Shawarma recipes
Five recipes that cover almost every craving, from the chicken classic to vegetarian falafel. No spit required — everything is made in the oven, in a pan or on a grill.
The classic chicken shawarma
The one from the stand down the road: soft spiced chicken thigh, cabbage and carrot, fresh vegetables and white sauce in thin flatbread.
Beef shawarma
A denser, meatier version: beef in warm spices, quick-pickled onion and plenty of fresh herbs.
Doner-style lamb shawarma
The closest to the original: fragrant lamb with cumin and sumac, roasted in a stack in the oven for a spit-like crust.
Vegetarian falafel shawarma
No meat, just as satisfying: crisp chickpea falafel, fresh vegetables and tahini sauce in flatbread.
Two shawarma sauces: white and hot
Without these two, shawarma isn't shawarma. White garlic sauce is the base; the hot tomato one is for those who like it fierier. Both take five minutes.
Seven rules for good home shawarma
- Marinate the meat aheadAt least 1–2 hours, ideally overnight. Acid (lemon, yogurt, kefir) softens the fibres while the spices work right through the meat.
- Sear hot, in batchesThe meat should catch a browned crust, not stew in its own juices. Add it to a screaming-hot pan in small batches.
- Warm the flatbreadCold, dry flatbread cracks. Warm it for a few seconds in a dry pan and it turns supple and won't split at the fold.
- Sauce in two layersA little sauce on the bread under the filling, a little on top. Every bite stays juicy and the bread doesn't go soggy through.
- Dry the vegetablesTomato and cucumber carry a lot of water. Scoop the watery core out of the tomato and pat the slices dry, or the wrap will leak.
- Don't overfillThe temptation is real, but an overstuffed wrap won't fold and falls apart. Lay the filling in a neat strip just below the centre of the sheet.
- Toast the finished parcelA final 2–3 minutes in a dry pan or grill press seals the seam and gives that crisp crust.