Name: Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs; 3 tbsp plain yogurt; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; Juice of 1 lemon; 4 pita breads; 2 cups shredded lettuce; 1 tomato, sliced; For the garlic sauce:; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp plain yogurt; Salt and pepper to taste

Honestly, Chicken Shawarma Nights Are My Favorite

You know those evenings when you just can’t face another boring dinner? Chicken shawarma with garlic sauce is my hero meal. Years ago, when I was fresh out of uni and could barely boil an egg (I swear I once nearly set off my smoke alarm making toast), a friend dragged me to this tucked-away Middle Eastern cafe. I tasted their shawarma and, well, let’s just say it ruined basic chicken for me forever. I messed up my first homemade attempt—too much lemon, tasted like a cleaning product! But over time, I’ve landed on this recipe that’s as forgiving as your favorite old hoodie…and a hundred times tastier.

Why You’ll Love This (According to My Hungry Crew)

I make this when I want everybody to shut up and eat—no, really, it’s the one meal where my chatty family goes full-on silent except to say “pass the garlic sauce!” It’s messy, hands-on, and totally customizable (sometimes I skip the pita and just eat the chicken with salad if I’m pretending to be healthy). One time my cousin refused to eat “that weird white sauce” until he tried it—now he’s the one guarding the bowl. If you’re after something that feels like street food but is totally doable at home—even if you don’t have every gadget—this is your dish.

Here’s What You’ll Need (There’s Wiggle Room)

For the chicken:

600g (about 1.3 lbs) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I sometimes use breasts if I find a deal—thighs taste better tho’)
3 cloves garlic, minced—or lazy days, I’ll grab the pre-chopped jar
Juice of 1 big lemon (or a small one and a dash of bottled… shhh)
3 tbsp plain yogurt (Greek style is lush; any unflavored kind works)
2 tbsp olive oil (my grandma swears by a local brand but my supermarket bottle works too)
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika (sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy—go wild)
¾ tsp ground coriander (optional—kids won’t notice if you skip it)
½ tsp turmeric (for color and, I dunno, health?)
½ tsp allspice (if you have it)
Salt & pepper to taste

For the garlic sauce:

4 big cloves garlic, peeled
Pinch of salt
Juice of half a lemon
½ cup mayonnaise (straight up jar stuff, or mix half yogurt for tang—up to you)
2 tbsp thick yogurt (see above—consistency is king here)
1 tbsp olive oil (optional, but it smooths things out nicely)

To serve:

Pita or flatbread, warmed
Fresh salad bits: tomatoes, cucumber, onion, lettuce—whatever you’ve got rolling around in the crisper
Pickles (totally optional, but suddenly you’ll miss them if they’re not there)

Here’s How I Actually Make This (Mess and All)

Mix the marinade: Chuck all the marinade ingredients into a big bowl—lemon juice, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, spices, and the chicken. Roll up your sleeves and get in there to massage it all together. There’s no neat way, honestly. Cover and shove in the fridge for at least half an hour. Longer is better; overnight is best, but who plans that far ahead?
Garlic sauce magic: While the chicken soaks, toss garlic cloves with a pinch of salt in a mortar & pestle or just smash them up real fine (I once tried a blender, but hand-mashing wins). Stir in mayo, yogurt, lemon, then drizzle in the oil while stirring. It’ll look too runny at first—stick with it! Taste and tweak; sometimes I add more lemon, sometimes mayonnaise.
Cook the chicken: Heat a big pan or grill (I use my trusty frying pan; cast iron if it’s clean…), medium-high heat. Slick with a smidge of oil and lay out the chicken pieces. Cook 3-4 minutes a side, till golden and slightly charred at the edges. Don’t crowd the pan—do it in batches if you gotta. This is where I sneak a bite (don’t judge!)
Slice and serve: Let the chicken rest a sec, then slice it up into strips (bite-size is best, but whatever). Pile onto warm pita, top with salad zing and a very silly amount of garlic sauce. Eat immediately, preferably hunched over the counter like a goblin so the sauce doesn’t get everywhere (pro tip: it always gets everywhere).

Notes from My Chaos Kitchen

Marinate longer if you remember—or just do 30 min, it’ll still be tasty.
Out of yogurt? Sour cream’s actually fine in a pinch. Once I even used crème fraîche (pricey, but works!)
Sometimes I forget to rest the chicken before cutting and, yeah, it leaks juices. Don’t cry over it—it’s still delicious.

Variations I’ve Actually Tried

I swapped in tofu cubes once for a veggie mate. It needed more spice, but the garlic sauce saved it!
Turkey works—more or less—just slice thinner since it dries out. Not a fan of beef, to be honest; it never absorbed the flavors right for me.
One time I used lime instead of lemon and, well, the jury’s still out. It wasn’t awful.

Don’t Stress Over Equipment

All you really need is a bowl, a pan, and a sharp knife. I do have a mini food processor for the garlic cream—when I can be bothered to clean it—but a fork or mortar/pestle does the job. No grill? The stovetop’s totally fine (or even the oven, blast it hot and broil for the last minute; just watch carefully, so you don’t end up with chicken charcoal, which I’ve done, sadly).

How to Store Stuff (Not That There’ll Be Leftovers)

Officially, chicken keeps in the fridge 3 days; garlic sauce maybe 2. But honestly? In my house it never lasts more than a day. You can freeze the chicken—slice first, if you remember. The sauce, though—not so much; it splits and gets sad.

How We Serve It (Family Traditions & Oddities)

We do a little assembly line—everyone builds their own wrap, loads up with veggies (or just all chicken if my brother’s around). I like to squeeze more lemon on top, but my mom grabs the hot sauce. If it’s fancy, cucumber salad and sumac onions on the side—if I’m lazy, just crisps and pickles.

The Things I Wish I’d Known (Pro Tips)

I once rushed the marinating by cranking up the salt; did NOT help. Actually, less is more.
Overcrowding the pan just steams the chicken so it turns kinda pale; resist the urge to get it all done at once—you want those browned bits!
Letting the chicken sit a minute or two before slicing does make a difference, but I still forget, and it’s fine.

FAQs (Because You Actually Asked)

Can I use store-bought garlic sauce? Well, you could, but honestly? Homemade’s so much better, and it takes like 5 minutes. But if you’re in a pinch, I’ve grabbed this one from Amazon. It’s good, not great.
Is this spicy? Not really—unless you go wild with the paprika. Want heat? Chuck in some chili flakes or your fave hot sauce.
What if I don’t have pita? Tortillas work; so does naan or, in a weird moment, even sandwich bread. I mean, sometimes you do what you gotta.
Any make-ahead tips? The chicken’s happy to marinate overnight, and you can make the garlic sauce a day early too. Actually, I think it tastes better the next day. But don’t quote me; sometimes it’s all just ‘gone’ before morning.
Where’d you get inspired? Most of what I’ve learned is a patchwork of trial and error, but Yotam Ottolenghi’s take on shawarma is always worth a peek, like on Serious Eats.

Side note, since we’re already off-topic: I once ate an entire wrap in the car and spent the whole drive picking garlic sauce out of my lap. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce: My Homestyle Recipe