Making shawarma at home brings the restaurant experience to your own kitchen.
My first memory of shawarma comes from when my older brother returned from yeshivah in Israel and insisted we try it. He described the bold flavors, the tahini dripping down your fingers, and the perfect pairing of grilled eggplant with spiced chicken. He was so enthusiastic that he took us all to a nearby Israeli eatery and ordered shawarmas for the entire family.
I wasn’t immediately convinced. The pita was overflowing with condiments and the combination of flavors felt too intense for my younger palate. I pretended to enjoy it while secretly deciding it wasn’t for me. For years I avoided shawarma.
Later, as a newlywed, my husband took me to a tiny gas-station spot in New Jersey that he swore served the best shawarma. We sat in the car and unwrapped steaming laffas—classic car-date vibes—and I hesitated to take more than a bite. To my surprise, it was delicious: juicy, well-seasoned, and exactly the way my brother had raved about. Slowly, I developed a real taste for it.
Now I make shawarma at home often. While the homemade version isn’t identical to a restaurant spit-roasted shawarma, it gets remarkably close and satisfies the craving. I typically serve it with homemade fries, sliced fresh vegetables, hummus, grilled eggplant, tahini, and schug for anyone who wants extra heat. You can prepare all of these accompaniments yourself or buy pre-made versions to save time.
I like offering several bread options—pita, laffa, and wraps—so everyone can build their favorite combination. Laffas can be harder to find, so I don’t always include them.
This is also a great Chol Hamoed recipe and I make it every Pesach, served with fries and plenty of salad. If you observe kashrut for Pesach and avoid kitniyos, omit the cumin or choose a certified kosher-for-Pesach shawarma spice blend—just be sure the hechsher matches your stringency.
Shawarma Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. chicken cutlets, cut into small strips
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp shawarma spice
- or
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté slowly for 20–30 minutes until they are soft and richly caramelized. Patience yields the best flavor.
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Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken strips along with the salt and shawarma spice (or the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper if using separate spices).
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Cook without stirring for about 5 minutes so the chicken can develop a bit of crispness. Then stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10–15 more minutes.
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Serve hot with pita or laffa, fries, fresh vegetables, and your preferred condiments such as hummus, tahini, grilled eggplant, and schug.
Notes
Yield varies from about 4 to 8 servings depending on how much you add to each wrap and what else you serve alongside it.
Recipe by Faigy Murray