Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course Shawarma-Style Chicken and Mushroom Kebabs 5.0 (2) 6 Reviews Starting over hot coals and finishing over low heat mimics the crispy-juicy results of shawarma, kebab, and al pastor shops around the world. By Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck is a chef and freelance food editor, formerly a senior food editor at Food & Wine. In addition to her recipes and articles appearing in many well-known publications, she has her own cookbook, “Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried and Made into Pie.” Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Josh Miller Updated on February 5, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Active Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Yield: 6 servings The sight of sizzling, vertically spit-roasted meat, slowly turning and basting in its own juices, is enough to stop any hungry person in their tracks. Sold on street corners from Istanbul to Los Angeles, this slow-cooked meat is shaved to order and often wrapped in flatbread. This method of preparing meat originated in Istanbul, in kebab form, traveled to the Levant, where it became known as shawarma (literally "to turn" in Arabic), then jumped the Atlantic with Lebanese immigrants to Mexico, where it evolved as al pastor. All three variations on spit-turned meat — and dozens more riffs — are found across the globe today. Frequently asked questions How do you make shawarma at home? Instead of a vertical spit, this method involves triple-skewering thin slices of marinated chicken to create a tight horizontal roast — a sort of shawarma-kebab hybrid. Searing the stacked chicken over hot coals before finishing it over low heat ensures the right ratio of crispy, charred outside to tender, super-juicy inside. What is the best complement for shawarma? Paired with grilled marinated mushrooms, fresh vegetables, pita, and a creamy tahini sauce, this shawarma recipe creates a gorgeous spread perfect for early summer eating. We recommend serving it with hot sauce and lemon wedges, too. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen When making the lemon-garlic tahini sauce, warm water helps loosen the texture of thick and creamy tahini, resulting in a smooth sauce that’s perfect for drizzling. After marinating, some of the chicken pieces may break apart; simply tuck those loose pieces in the center of the skewered stack. Use three skewers to stack and stabilize the shawarma so it's easy to maneuver on the grill. Make ahead Shawarma can be marinated and assembled up to 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Suggested pairing Try this dish with an earthy red Burgundy. Ingredients Lemon-Garlic Tahini Sauce 1 cup tahini 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 lemon) 1 teaspoon grated garlic (from 2 small garlic cloves) 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 3/4 cup to 1 cup warm water, as needed Chicken and Mushroom Kebabs 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 11 medium garlic cloves 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted cumin seeds 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 medium-size red onion 1 pound fresh oyster mushrooms (torn into 2-inch pieces) and/or hen-of-the-woods mushrooms (cut into large wedges, stems trimmed) Pitas, for serving Tomato slices, for serving Cucumber slices, for serving Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving Hot sauce, for serving Lemon wedges, for serving Directions Make the tahini sauce Whisk together tahini, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and smoked paprika in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in 3/4 cup warm water, adding up to additional 1/4 cup water and whisking until sauce is smooth and desired consistency is reached. Make the kebabs Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Place chicken thighs between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound chicken to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Stack pounded thighs onto each other to create 1 or 2 even rectangular stacks. Using a sharp knife, cut stacks crosswise into thirds. Place chicken pieces in a gallon-size ziplock plastic bag. Process 1/2 cup oil, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, cumin seeds, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Measure 1/4 cup mixture into a small bowl; cover and reserve in refrigerator for mushrooms. Add remaining 3/4 cup mixture to chicken in bag; seal bag and gently massage chicken to distribute marinade. Place sealed bag in refrigerator; let marinate at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Meanwhile, cut onion half lengthwise into 2 wedges; remove and discard root ends. Separate wedges into 4 large petals each. Set petals aside. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Arrange chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet in 3 even stacks, rotating chicken pieces as needed to keep stacks as neat and cylindrical as possible. Top each stack with 2 onion petals. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Into the center of one stack, insert 3 (12-inch) metal or soaked wooden skewers 1 inch apart, forming a triangle. Use fingers to slide chicken up skewers. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Position skewers over second chicken stack; skewer stack. Repeat with remaining stack. Add remaining 2 onion petals to end of shawarma. Lay skewered chicken on a baking sheet. Press meat and onions together to form a compact, 8- to 9-inch-long cylindrical roast. Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto bottom grate of grill and push to one side of grill. Place grate over coals and lightly oil. Cover grill and open holes of lid vents; preheat grill 10 minutes. Place shawarma on oiled grates over direct heat. Grill, uncovered, turning often, until outside of shawarma is crisp and charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Move shawarma to side of grill without coals. Grill, covered (the open vent holes should be above the chicken), turning often, until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 155°F, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove shawarma from grill; tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest about 15 minutes. (Internal temperature of chicken will continue to rise to 165°F.) While chicken cooks, gently toss together mushrooms and reserved 1/4 cup marinade in a large bowl. Let marinate at room temperature 15 minutes. Thread marinated mushrooms evenly onto 3 (12-inch) metal or soaked wooden skewers, threading through mushroom stems when possible to hold firmly in place. Brush kebabs all over with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck While chicken rests, place mushroom kebabs on oiled grates over direct heat. Grill, uncovered, turning occasionally, until edges are crisp, about 10 minutes. Move kebabs to side of grill without coals. Grill, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from grill. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Hold chicken shawarma upright on a cutting board. Using a large knife, carve downward from top of stack, cutting meat into thin strips and rotating shawarma with each cut. Serve sliced chicken and grilled mushrooms with pitas, tomato, cucumber, parsley, hot sauce, the lemon-garlic tahini sauce, and lemon wedges. Originally appeared: June 2020 Rate It Print