Shawarma Chicken with all the Fixings

This shawarma chicken is a household staple—perfect for a fun weeknight meal or a festive feast with friends. It’s juicy, flavourful, and loaded with vibrant sides that make plating this a bit chaotic, in the best way. Marinate the chicken the night before or morning of serving, and you’ll find this dish comes together in a flash.

The real star? The toum—a garlicky, fluffy sauce so addictive you'll want to lather it on everything. Fair warning: it’s seriously garlicky! But hey, if your partner can’t handle garlic, that’s a major red flag. Leftovers are amazing too—serve them up in a bowl or salad for an easy, delicious next-day meal. Here I'm going all out with sides, but choose your own adventure.

Shawarma Chicken with Fixings

Total time: 60 minutes + marinating time

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

Shawarma Chicken

• 8 boneless chicken thighs (skin on or off, your call)
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp coriander
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Toum (Garlic Sauce)

• 1 head garlic (approx. 10 cloves, 65g), peeled
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup neutral oil (canola, sunflower, etc.)

Tomato Salad

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 300g), halved
• 1 cup cucumber, halved and sliced into half-moons
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro, mint)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sumac
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Purple Cabbage Slaw

• 1.5 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1–2 tbsp toum
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt, to taste

Other

• Pita bread
• Pickles
• Hot peppers (pepperoncini or banana peppers)
• Hot sauce

Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl or freezer bag, mix the grated garlic, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chili powder, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 48 hours for maximum flavor.
2. Make the Toum (Garlic Sauce): Add peeled garlic cloves, lemon juice, cold water, salt, and oil to a tall, narrow jar—just wide enough to fit the head of your immersion blender. Let the ingredients settle for a few seconds. Place the blender head at the bottom of the jar, start blending on low speed without moving the blender. After a few seconds, slowly lift the blender head up through the mixture. The sauce will emulsify into a thick, fluffy, garlicky delight. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Prepare the Tomato Salad: In a bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, fresh herbs, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sumac, salt, and pepper. Toss gently and set aside.
4. Make the Purple Cabbage Slaw: In a bowl, toss the sliced red cabbage with 1-2 tablespoon of toum (choose your own garlic level), a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt to taste. Mix well and set aside.
5. Grill the Chicken: Preheat your BBQ or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the marinated chicken thighs for about 5–7 minutes per side, until cooked through and slightly charred on the edges. Remove and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.
6. Assemble and Serve: Warm your pita bread. Plate the sliced shawarma chicken with tomato salad, purple cabbage slaw, pickles, and hot peppers. Load up your shawarma with extra toum and hot sauce as desired. Roll up those sleeves and dig in!

Pro Tip: Leftovers make an incredible bowl or salad — just toss chicken, slaw, tomato salad, and a generous dollop of toum, or serve it all over rice for a fresh, tasty next-day meal.