.
How to build the perfect wrap
Warm bread is a must, as cold flatbreads crack when you roll them. Spread the garlic sauce right to the edges, keep the salad crunchy and thin, and put the hot chicken on last so it does not wilt everything. Pickled chillies, gherkins or pickled red cabbage add sharpness to cut through the richness. Some kebab shops tuck a few chips inside the wrap too, and we will not judge.
Not in the mood for wraps? Serve the chicken shawarma over rice with a chopped salad, hummus and the garlic sauce for a loaded rice bowl, or over oven chips for a homemade version of the takeaway classic. If you love a fakeaway, try our Homemade Doner Kebab with Lean Beef Mince or our Chicken Fajitas with Diced Chicken Breast.
Batch cooking and meal prep
A 1kg pack of diced chicken makes six generous wraps, or enough for dinner tonight and lunch boxes tomorrow. Cooked chicken shawarma is good cold in salads and wraps, as long as it was cooled quickly and kept in the fridge.
Food safety
Chicken must be cooked all the way through: no pink meat, juices running clear and at least 75°C in the centre of the thickest piece. Do not wash raw chicken, and wash your hands, boards and knives after handling it. Throw away any leftover marinade. Leftovers should be cooled quickly, refrigerated within 2 hours, eaten within 2 days and reheated only once, until steaming hot.
FAQ
What meat is used for chicken shawarma?
Takeaways usually use marinated chicken thigh or breast, stacked on a vertical rotating spit and shaved off as it cooks. Exactly what goes in varies from shop to shop. At home, diced or sliced chicken breast gives you lean, tender kebab meat without needing a spit.
Is chicken shawarma healthy?
Homemade chicken shawarma can be a lighter choice than a takeaway kebab. Chicken breast is lean and high in protein, and the marinade is mostly yoghurt, lemon and spices. How healthy it ends up depends on what you add, so go easy on the garlic mayo and chips and pile on the salad.
Can I make chicken shawarma in the air fryer?
Yes. Cook the marinated diced chicken in a single layer at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway, until charred at the edges and cooked through with no pink in the middle.
How long should I marinate the chicken?
At least 1 hour, but 4 hours to overnight in the fridge is better. The yoghurt and lemon tenderise the chicken and let the spices really soak in. Do not go much beyond 24 hours, or the texture can turn soft.
Can I freeze chicken shawarma?
You can freeze the raw chicken in its marinade for up to 3 months, which makes a handy ready-to-go dinner. Defrost it overnight in the fridge and cook from fully defrosted. Cooked shawarma is best eaten fresh.
