Need dinner done fast? This sheet-pan shawarma chicken is a fast dinner that relies on a single sheet pan for easy prep and cleanup. And, of course, it’s also delicious.
Shawarma is thin slices of meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie (rotating spit) surrounded by a grill. In addition, the meat is layered with fat, which melts during the grilling process, keeping the meat moist and juicy. Often, it is a combination of meats such as beef, lamb, and turkey. In some places, every layer of meat is topped with a layer of fat or fatty meat to keep it moist.
But, the main highlight of this shawarma meat is that it is heavily spiced with a special aromatic shawarma spice mix. And that is what makes shawarma even more special.
This sheet-pan shawarma chicken uses the popular Middle Eastern shawarma spice mix to add flavor and dimension to your weekday sheet-pan recipe. This simple, easy, and effortless recipe takes an hour. And this chicken shawarma is hearty and healthy, baked alongside roast potatoes, caramelized onions, lemon, and garlic.
Why make this chicken?
- This shawarma chicken recipe makes simple everyday cooking easier, full of flavor, and healthier.
- Also, we are replacing the saturated animal fat with good old olive oil.
- And most of the ingredients used in this recipe are easy to find or simple pantry staples. In fact, the shawarma spice is very flavorful and already includes garlic cloves and ginger, but is powdered.
- The best part is, of course, that we make it all on one sheet pan or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, which makes clean-up easy peasy.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken – I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and legs because they’re more flavorful and do not dry out quickly. Of course, you can use chicken breast as well; just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Spices – You can buy shawarma spice in most supermarkets, but it is also very easy to make it yourself. Use my recipe for homemade Shawarma Chicken. You probably already have most of the spices in your pantry. It usually has ground cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika,
- Potatoes – I highly recommend using baking potatoes. They hold their shape and get nice brown caramelized edges.
- Onions – Use red onions, and they will be the best thing you will eat with this dish. And, if you don’t like onions, just omit them.
- Lemon – It’s optional, so feel free to omit it. But, if you have never tried roasted lemon before – OMG – Please do try!!
- Oil – I like using olive oil, but any oil you like, such as coconut or avocado, works just as well.
Step-by-step: Chicken shawarma recipe
Marinate Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C / Gas Mark 6
- Shawarma spice – If making homemade shawarma spice, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use the amount needed for this recipe and save the rest for another time.
- Marinade – To the shawarma spice, add olive oil and lemon juice. And combine well.
- Chicken – Trim excess fat and cut the chicken thighs into two or three pieces. Pat them dry and place them on a 13 x 9 sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
Pro tip – If you don’t pat the chicken dry, the marinade will not stick to the chicken. - Marinate – Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then, using a pastry brush, brush each piece with the shawarma spice marinade on both sides, leaving some marinade for the veggies.
Pro tip – Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken overnight in a large bowl and bake it with the veggies the next day. - Veggies – Arrange the potatoes, onions, and lemons on the sheet pan alongside the chicken pieces. Brush them with any remaining marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip – I like to place the lemon slices on the chicken so the juices drip over the chicken. - Spray – Spray the chicken and veggies with cooking oil spray. This will prevent the top from drying out.
Pro tip – Do not overspray, as the marinade already has enough oil. This is just to prevent the tops from burning.
Bake
- Bake – Place the sheet pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. Then, turn the chicken and veggies over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Roast potatoes – When the chicken is ready, take the sheet pan out of the oven. Remove the chicken pieces, caramelized onions, and roasted lemon slices onto a separate tray. Spread the potatoes in the sheet pan and bake them for another 10 minutes.
Pro tip – Baking for another 10 minutes makes the potatoes slightly crisper around the edges, but this is optional. - Serve – You can, of course, serve this chicken on the sheet pan as it is a meal on its own. I like to transfer the chicken and veggies onto a serving platter accompanied by a side salad, yogurt sauce, and hot pita bread or laffa.
Garlic yogurt sauce (optional)
- Combine all the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Taste and adjust to your preference. Serve with the chicken.
Frequently asked questions
How long will this chicken shawarma keep?
You can keep this sheet pan chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure to cover it well to prevent it from drying in the fridge. It can also be kept in the freezer for up to a month.
Can I use other veggies for this sheet pan chicken shawarma?
Absolutely, I have used potatoes, but try other veggies such as sweet potato, turnip, parsnip, cauliflower, or even broccoli. And make sure to adjust the cooking time to match the veggies you use.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Actually, you can. Follow my recipe for stovetop chicken shawarma. You can cook it in a skillet on medium-high heat or grill it on the BBQ until it is done.
Sheet Pan Shawarma Chicken
Need dinner done fast? This sheet pan shawarma chicken is a fast dinner that relies on a single sheet pan for easy prep and cleanup. And, of course, it's always delicious!
Video
Ingredients
For the sheet pan chicken
- 8 pieces (8 pieces) Boneless chicken thighs or legs
- 2 large Potatoes cut into wedges
- 2 medium Onions sliced into thick rounds
- 1 medium Lemon sliced into thick rounds
- 4 tbsp Shawarma Spice Mix (below)
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley for garnish
Homemade shawarma spice
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Cumin powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic powder
- ¼ tsp Ground ginger
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon powder
- ⅙ tsp Cardamom powder
- ⅙ tsp Ground cloves
- ⅙ tsp Allspice powder
- ⅙ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Garlic yogurt sauce (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) Greek yogurt
- ¼ tsp Garlic powder (or 1 tbsp roasted garlic if you have)
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Method
Marinate Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C / Gas Mark 6
- Shawarma spice – If making homemade shawarma spice, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use the amount needed for this recipe and save the rest for another time.
- Marinade – To the shawarma spice, add olive oil and lemon juice. Combine well.
- Chicken – Trim excess fat and cut the chicken thighs into two or three pieces. Pat them dry and place them on a 13 x 9 sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Pro tip – If the chicken is not patted dried the marinade will not stick to the chicken.
- Marinate – Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then, using a pastry brush, brush each piece with the shawarma spice marinade on both sides making sure to leave some marinade for the veggies. Pro tip – Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken overnight in a large bowl and bake it with the veggies the next day.
- Veggies – Arrange the potatoes, onions, and lemons on the sheet pan alongside the chicken pieces. Brush them with any remaining marinade and season with salt and pepper. Pro tip – I like to place the lemon slices on the chicken so the juices drip over the chicken.
- Spray – Spray the chicken and veggies with cooking oil spray. This will prevent the top from drying out. Pro tip – Do not overspray as the marinade already has enough oil. This is just to prevent the tops from burning.
- Bake – Place the sheet pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. Then, turn the chicken and veggies over and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Roast potatoes – When the chicken is ready, take the sheet pan out of the oven. Remove the chicken pieces, caramelized onions, and roasted lemon slices onto a separate tray. Spread the potatoes in the sheet pan and bake them for another 10 minutes. Pro tip – Baking for another 10 minutes makes the potatoes slightly crisper around the edges, but this is optional. They are definitely cooked by this time.
- Serve – You can, of course, serve this chicken on the sheet pan as it is a meal on its own. I like to transfer the chicken and veggies onto a serving platter accompanied by a side salad, yogurt sauce, and hot pita bread or laffa.
Garlic yogurt sauce (optional)
- Combine all the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Taste and adjust to your preference. Serve with the chicken.
Notes
- Always use the right size pan for cooking. Too large and the meat will stew rather than roast giving you mussy veggies. Too small will not give even cooking.
- Line the pan with parchment for easy clean-up. Having said that, baking directly on the pan can give you crisp edges, which some of us enjoy.
- Layer moist meats or veggies on top of dry ones so the top will keep the bottom from becoming dry.
- Use veggies with similar cooking times or give the veggies that need longer cooking a head start.
- Keep the veggies moist by spraying them with oil so they won’t dry out.
- Use the right cooking time for the right cuts of meat. Chicken breast usually cooks quicker than chicken thigh or red meats.
- Not everything gets browned well on a sheet pan
- Marinade – The marinated chicken can be made a few hours ahead or up to a day ahead in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the marinated chicken for up to a month in a freezer-safe bag.
- Freezing – the cooked chicken leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days and can also be frozen for up to a month. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
- Skillet shawarma – Use a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat to cook on the stove. That way it will evaporate the pan juices instead of stewing in it.
- Grilled shawarma – this is perfect for a BBQ party to cook on the outdoor grill.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
This was so good, juicy, flavourful and tender………Definitely a keeper and will now be part of our weekly rotation.
Thanks, Mineille
This was delicious and the sheetpan made for easy cleanup which was a breeze! I’ll be making this again soon!
Thanks, Emily
We had this chicken for dinner tonight and it was amazing! So full of flavor!
Thank you, Tayler
This was super fun and delicious! That spice blend is out of this world! Thank you for another winner. 🙂
Thank you, Kris
Yum! I just want to stuff this in to a giant flatbread.
Oh yeah, Flatbread works a treat with this – we use laffa and make a wrap.
This looks really nice and super easy! My family loves shawarma so I’m definitely making this!
Thanks, Tonje. I think you will love this one
Looks so crispy and delicious! Perfect for a comforting dinner!
Yes, it’s a nice mixture of some so and some crispy veggies – so everybody gets what they want.
Shawarma flavors are my all time favorite. This looks amazingly delicious. YUM!
Thanks, Khushigalu.