Shawarma Chicken Thighs

Shawarma Chicken Thighs are so juicy with delightful seasonings and full flavor. You can cook it in your Instant Pot or the oven!

What Is Shawarma?

Traditionally, shawarma is thin slices of meat that is stacked on a skewer and cooked on a vertical rotisserie. You’ve probably seen them spinning in your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant or food truck. The original meat of choice for this was lamb, but today you can find beef, veal, turkey, and chicken as well.

Spices like cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric along with some warm spices like cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon are often used in the seasoning blend for these meats. The shawarma meat is then usually served in some sort of wrap or gyro.

Today, we’re making this dish at home by cooking our deliciously seasoned chicken in the Instant Pot or in the oven. If you’d like another option, try our Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma recipe.

What Kind Of Chicken? 

I prefer chicken thighs over chicken breast for this shawarma recipe because they end up so juicy and flavorful. Since we’re chopping up the cooked chicken before serving, I think it’s easier to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.

If you have bone-in chicken thighs you want to use, you can. You’ll need a slightly longer cook time if you’re baking in the oven, 30-35 minutes, but the Instant Pot cook time will be the same for this. Either way, check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F before taking it out. If it isn’t there yet, put it in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or leave it in the Instant Pot with the Keep Warm setting on and the lid sealed for another 5 minutes, and then test it again.

Instant Pot Shawarma Thighs

To cook the shawarma in the Instant Pot, first season the chicken thighs with cumin, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and cayenne. This combination of flavors reminds me of the seasonings used in shawarma meat so it’s perfect for this recipe.

Then put some lemon juice, water, and olive oil into the Instant Pot. You need at least a cup of liquid in the pressure cooker for it to work properly.

The seasoned chicken went in next. It won’t be fully submerged in the liquid but that’s actually what you want. The seasonings on the top should not be washed off.

Set the Instant Pot for 13 minutes. The Instant Pot will heat up and then cook for the set time. 

While the chicken cooks, get your other fixings ready. I like to eat this in a pita so I warmed up some pita bread. To go into the pita with the chicken, I sliced cucumbers and red onion, but feel free to use your favorite vegetables. A bit of Greek yogurt, tzatziki, or hummus makes for the perfect sauce.

To serve alongside the chicken shawarmas, I like to make some really simply dressed chickpeas. Literally there were three ingredients going on here: canned chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, and salt. So you add the balsamic and a pinch of salt to the chickpeas, stir, and then serve them with your chicken and pitas. So easy and simple and good!

After the timer on the Instant Pot ends, the chicken will be cooked through. Let the pressure naturally release for at least two minutes, then you can quick release the rest.

Remove the chicken to a plate and then shred the meat with a fork and knife.

Serve the chicken with some warmed up pita, sliced vegetables, a great sauce, and the balsamic chickpeas for a perfect weeknight dinner with a new international spin.

Baked Shawarma Chicken Thighs

This Chicken Shawarma recipe can be baked in the oven as well. There’s some slight changes to the ingredient list since we don’t need all the liquid that the Instant Pot requires to work. So follow these instructions instead.

Grilled Shawarma Chicken Thighs

Grilling the seasoned chicken thighs is another great option. You can prepare them in the same way as the baked version and use the timing and temperature from my How to Grill Chicken Thighs recipe. Prepare the grill for high heat, and cook uncovered for 6-7 minutes per side. 

Serving Chicken Shawarma

Like I mentioned before, the classic way to enjoy shawarma is as a wrap with pita bread or another flatbread. It’s delicious with just cucumber, red onion, and a yogurt sauce like tzatziki, or a tahini sauce like this Honey Tahini Dressing. But you can also add in lettuce, tomato, and any other ingredients you love. 

You could also serve it as a shawarma chicken bowl with rice or just add the chicken to your salad along with this amazing Lemon Hummus Dressing. 

Let me know in the comments your favorite way to serve this tasty chicken dish.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes