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Open chicken shawarma flatbread with caramelised chicken, salad and garlic sauce beside the frying pan
Shawarma-spiced chicken sliced thin and piled on flatbread with salad and garlic sauce.

Chicken Shawarma

Leave the chicken undisturbed in a very hot pan so the edges caramelise. No extra cumin, the mix already has it.

Prep
20 mins
Cook
15 mins
Total
35 mins
Serves
4
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Kitchen roadmap

Before you cook

The details that make or break this dish, mapped to the exact step where they matter.

  1. Avoid thisTwo batches means browning
  2. Watch forLeave it undisturbed
  3. Food safetyCheck the thickest piece

Ingredients

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Method

8 steps

  1. Combine everything except the flatbreads and toppings.

  2. Marinate for 2–8 hours.

  3. Heat a wide cast-iron pan until very hot.

  4. Cook the chicken in two batches to prevent steaming.

  5. Leave it undisturbed at first so caramelised edges develop.

    Chicken shawarma pieces developing dark caramelised edges in a hot cast-iron pan in a home kitchen

  6. Cook each batch for 7–9 minutes until fully cooked.

    Naturally varied shawarma chicken pieces in a griddle pan while the thickest piece is probed

  7. Return all the chicken to the pan and cook for one final minute.

  8. Finish with a small squeeze of lemon and serve in flatbreads with pickles, lettuce, tomato and garlic sauce.

If it does not come out right

The faults this dish actually has. Open one for the fix.

How much garam masala per kg of chicken?

Use 8 g of garam masala per 1 kg of chicken – two level teaspoons – stirred in during the final three to five minutes of cooking, because garam masala is a finishing spice and its aromatic oils are driven off by a long simmer.

Read the full answer

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Authentic Lahori All Purpose Mix pouch

Make it with the Authentic Lahori mix

One blend for karahi, curries, marinades, chips and everyday cooking.

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