Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Easy Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma is a sheet pan dinner made with juicy shawarma-spiced chicken thighs roasted with sweet onions and caramelized carrots. Perfect for rice bowls, pita wraps, and meal prep.
Servings: 6
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Large sheet pan
- Parchment paper or foil (optional, for easy cleanup)
- Instant-read thermometer (highly recommended)
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice plus wedges for serving
- 4 cloves garlic minced (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Shawarma Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne optional, to taste
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 medium carrots cut into thin sticks or diagonal coins
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and all the shawarma spices.Add the chicken and toss the chicken thighs until well coated. Cover and marinate 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, toss onion and carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper (plus any optional vegetables you’re using, except tomatoes, which you’ll add later, is using).
- Spread the vegetables out on the pan. Arrange chicken thighs on top (or between the veggies). Pour any remaining marinade over the chicken.
- Roast the chicken for 25-30 minutes, flipping the chicken once halfway through the cooking time if you want more even browning. Chicken is done when it hits 165°F.
- Broil 1-3 minutes to get those browned, caramelized edges - watch closely to prevent burning.
- Rest chicken 5-10 minutes, then slice across the grain. Return the chicken slices back with the roasted onions and pan juices tossing to coat.
Notes
- Marinating even 30 minutes boosts flavor, but you can cook it right away if needed.
- Thighs are juiciest when cooked past 165°F, aim for a higher finish temp if you can for the most tender texture.
- For extra browned “shawarma” edges, broil 1–3 minutes at the end, watch closely.
- If using cherry tomatoes, add during the last 10 minutes so they stay jammy (not mushy).
- Rest the chicken before slicing, then toss sliced chicken back into the pan juices for maximum flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 982mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7251IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg