Authentic Shawarma Recipe Lebanon, Asia
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
A close relative to Greek gyros and Turkish döner kebab, shawarma is the ultimate Middle-Eastern version of street food popular both across Lebanon, as well as in other Arabic countries and across the world. Although it may seem simple at first glance, it actually takes up to 2 days to prepare the original Lebanese shawarma. The first step is to mix up a marinade from garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and a whole array of spices — usually a special shawarma mix known as The 7 spices which consists of coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, and nutmeg, to name just some. The meat, usually beef, veal, lamb, or chicken, but never pork, is marinated overnight which not only gives it a rich flavor, but also softens the meat due to acids from vinegar and lemon juice. The following step makes the main difference between a homemade shawarma and the one prepared by street vendors. In the latter case, thin slices of marinated meat ... Read more
Serve With
Cooking tips
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meat
Beef, veal and lamb are the most common choices for a Lebanese shawarma. Go for fatter cuts rather than the lean ones. If you opt for chicken or turkey, avoid breasts since they will become too dry during cooking: dark meat, such as chicken thighs, is by far tastier. The one thing which differs the Lebanese — and generally Arabic — shawarma from their Greek relative gyro is the fact that pork is never ... Read more -
marinade
A mixture of olive oil, acids from vinegar and lemon juice, garlic, and a wide range of intense spices, the marinade for Lebanese shawarma is what gives the meat that special, oriental taste. The marinade should be rubbed vigorously into the meat, and the meat is then covered and refrigerated overnight so it absorbs all the flavor. -
baking
There are three possible methods for preparing Lebanese shawarma at home. The marinated meat cut into thin slices can either be grilled, baked in a very hot oven, or pan-fried. Generally, the marinade is discarded before cooking the meat since the spices would otherwise burn -
serving
Shawarma is most commonly served tucked inside a pita bread with yogurt or tahini sauce and fesh vegetables such as tomatoes and onions, while French fries are a relatively new addition. Alternatively, the meat can be arranged over a serving of cooked rice, and garnished with fresh and pickled vegetables, parsley, salads such as tabbouleh or fattoush, and some flatbread.
Recipe variations
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Lebanese Shawarma
Ready in 12h 35minThis recipe explains how to make original Lebanese shawarma in a way adapted for at-home preparation. Instead of being grilled on a rotating skewer, the meat is first sautéed in a pan and then cooked with water. This recipe suggests serving the shawarma wrapped in a classic pita bread together with tahini-based sauce and fresh vegetables.
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Homemade Beef Shawarma
Ready in 12h 35minThis recipe shows how to make shawarma at home without a rotating cone. After marinating overnight, the meat can be prepared on an electric grill or in an oven, and if you wish, you can partially replace a part of the beef with lamb — preferably, choose a piece that is not completely lean. Also, the recipe suggests serving shawarma wrapped in pita bread together with French fries, among other things, which, although not traditional, is a very common practice these days.
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Chicken Shawarma
Ready in 24h 40minThis recipe shows how to make a light but flavorful chicken shawarma. Other than in marinating the meat, the key is in using dark chicken meat, such as thighs, because it has a higher fat percentage than the lean parts such as breasts, resulting in more succulent and flavorful meat.
Lebanese Shawarma
PREP 15min
COOK 20min
RESTING 12h
READY IN 12h 35min
This recipe explains how to make original Lebanese shawarma in a way adapted for at-home preparation. Instead of being grilled on a rotating skewer, the meat is first sautéed in a pan and then cooked with water. This recipe suggests serving the shawarma wrapped in a classic pita bread together with tahini-based sauce and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
Lebanese Shawarma
FOR THE SHAWARMA
1 kg (2.2 lbs) beef or mutton
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup (80 ml) vinegar
1 tbsp shawarma seasoning blend
1 tbsp dry coriander, ground
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt, adjust to taste
1 medium-sized tomato, sliced or diced
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion
4 tbsp sumac
1 cup (30g) chopped parsley
pickles, sliced
pita bread
FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup (240g) tahini
3 tbsp yogurt
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed cumin
Preparation
Lebanese Shawarma
Cut the meat into long, thin strips. Prepare the marinade by mixing garlic, oil, vinegar, shawarma seasoning blend, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Rub the marinade into the meat, cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least for several hours.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Mix all the ingredients until the mixture becomes homogenous. If the sauce is too thick, add some more lemon juice.
Cook the meat in a pan over strong flame until the marinade evaporates. Then, pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of water and continue cooking until the meat is soft. Add tomato and pepper slices and stir until they fall apart. Set aside.
Spread the sauce over the pita bread. Top with sliced onion, pickles, sumac and parsley, and finish with shawarma. Roll and serve.
Other Variations
-
Homemade Beef Shawarma
Ready in 12h 35minThis recipe shows how to make shawarma at home without a rotating cone. After marinating overnight, the meat can be prepared on an electric grill or in an oven, and if you wish, you can partially replace a part of the beef with lamb — preferably, choose a piece that is not completely lean. Also, the recipe suggests serving shawarma wrapped in pita bread together with French fries, among other things, which, although not traditional, is a very common practice these days.
-
Chicken Shawarma
Ready in 24h 40minThis recipe shows how to make a light but flavorful chicken shawarma. Other than in marinating the meat, the key is in using dark chicken meat, such as thighs, because it has a higher fat percentage than the lean parts such as breasts, resulting in more succulent and flavorful meat.
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