Shawarma Seasoning

Bring authentic Middle Eastern flavor to grilled meats or roasted veggies with this easy Shawarma Seasoning recipe! This delicious spice mix is great for seasoning veggies or to create a flavorful marinade for chicken, beef or lamb. Mix it together in just 5 minutes and keep it in the pantry for up to 6 months!

Use it to season chicken in this Chicken Shawarma Salad or to season cauliflower in these Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls!

There's nothing better than the sight of flavorful shawarma, spinning on a vertical rotisserie at your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. Dripping with flavor, this slow cooked meat is so delicious!

But don't worry, you don't actually need a vertical rotisserie or spit to make this flavorful Middle Eastern dish at home. All you need is this shawarma seasoning mix and a few tricks up your sleeve!

And for all of my vegetarian and vegan friends, don't worry, this shawarma seasoning isn't just for meat! It's a great way to season your favorite roasted veggies, chickpeas or add flavor to quinoa!

Jump to:

• What you'll need
• How to make it
• How to use the seasoning mix
• How to make chicken shawarma
• More homemade seasoning mixes to try
• Recipe

What you'll need

• Ground Cumin
• Ground Coriander
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Ground Cardamom
• Turmeric Powder - this bright, beautiful spice is popular in Middle Eastern cooking for both it's flavor and nutritional benefits. To learn more about the spice, visit this post, all about turmeric and how to use it in recipes.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Sumac - an essential spice in Middle Eastern cooking, sumac adds a tart, lemony taste to this spice mix. It can be found in Middle Eastern markets, some major grocery stores and online.
• Dried Oregano
• Ground Nutmeg
• Salt
• Ground Black Pepper

How to make it

1. Combine all of the spices together in a bowl or mason jar.

That's it! Just one step and you've made a delicious shawarma spice blend, perfect for seasoning meat or veggies.

Store the seasoning mix in a cool, dry place, like your pantry, for up to 6 months. After 6 months the spices will begin to lose their flavor.

I recommend dating your homemade spice mixes with a label so you know when to throw them out and make a new mix. Luckily, I'm sharing several ways to use the spice mix, so I don't think it will last in your pantry for 6 weeks, much less 6 months!

How to use the seasoning mix

• As a dry rub - this seasoning mix can be used on it's own as a dry rub on meats like chicken, beef, lamb or turkey. The meats can then be oven roasted, grilled or smoked.
• As a marinade - combine ¼ cup shawarma seasoning with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Use this to marinate 2 pounds of meat. Grill or pan sear the meat after marinating for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • Try it as a marinade in this delicious recipe for Chicken Shawarma Salad! (Pictured below.)
• As a veggie seasoning - toss 4 cups of diced vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning. Roast the vegetables at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
• To flavor quinoa - instead of adding salt to quinoa before cooking it, add 1 teaspoon of this shawarma seasoning. It will brighten up the flavor of the quinoa and is perfect for making shawarma bowls!
• For roasted chickpeas - drain and rinse a 15 ounce can of chickpeas, toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F preheated oven for 25 minutes.

How to make chicken shawarma

Remember I mentioned above that all you need is this shawarma seasoning and a few tricks up your sleeve to make delicious homemade shawarma? Well, now it's time to share my tricks!

• Start by marinating the chicken. This is what makes the chicken juicy and gives it all the flavor. Definitely a trick that can't be skipped!
  • To marinate the chicken, toss 2 pounds of cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs, with ¼ cup shawarma seasoning, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
    • Note: one of my tricks is marinating cubed chicken instead of whole chicken breasts of thighs. This will allow each piece of chicken to get the maximum amount of flavor!
  • Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• I highly recommend grilling the chicken if possible. Grilling the chicken will give you the most similar flavor to cooking the shawarma on a spit.
  • When grilling the chicken, skewer 6-8 pieces of chicken on 10-12 skewers.
  • Place the skewers of chicken on a grill preheated to high temperature.
  • Grill for 3-4 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes.
    • Note: the short cooking time over high temperature will give the outside of the chicken the smoky taste of grilled meat without overcooking the chicken and drying it out.
• If you don't have a grill available, you can also pan sear the cubed chicken on the stove over high heat for 6-8 minutes. Or you can roast the cubed chicken on a sheet pan in the oven at 425°F for 20-25 minutes.

Use the chicken in these Chicken Shawarma Bowls or this Chicken Shawarma Salad.

More homemade seasoning mixes to try

It's easy to make your own seasoning mixes at home and beneficial because you know exactly what's going in them! All of these spice mixes are vegan, gluten free, whole30 approved and keto-friendly!

Grab a bunch of bulk spices at your local grocery store, or online, and fill up your pantry with all of these delicious seasoning blends.

• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Moroccan Seasoning
• Taco Seasoning
• Fajita Seasoning
• Italian Seasoning
• Chili Seasoning
• Blackened Seasoning

Recipe