How To Season Your Chicken For A Killer Shawarma

Chicken shawarma is flavorful, tender, and juicy when it's done right, and part of getting it right has to do with the seasoning blend that's used on the poultry. You home kitchen is most likely not equipped with a vertical spit to cook the meat, but that doesn't mean you can't use the right spices to replicate the shawarma at your local Middle-Eastern eatery. To make it happen, we turn to chef CJ Jacobson, a two-time "Top Chef" contestant and partner and chef at Aba and Ēma restaurants.

"For chicken shawarma at home," he says, "I use cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, coriander powder, paprika, fresh garlic, cardamom, ginger powder, orange juice and zest, and lemon juice and zest." This blend of spices is rather common in chicken shawarma recipes. The cumin gives the meat an earthy flavor while cinnamon offers a mildly sweet aroma. The acidity from the citrus zest and juice will cut through the deep flavors of all of the other spices. You can also add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper for heat. There are even shawarma seasoning blends at spice shops and stores if you want to keep it easy. 

Be generous with the spices so that the chicken absorbs plenty of flavor as it's cooking. To follow precise measurements, consider our sheet-pan chicken shawarma recipe that uses some of chef CJ Jacobson's suggestions like cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon. The best option is to let the chicken marinate with the spices, citrus juices, and olive oil or Greek yogurt. Let it marinate for at least three hours before cooking. If you don't have time to marinate the chicken, combine the spices with the olive oil and juices and cook according to recipe.

In addition to spices, there are some other ingredients you can incorporate to step up your chicken shawarma seasoning. Fresh herbs like parsley are a good option for homemade chicken shawarma, either in the marinade or as a garnish. You can also add sweetness to the mix with a touch of agave or honey. Aromatics like crushed garlic or freshly-chopped onions will also impart flavor onto the shawarma. Don't forget to add salt to bring out all of the flavors. And if you don't appreciate poultry, try Jacobson's spice recommendations on our beef shawarma bowl or shawarma-ish stuffed sweet potato recipes.