Chicken Shawarma on Skewers
This is proper oven shawarma — spiced yoghurt-marinated chicken thighs stacked on a double skewer and roasted until golden and charred at the edges. It's the kind of meal you plan a day ahead, then slice straight onto the table with flatbreads, garlic sauce, onion and tomato. One oven, one tray, and a spice blend that does all the heavy lifting.
Serves
4
Prep time
20
Cooking time
75
Looking for more Middle Eastern-inspired chicken? Try my Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki, my Sheet Pan Chicken Kebabs, or my Crispy Lamb Pitas with Tahini Yoghurt Sauce.
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Helpful Tips
Storage
- Store sliced chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months — freeze sliced and portion-ready for easy meal prep.
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Substitutions
- Chicken thighs only — breast will dry out at this cook time and temperature. Don't swap it.
- Gluten-free: Serve in gluten-free wraps or on a rice base instead of flatbread.
Serving Suggestions
Pile the sliced chicken into flatbreads with garlic sauce, sliced tomato, and fresh herbs.
Helpful Tips
Storage
- Store sliced chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months — freeze sliced and portion-ready for easy meal prep.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs only — breast will dry out at this cook time and temperature. Don't swap it.
- Gluten-free: Serve in gluten-free wraps or on a rice base instead of flatbread.
Serving Suggestions
Pile the sliced chicken into flatbreads with garlic sauce, sliced tomato, and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the Marinade:
- 80g full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp salt
For the Skewers:
- 2 large brown onions, halved horizontally
- 2 long metal skewers or wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
To Serve:
- Flatbreads or pita
- garlic yoghurt sauce or tzatziki
- Sliced tomato and cucumber
- Fresh parsley or coriander
Nutritional Information
(
per serving, based on
4 servings
)
Nutrient
Amount
Calories
480
kcal
Protein
52
g
Carbohydrates
12
g
Fat
24
g
Fibre
2
g
Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.
Directions
Note: Before the raw chicken touches the marinade bowl, set aside 3 tablespoons of marinade in a separate small bowl for basting. Do this first! You can't go back once the chicken is in.
- Open each chicken thigh out flat, butterflying any thick pieces so they're fairly even.
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and mix thoroughly until every piece is completely coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, ideally 24 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30–45 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. This helps it cook evenly all the way through.
- Sit both onion halves cut-side down on a foil-lined baking tray. Push one skewer firmly through the centre of each onion so both stand upright side by side.
- Stack the marinated chicken thighs across both skewers, threading each piece onto both skewers at once. Press the whole stack with your hands into a tight, compact block. Gaps cause uneven cooking, so pack it as firmly as you can.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C fan-forced. Place a small oven-proof dish with 200ml of water on the lower rack to create steam and keep the chicken moist. Sit the skewer tray on the rack above.
- Roast at 190°C for 50–60 minutes, basting with your reserved marinade every 15 minutes. Check at the 45-minute mark with a meat thermometer — the internal temperature should be climbing towards 65–68°C at this point.
- Increase the oven to 220°C or switch to the grill/broiler setting for the final 10–15 minutes until the outside is deeply golden and charred at the edges.
- Check that the thickest part of the stack has reached 74°C internal temperature. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Use a sharp knife to slice down the outside of the stack, letting the pieces fall onto a board.
- Pile into flatbreads with garlic sauce, tomato, onion and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the Marinade:
- 80g full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp salt
For the Skewers:
- 2 large brown onions, halved horizontally
- 2 long metal skewers or wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
To Serve:
- Flatbreads or pita
- garlic yoghurt sauce or tzatziki
- Sliced tomato and cucumber
- Fresh parsley or coriander
Nutritional Information
(
per serving, based on
4 servings
)
Nutrient
Amount
Calories
480
kcal
Protein
52
g
Carbohydrates
12
g
Fat
24
g
Fibre
2
g
Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.
Directions
Note: Before the raw chicken touches the marinade bowl, set aside 3 tablespoons of marinade in a separate small bowl for basting. Do this first! You can't go back once the chicken is in.
- Open each chicken thigh out flat, butterflying any thick pieces so they're fairly even.
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and mix thoroughly until every piece is completely coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, ideally 24 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30–45 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. This helps it cook evenly all the way through.
- Sit both onion halves cut-side down on a foil-lined baking tray. Push one skewer firmly through the centre of each onion so both stand upright side by side.
- Stack the marinated chicken thighs across both skewers, threading each piece onto both skewers at once. Press the whole stack with your hands into a tight, compact block. Gaps cause uneven cooking, so pack it as firmly as you can.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C fan-forced. Place a small oven-proof dish with 200ml of water on the lower rack to create steam and keep the chicken moist. Sit the skewer tray on the rack above.
- Roast at 190°C for 50–60 minutes, basting with your reserved marinade every 15 minutes. Check at the 45-minute mark with a meat thermometer — the internal temperature should be climbing towards 65–68°C at this point.
- Increase the oven to 220°C or switch to the grill/broiler setting for the final 10–15 minutes until the outside is deeply golden and charred at the edges.
- Check that the thickest part of the stack has reached 74°C internal temperature. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Use a sharp knife to slice down the outside of the stack, letting the pieces fall onto a board.
- Pile into flatbreads with garlic sauce, tomato, onion and fresh herbs.
Watch How to Make It
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