Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (2024)

Published by Sheena Strain, last updated

Recipe

My Chicken Shawarma is packed full of warming spices and Middle Eastern flavors! It’s not hot and spicy but we have added a small amount of cayenne pepper so you can adjust the amount up or down to suit your tastes.

This recipe for Chicken Shawarma is naturally low carb and keto friendly with the main flavors coming from a small amount of lemon juice, garlic, and a mixture of warming spices including cumin, coriander, a little ground cloves, and the wonderfully healthy turmeric which gives it such a fabulous color too.

Coming in at only 3g net carbs per serving this low carb chicken Shawarma is a perfect healthy addition to your low carb dinner menu rotation.

This post contains affiliate links

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (1)

The best way to make Chicken Shawarma

So the first thing you need to do is ensure that the chicken is evenly coated in the marinade, and that you leave enough time for the marinade to infuse all its wonderful flavors into the chicken.

I’d say an hour minimum if you’re in a rush, but the longer the better for a more flavorful final result.

Then you need to decide how you are going to cook it.

In my opinion the very best way to cook Chicken Shawarma is over a grill, but I realize that’s not alway convenient so my second choice method, and actually the one I used to cook the chicken you see in these photographs, is with a cast iron grill pan.

I have a cast iron grill pan and I’ve used it for years, it will give you these lovely grill marks on the chicken and you don’t even need to go outside! my quick tip for using it is to scrape out any cooked chicken and marinade bits that collects in between the ‘grills’ on the skillet as they can start to burn after you’ve cooked a couple of batches of chicken.

Don’t have a grill pan or an outdoor grill? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered too! This recipe for Low Carb Chicken Shawarma is equally easy to cook in the oven. Simply line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up and then add the chicken thighs.

You’ll find all the cook times for each of these methods in my recipe card at the end of the post.

Where does Chicken Shawarma Come from?

Chicken Shawarma is a middle eastern meat dish based on a doner kebab that would originally have been made with lamb or mutton.

Traditionally the pre-seasoned meat is pushed onto a skewer and cooked over hot coals or on a spit.

Chicken Shawarma is one of the world’s most popular street foods and is particularly common in the Arabian Peninsula.

What’s best to serve with Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken Shawarma is most often served as a wrap inside some sort of flatbread. If you’re looking for a low carb bread to serve this with you can use myLow Carb Keto Coconut Flour Tortillas which are the same tortillas pictured in the recipe photos above.

It’s also delicious if you serve it alongside a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions for a fantastic flavor combination, you can either add them inside your chicken shawarma wrap with a little natural yoghurt, or serve them on the side with a little oil and vinegar dressing.

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (2)

What does Chicken Shawarma Taste Like?

The combination of cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic and lemon juice, plus a very small amount of cloves, give this chicken shawarma recipe a distinctive warming spice flavor that’s quite unique.

If you love grilled chicken in general but are looking for something not too spicy then you’ll love the taste of this recipe.

I prefer to use chicken thighs for my chicken shawarma as they have a higher fat content than chicken breast and fat=flavor.

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (3)

More Low Carb Chicken Recipes

Keto Low Carb Creamy Tuscan Chicken | Keto Low Carb Chicken Stir Fry | Chicken Korma | Low Carb Chicken Spaghetti | Keto Low Carb Chicken Fried Rice | Keto Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps | Keto Low Carb Chicken Divan | Keto Low Carb Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (4)

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (5)

Chicken Shawarma Recipe - Middle Eastern, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo

Chicken Shawarma recipe with warming spices & Middle Eastern flavors, it's naturally low carb, keto, Paleo, whole30, a healthy grilled chicken recipe.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes

Total Carbs: 3 g

Net Carbs: 3 g

Protein: 29 g

Servings: 6

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (6)

5 from 17 votes

Print

Ingredients

  • 2lbsboneless skinless chicken thighs, 907g

Chicken Shawarma Marinade

Instructions

  1. Add the chicken shawarma marinade ingredients to a large ziplock bag along with the chicken thighs.

  2. Marinate chicken for 1 - 8 hours, or overnight.

How to Cook Chicken Shawarma on a Grill

  1. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking and allow to come to room temperature.

  2. You'll need a hot gas or charcoal grill. Place the chicken thighs onto the hot grill grates and close the lid and let them cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken thighs and cook the other side for a further 3-4 minutes or until they are fully cooked

    Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F

How to cook Chicken Shawarma on the Stove

  1. I prefer to cook boneless Skinless chicken thighs in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, if you can get the cast iron grill pan that will give you lovely grill marks on your chicken.

  2. Cook the chicken thighs for about 4-6 minutes per side, and until fully cooked at the thickest part of each chicken thigh.

  3. Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F

How to Cook Chicken Shawarma in Oven

  1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up, don't use foil as the chicken will stick to it.

  2. Preheat oven to 400F

  3. Bake for about 25 - 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked at the thickest part of each chicken thigh.

  4. Using a thermometer check that the thickest part of each chicken thigh has an internal temperature of 165F

Recipe Notes

3g net carbs per serving

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Shawarma Recipe - Middle Eastern, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo

Amount Per Serving

Calories 258Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 143mg48%

Sodium 914mg40%

Potassium 463mg13%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 515IU10%

Vitamin C 5.8mg7%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information on Noshtastic is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Author: Sheena Strain

Course:main

Cuisine:Middle Eastern

Keto Coconut Flour Tortillas
Low Carb Italian Wedding Soup

About Sheena Strain

Sheena Strain is the proud owner of Noshtastic, a gluten free website that specializes in easy family meals including Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and many pressure cooker recipes.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Join the Conversation

  1. Erin says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (7)
    Marinade came out more like a paste but was super flavorful! We used chicken breasts and cooked in air fryer. Everyone agreed this recipe is a keeper! ❤️

    Reply

  2. Cyndi says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (8)
    sounds amazing. going to make this

    Reply

  3. Barbara says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (9)
    Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. It’s a definite keeper

    Reply

  4. Joy D says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (10)
    My family love this!! It has fantastic flavor without the spicy hot. It has become a favorite in my house.

    Reply

  5. Alba says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (11)
    Amazing recipe! I have to make it once a week, because is a family favorite 🙂
    As almost everybody, I have also made some changes just to make the process easier for me. I use breats, cut them in cubes, marinate them, and then to the pan they go in High. We eat the shawarma with garlic sauce, too
    Thank you for a delicious dish!

  6. Roger says

    The cumin was over strong flavor but I didn’t have 2 of the other spices.

    Reply

  7. Heather says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (12)
    Marinated about 3 lbs of chicken, with a bit of extra lemon, for about an hour. Cooked under the broiler. Served with naan, cucumber, tomato and red onion. Sooo good and so easy.

    Reply

  8. Kyle says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (13)
    My husband and I enjoyed this immensely.

    Reply

  9. Miriam Kook says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (14)
    This is delicious!! Thank you so much! I’m adding to my favorites!

    Reply

  10. Eileen says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (15)
    Loved this!! We will be fixing this again!

    Reply

  11. Kathy H says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (16)
    Made this dish for friends since we are discussing the Exodus.

    Reply

  12. Mary says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (17)
    Enjoyed this dish a lot!

    Reply

  13. Donna says

    Sounds great, I want to try when I get home, traveling right now. Sure hope I can save it.

    Reply

  14. Sheila says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (18)
    Great recipe! I had no idea what Shawarma was but it was mentioned in The Marvel
    movie Avengers so I figured since my daughter is a huge marvel fan I’d make it. I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  15. Barbara McNichols says

    This sounds delicious but I am not allowed turmeric as it messes with a necessary medication. Is there another spice/herb you’d suggest as a substitute?

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      Just omit it

      Reply

  16. Carmen says

    We have eaten chicken shawarma at an eastern restaurant and it was cut in very shaved, thin slices. I’m wondering how it would be cooked this way.

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      I think restaurants like that cook it on a large spit over hot coals and then cut off thin slices.

      Reply

    • Kev says

      You can place the chicken (pounded to thin slices) on top of each other and put a skewer in the middle to hold in position. Cook and then slice yourself as you would see in a kebab restaurant.

      Reply

  17. Liza says

    Does the fresh lemon juice not start to break down the chicken while it’s marinating? I am looking to make this but have always been of the understanding that fresh lemon juice can only be used in a chicken marinade for no more than three hours.

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      I’ve never had a problem with it

      Reply

  18. Janet says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (19)
    Delicious! My whole family liked it, which is no small feat at my house. One question: if I make this with just a pound of chicken thighs, would I half the marinade amounts or keep them the same? Thank you so much for such a delicious recipe that I have added to our rotation. 🙂

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      I’d half it as I don’t think you’ll need it all. What I usually do is make up a batch of the dried spice mix (so it’s the marinade minus lemon juice, oil, and garlic) and just use what I need and keep the rest for next time in an airtight container or little ziplock bag.

      Reply

      • Janet says

        Thank you!

        Reply

  19. Jessalyn says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (20)
    This recipe is delicious! It’s become a regular for me, I make it about once a week because it’s my husband’s new favorite. I use chicken breast tenders and bake it in the oven. Soooo good!

    Reply

  20. Todd says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (21)
    My whole family really enjoyed this! Super versatile as well.

    Reply

  21. Emily Ann says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (22)
    I modified this recipe a bit – only because I didn’t read the ‘let marinade’ part. ha! Doused my chicken breasts in the seasoning mixture, transferred to the cast iron. 7 minutes on each side, took out, cut up and returned to the pan with lemon juice and garlic.

    I’m actually eating it as I type this. PHENOMENAL recipe. 13/10 would recommend!

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      So glad you liked it Emily Ann!

      Reply

  22. Kulwinder says

    Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (23)
    This recipe is amazing! Simple ingredients and I made it so many times without a fail. I gave this recipe to my friends who tried my cooked chicken. Even made vegan version of it for a party. Today I revisited to double check on my ingredients and thought why didn’t I write a review about it. So here you go, 5 stars! Believe me it’s worth it. To make it more simple I use garlic powder and onion powder (I am big fan of onions). I even throw vegetables in marinations and cook one pan meal. Sometimes my dish leaves water after cooking so I mix some cooked rice in it to make another dish out of it. I love Mediterranean food. Thanks Sheena for sharing it!

    Reply

  23. Kristina says

    Have you tried this using chicken breasts?

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      Yes, you can cut them small like chicken tender size and it will work best that way 🙂

      Reply

Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Style, Healthy, Low Carb Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat shawarma on a low carb diet? ›

Is chicken shawarma keto-friendly? I can tell you a big YES! Look no further than this homemade keto chicken shawarma recipe with delicious low-carb shawarma marinade. Flavorful and delicious Mediterranean keto recipe.

What is the healthiest shawarma? ›

We definitely include chicken shawarma as part of a healthy diet. Lean, skinless chicken, olive oil, and plenty of fresh spices means this dish is both nutritious and delicious.

How many carbs are in a chicken shawarma? ›

Chicken Shawarma Nutritional Facts and Calories
Amount Per Serving% DV
Carbs5g2%
SugarsN/A
Fiber0g0%
Proteins22g29%
7 more rows

Is homemade shawarma healthy? ›

Shawarma might be an easy snack or dinner to grab on the go, but it is far from a healthy one. The marinated strips that are shaved off from the rotating cone of meat already have fat running through them, and more likely than not, they will have been doused with yet more during the cooking process.

Can I lose weight eating chicken shawarma? ›

Chicken shawarma can be part of a weight loss diet if consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. It is a good source of protein and can be a low-carb option if served in a pita wrap without high-calorie sauces.

Can I eat shawarma and still lose weight? ›

A: Yes, Shawarma is a balanced meal, providing essential vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats. However, moderation is key, as excess consumption may contribute to elevated sodium, saturated fat, and calorie intake. Homemade options allow for healthier ingredient control.

What is unhealthy in shawarma? ›

“Shawarma is very high in sodium, which may make it bad for heart health. Foods that are high in sodium are not recommended for people with high blood pressure.” Further reports reveal that there is also the risk of food poisoning, “Eating unhygienic foods is one of the main causes of food poisoning in Nigeria.

Does shawarma increase sugar level? ›

However, frequent consumption of this dish can lead to a rise in blood sugar levels, even in non-diabetic individuals. The combination of grilled meat, vegetables, and sauces wrapped in bread can cause a quick spike in blood sugar followed by a drop in glucose levels, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish.

Is chicken shawarma healthier than kebabs? ›

Kebabs have fewer calories than shawarmas, so it's considered healthier. While these dishes are highly fatty and calorie-dense, they're still a better alternative than other street food, which are usually deep-fried. We recommend choosing chicken over beef if you want a low-calorie meat option.

Can diabetics eat chicken shawarma? ›

This makes shawarma a less desirable food choice for those with diabetes or those at risk of developing the condition. Consider choosing a whole wheat or low-carb wrap, as the wrap is usually the largest source of carbohydrates in shawarma.

Is chicken shawarma a junk food? ›

This largely depends on how the shawarma is prepared and sodium control measures involved, your age, your lifestyle and your recommended calorie intake. Because of its sodium content, street food or restaurant shawarma is not really going to be good for anyone, especially not on a daily basis.

Is shawarma high in carbohydrates? ›

Kcal Beef Shawarma (1 serving) contains 54g total carbs, 52.2g net carbs, 11g fat, 24g protein, and 352 calories.

What is healthier shawarma or burger? ›

It's healthy: The grilled meat in a shawarma comes with lots of crisp vegetables and fat-free spreads. But the same cannot be said about its Western cousin – the burger. You can chat with the guy who makes it: The people who prepare shawarmas are dedicated and friendly.

What's the difference between gyro and shawarma? ›

The main difference between shawarma and gyro is the type of meat used. Shawarma is typically made with chicken, turkey, beef, or lamb, while gyro is traditionally made with pork. Shawarma is also cooked on a vertical rotisserie, while gyro is cooked on a horizontal rotisserie.

Is shawarma better than burger? ›

Considering the fact that the meat used is not fried (unlike burger patty) and the stuffing has a lot of veggies and thick curd (not mayonnaise), shwarma should be healthy.

How many carbs are in shawarma? ›

Nutrition facts of Chicken Shawarma:
NutritionValue
Fat10.6 g
Protein32.3 g
Fibre7.4 g
Carbohydrates45.7 g
8 more rows
Jan 11, 2021

How many carbs are in a bowl of shawarma? ›

Flame And Skewers Chicken Shawarma Bowl (1 meal) contains 29g total carbs, 25.1g net carbs, 39g fat, 35g protein, and 586 calories.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Tyson Zemlak

Last Updated:

Views: 6667

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tyson Zemlak

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Apt. 662 96191 Quigley Dam, Kubview, MA 42013

Phone: +441678032891

Job: Community-Services Orchestrator

Hobby: Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Metalworking, Fashion, Vehicle restoration, Shopping, Photography

Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.