Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce

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I really hope you enjoy this Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

I was a child when I had chicken shawarma for the first time ever. I’m an adult today and I’m still not over it.

Chicken shawarma is just something THAT special, you guys. It’s such a satisfying dish with the most beautiful flavors.

That luscious, flavorful chicken intermingling with creamy garlicky garlic sauce and fresh French fries (such a wonderful idea!) wrapped in warm, soft pita bread… Ah 😊.

The end result? A dish that’ll make fall so deeply in love, it’ll become a lifetime favorite.

And the best part? It’s so easy to make at home too! Homemade chicken shawarma is just the best and you NEED to try it right away. It’s a reader favorite for a reason!

If you’ve ever had chicken shawarma, you probably don’t even need to know why you’ll love this recipe. You’ll know what the hype is about already and why it’s such a popular dish.

But if you’ve never had chicken shawarma before, this read favorite recipe is your sign to make it right away, and here’s why you’ll adore it so much!

• The ingredients are exotic, but not difficult to find at all. You can easily find them in your local grocery store or any nearby stores too. They also work together in such a gorgeous way, you’ll be left surprised that ingredients can even do such a thing! You may also discover so many new flavors in the process if you’re new to Middle Eastern food!
• This easy chicken shawarma wrap with creamy garlic sauce recipe is a satisfying dish that is quick, stress-free to cook up and so forgiving too. I’ll make it super easy for you guys thanks to my super detailed step-by-step instructions too! Don’t worry about getting it wrong because that probably can’t even happen in the first place. Once you get past the waiting time suggested for the chicken and creamy garlic shawarma sauce to absorb all those flavors (you can cook without waiting for too long too!), cooking the chicken and putting everything else in place is just a breeze;
• It has probably one of the best marinades ever. The end result? The most delicious flavorful chicken every.single.time. This dish is so meaty… garlicky… rich AND can be served in so many different ways (check our Serving Suggestions out below for many more ideas). This shawarma chicken recipe is just so filling (and fulfilling 😊)!
• The homemade creamy garlic shawarma sauce given in this recipe will be one of the most amazing sauces you’ll ever have. You’ll want to have it all the time! I’m not even kidding, it makes a great dipping sauce too, you’ll want to have it with everything!
• Is your diet preference vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan? You can still make this delicious chicken shawarma wrap! Check out our Variations Section below to see how you can make this chicken shawarma recipe according to your diet preference!

Man, I love wraps so much. Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Burgers, Wraps & Sandwiches, Stovetop and Party/Special Day recipes.

WHAT IS CHICKEN SHAWARMA WRAP?

Shawarma is a dish that originated in the Middle East. It’s a pretty famous street food.

Shawarma is loved so much not just because of its taste (which is 😍) but also because of how easy it is to eat when you’re in a hurry and on the go. It’s filling, conveniently wrapped and bursting with flavor!

The word shawarma means turning in Turkish, this comes from the unique cooking technique followed when cooking shawarma.

When shawarma is cooked traditionally, piles of spice- marinated meats are stacked on a vertical rotisserie/vertical spit in a conical shape. This stack of meat then cooks slowly as it turns in front of a flame present on one side of this equipment. And so, that’s how shawarma came to be named, from its unique cooking technique.

It’s incredible to watch this cooking process! It’s so interesting for this meat because it cooks slowly over a period of time and becomes crispy on the outside while cooking in its own juices and so, remaining juicy, flavorful and succulent on the inside.

The meat is then shaved (literally) off the meat stack in thin slices once it’s ready as the rest of the stack continues to turn and roast slowly.

If you’re lucky, the person slicing the cooked spice-marinated meats will give you some delicious fresh thin slices of meat shaved right off the stack while making your shawarma wrap. Those thin slices of shawarma are one of the tastiest things ever!

Authentic shawarma also doesn’t need to be made using only chicken. It was traditionally made using lamb or mutton back in the day. Today, you’ll find shawarma made and served with so many different meats. This includes beef too.

It should be known here that chicken shawarma is also sometimes spelled as chicken shwarma, chicken shawarama, chicken schwarma, chicken shawerma, chicken sawarma, chicken swarma and chicken shorma. Whoa!!!

It’s difficult to replicate the traditional process of cooking authentic shawarma at home, as you may imagine because we can’t cook our meat using a vertical spit!

I’ve got good news for you though, because most of us don’t have a vertical spit at home, in this chicken shawarma recipe, I’ve tried keeping it as close to the authentic shawarma taste as possible while cooking the chicken in a pan 😉.

It’s an easier way to try and get that shawarma taste at home. You can go ahead and grill your chicken or maybe even make some oven-roasted chicken shawarma in the oven, yum!

Zee (my husband) and I have loved shawarma for as long as we can remember. When we were children, we lived in a city in the Middle East. That’s where we fell in love with chicken shawarma for the very first time at an incredibly young age. It has been so many years and chicken shawarma is still one of our most favorite dishes ever.

The shawarma I grew up having in that city was made with chicken, garlic sauce and French fries wrapped in pita bread with pickles on the side. Almost every local restaurant there had it!

That was the only kind of shawarma I knew for the longest time, and it’s still my most favorite way to have it (my one true shawarma ❤️).

As I traveled around more though, I learned how shawarma changes from country to country and even from city to city!

There is Turkish Shawarma, Lebanese Shawarma, Shawarma that is made in Saudi Arabia (which again differs from city to city)… And just so many more types of them out there. Each of them absolutely delicious in their own way.

It’s so much fun eating at local restaurants in different countries and understanding how their food differs!

I’ve seen shawarma served with a range of fresh veggies in the wrap, with hummus or tahini sauce or even both, in different breads… The combinations have been endless! That just shows how versatile this dish is, really. Most of you may have heard of or even had Greek gyros. Greek gyros and shawarma are related too.

And so are doner kebabs and shawarma! Doner kebabs are pretty similar to shawarma. You can enjoy some doner kebabs in Turkey.

The chicken shawarma wraps I used to have from my favorite places as a child sometimes had creamy garlic mayo in them and sometimes toum.

Toum is a traditional garlic sauce that is made using fresh garlic, salt, oil and fresh lemon juice (and sometimes egg whites too). It is a little complex to get right and has a small learning curve.

To keep this recipe quick, easy and simple, I’m sticking to a good old mix of fresh garlic, mayonnaise, yogurt and fresh lemon juice for our creamy garlic shawarma sauce. Yum 😍!

When I moved out of that Middle-Eastern country, I missed chicken shawarma so much for such a long time… I couldn’t find authentic true shawarma anywhere in my country!

I just had to learn to make shawarma on my own so I could have it wherever I moved to in the world, and so, this chicken shawarma recipe was created 🌟!

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR EASY CHICKEN SHAWARMA WRAP WITH CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

You can find these ingredients pretty easily at your local grocery store.

For the marinade:

• Chicken- I’ve used boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized strips in this recipe. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. The fat in boneless skinless chicken thighs works really well with this delicious marinade too.
• Garlic cloves- Smashed and minced fresh peeled garlic merges just so wonderfully with all the other spices in this dish. Chicken shawarma is supposed to be nice and garlicky so you can increase the garlic if you’re into it (I am!) and if you’re not into garlic much, you can reduce it too.
• Garlic powder- Just a little garlic powder changes the flavor of this dish ever so slightly in such a nice way. You can skip this if you prefer a less garlicky taste.
• Onion powder- Onion powder also does a little something here! It adds a pop of oniony flavor that blends in really well with the marinade.
• Ground cumin- Cumin is warm and adds such a hearty touch to the chicken. It’s also one of the most commonly used ingredients in Middle Eastern food. You can find these spices easily at your local grocery store or any nearby stores!
• Ground coriander- Coriander lends an earthy taste to this dish. It works beautifully with ground cumin to bring this marinade together.
• Ground cardamom- Cardamom is essential to this dish. Try not to skip out on it! It adds a wonderful slight floral, sweet-ish flavor. You can use whole cardamoms in the marinade if you don’t have ground cardamom available and if you are marinating your meat for more than 6 hours. If you want to make a powder out of whole cardamoms, take about 8 to 10 whole green cardamoms, dry roast them on a pan on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or till your cardamoms develop light golden brown patches. Wait for your cardamoms to cool and then grind them in a mixer to a fine powder. You can sift your cardamom powder to a finer powder if it’s coarse.
• Ground cinnamon- Cinnamon adds richness to the meat. You can also use a 2-inch cinnamon stick if you are marinating your chicken for more than 6 hours.
• Dried oregano- A tiny bit of oregano works so well with the rest of the ingredients. It lends this herbiness to the chicken that tastes just right!
• Paprika- Paprika adds some color, a deep, ever so slight sweetness and extra flavor to the chicken. It wraps it all up together!
• Plain yogurt- Plain yogurt makes your chicken tender and so flavorful. It also adds a very slight creamy taste and texture to your chicken. You can substitute this with sour cream or Greek yogurt too, but try and make the sour cream or Greek yogurt thinner… like the consistency of plain yogurt. You can do this by adding a little water to the sour cream or Greek yogurt and stir until it reaches the consistency of plain yogurt.
• Lemon juice- Fresh lemon juice also makes the chicken tender, juicy and succulent. It gives the chicken the slightest tanginess too. You can substitute with lime juice here.
• Salt and black pepper- Absolute essentials! You may adjust these two according to your taste and preference. You can use any type of salt you want such as regular table salt, kosher salt, pink salt… Everything works here.

For the sauce:

• Garlic- Garlic’s the king of this sauce. Literally. fresh garlic builds the sauce and brings it all together. You can go ahead and put in as much garlic as you want here. The peeled garlic cloves should be smashed, minced and made into a paste!
• Salt- A pinch of salt after smashing your garlic the first time softens the garlic’s flavor. Go ahead and use any type of salt you want such as regular table salt, kosher salt, pink salt… Everything works here.
• Greek yogurt- Thick and creamy Greek yogurt acts as the perfect base for this sauce. You can substitute it with plain yogurt or sour cream here. It’ll still taste wonderful if you’re using plain yogurt or sour cream!
• Mayonnaise- Mayonnaise works really well with Greek yogurt to add a dense richness and depth to this garlic sauce. If you want a healthier alternative, you can skip out on this and use only Greek yogurt. Try not to skip out on it though!
• Lemon juice- Fresh lemon juice adds just the right amount of tang to this sauce. It works pretty well with the garlic and gives such a fresh flavor. You can substitute this with lime juice too.

Other ingredients you’ll need:

• Cooking oil- To use while cooking the shawarma-style chicken once it’s marinated. A neutral cooking oil is ideal. You can use a vegetable oil of your preference. You can go for olive oil, canola oil or maybe peanut oil or whatever you feel is a good neutral cooking oil.
• Fresh Cilantro- To garnish over the chicken once it’s cooked. It tastes so good and works really well with the spices in the chicken. You can use other fresh herbs you like and feel will go well here such as maybe some fresh parsley?
• French fries- I suggest you don’t skip out on this. Fresh, crispy French fries are just sooo good in shawarma rolls. But for a lighter version of this recipe, you can skip out on this.
• Bread– I use medium-sized Pita flatbreads in this recipe. Pita is soft and easy to make a wrap out of. You can use any other type of soft flatbread if you don’t have pita flatbread available.

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Man, I love wraps so much. Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Burgers, Wraps & Sandwiches, Chicken & Meat and Summer recipes.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

Shawarma is a dish you can create in so many ways without reducing its deliciousness in any way at all. Here are a few variations of this great recipe you may want to try:

• You can make chicken shawarma bowls or chicken shawarma wraps and add in some fresh veggies to it. This is the easiest way to get those veggies in, mixing them with a delicious meal! You can add some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and fresh lettuce or any other fresh vegetables of your choice. You can serve it alongside a salad of your favorite veggies too, maybe something like a Greek salad if you want.
• Instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs when making this popular street food. The fat works super well with this marinade.
• You can cut your boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs however you like too. Go ahead and cut the chicken into fat cubes, or thin slices or even long strips. You can cook the chicken breast whole and then cut it into thin slices too if you prefer.
• You can also try and use a different meat! You can make beef shawarma, lamb shawarma and even prawn shawarma and fish shawarma using the shawarma marinade ingredients given in this recipe! Please make sure you adjust your cooking according to the meat you use.
• Change your method of cooking! You can grill your shawarma-style chicken or make some oven-roasted chicken shawarma meat by placing it on the prepared baking sheet and baking it. If you’re making oven-roasted chicken shawarma, keep a check on the internal temperature (about 165° F). You can also use any other method you prefer to cook the chicken. Please adjust the cooking time according to the method you use.
• If you prefer some spice, you can sprinkle in some cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes into your shawarma marinade. You can also sprinkle some cayenne pepper or chilli pepper flakes over your chicken shawarma while assembling the whole thing in Step 11.
• You can go ahead and create the creamy garlic shawarma sauce using only Greek yogurt to make this meal lighter and healthier. This will give you a light, garlicky yogurt sauce. You can also skip out on the French fries and the pita flatbread to make the recipe even lighter.

Continue reading if you would like to read about vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan adaptations of this recipe.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

Vegetarian Adaptation:

To make vegetarian shawarma wrap…

You can skip the chicken and try cottage cheese instead. Slice the cottage cheese into squares or long strips as you prefer, and use the same shawarma marinade as mentioned in the recipe.

Also make sure to use plain yogurt that does not contain gelatin in the marinade and the creamy garlic shawarma sauce.

Marinate the cottage cheese for at least 4 hours.

Be very careful while cooking your cottage cheese and keep a constant check on it. You’ll then be in for a soft, cheesy, flavorful vegetarian shawarma treat.

Or make this recipe with mushrooms and onions or even potatoes instead. You can use the same marinade given in this recipe. Make sure you marinate your veggies for at least 30 minutes and then cook them accordingly.

Please make sure to read through the ingredient list of all the other ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are vegetarian.

Dairy-Free Adaptation:

To make dairy-free chicken shawarma wraps…

• You can go ahead and skip the yogurt in the chicken shawarma marinade. You can try using just a little mayonnaise in the marinade instead. If you choose not to use mayonnaise, the dry marinade for the chicken on its own without yogurt or mayo tastes wonderful.
• You can skip the Greek yogurt in the creamy garlic shawarma sauce too and just make it using mayonnaise. You can also have the chicken shawarma pita wrap with garlic tahini sauce, garlic hummus or toum. I’ve been experimenting with some toum and hummus since the past year and it’s pretty yum!
• If you are using packaged French fries, please make sure they are dairy-free too. Sometimes, dairy may be present in frozen French fries.
• If you are buying pita bread or any flatbread, please make sure it’s dairy-free.

As always, please read through the ingredient list of all the other ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are dairy-free because hidden dairy may be present in some ingredients.

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

To make gluten-free chicken shawarma…

• Many dairy products in their natural form are gluten-free BUT some Greek yogurts and plain yogurts may have additives that contain gluten. Please go through the ingredient list on the food label of the Greek yogurt and plain yogurt you buy to make sure no additional ingredients that may contain gluten are added to them.
• Ground spices may contain gluten either because of being contaminated in the factory during production or because of addition of flour to them. Please make sure the spices you use are 100% gluten-free.
• You can use gluten-free flatbread to make a wrap. You can also skip out on it if you prefer.
• If you are using packaged French fries, please make sure they are gluten-free too.
• Please make sure the cooking oil you’re using whether it’s canola oil, peanut oil or maybe some olive oil or whatever oil you prefer, does not contain any additives that contain gluten.

Please keep in mind to read through the ingredient list of all the other given ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free. Hidden gluten may be present in some ingredients.

Nut-Free Adaptation:

This shawarma wrap recipe is nut-free, but while researching just to be sure, I found out some facts I’ve mentioned below.

To make nut-free chicken shawarma wraps…

• Some spice powders may use nuts as a filler. This majorly includes cumin and paprika. You can skip out on these if you’re not able to find nut-free versions of them.

Other spices may contain nuts as a filler too though, so please make sure you find spices that do not contain nuts.

• Black pepper may also cause issues for people who are allergic to tree nuts. You can skip out on this as well.
• Please make sure your cooking oil whether it’s canola oil or maybe some olive oil or whatever oil you prefer, does not contain nuts or is not derived from any nuts.
• Please make sure that the pita bread or any other flatbread you use does not contain nuts. Also, make sure you buy your flatbread from a factory that does not contain nuts.

As always, please make sure you thoroughly read through the ingredient list of all the spice blends and other ingredients that have been mentioned in this recipe before cooking. Hidden nuts may be present in some ingredients.

Vegan Adaptation:

To make vegan shawarma wrap, you can make the following changes…

• Skip out on chicken and make this recipe with mushrooms and onions or potatoes. You can use the same shawarma marinade given in this recipe but skip out on plain yogurt. Also, make sure you use lemons that haven’t been waxed. Waxed lemons are not vegan because the wax on these lemons contains shellac, which is derived from the female lac bug. Make sure you marinate your veggies for at least 30 minutes and then cook them accordingly.
• For the creamy garlic shawarma sauce, skip out on the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise and use garlic hummus or garlic tahini sauce instead!
• If you are buying your pita bread, make sure the ingredients in it are vegan.

And as always, please read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure everything is vegan.

Disclaimer– I’ve done research to make things easier for you guys, but please make sure you do your own research too if you are allergic to something or have a specific diet preference. The suggestions given above for dietary preferences are only suggestions and NOT medical advice. These are suggestions given just after a little research on the said dietary preferences. We are NOT trained medical professionals or nutritionists. You are responsible for yourself, so please ask your physician if you have any questions and make sure you always completely read through the ingredient list of any ingredients you use.

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN SHAWARMA WRAP WITH CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE [Step-by-Step Instructions With Photos]

For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 1: MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Cut your boneless skinless chicken breasts into small bite-sized strips.

Place the chicken in a large bowl.

Add all the ingredients needed for marination to your chicken. Give it all a good mix.

Try mixing all the ingredients together by hand, it makes a massive difference, trust me.

Then wrap the large bowl with cling wrap, or place the chicken in an airtight container or zip-lock bag and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. 12 hours is ideal and 24 hours is best.

You can cook your chicken after 1 hour as well but waiting for longer will make the chicken more flavorful.

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE

Make sure you smash your garlic cloves with the side of your knife first. Add just a bit of salt (use any type of salt you want- regular table salt, kosher salt, pink salt… Everything works here) to it and then mince your garlic into even smaller bits, gather, smash and push it again with the side of your knife. Repeat until the garlic is made into a smooth-ish paste. Please make sure there are no big-ish bits of garlic!

Add the garlic paste to a bowl.

Now mix in all the ingredients needed to make the creamy garlic shawarma sauce.

TIP: I prefer the consistency of the garlic yogurt sauce here. If you feel it’s too thick for you though, go ahead and add just a little water (not warm water) and stir until you reach the consistency you prefer. Make sure you don’t add too much water or milk though or else the sauce may lose its flavor.

Cover and refrigerate it for at least 4 to 6 hours for the flavors to set in. 12 hours would be better and 24 hours would be best.

You can taste the garlicky creamy sauce after 4 hours or more and adjust the taste according to your liking. The flavors will have set in by this point.

You can have this sauce immediately as well. If you will be having it immediately, you can taste the garlic sauce while making it and adjust it accordingly. Please keep in mind though that it takes a couple of hours for the flavors to really set in, and any changes you make now will get stronger with time because the sauce hasn’t been given much time to set in.

After a few hours of allowing the chicken to marinate and the creamy garlic shawarma sauce to deepen in flavor…

STEP 3:

Go ahead and fry your French fries according to the directions on the package. Keep it on the side once done.

STEP 4:

Remove your creamy garlic shawarma sauce from the fridge. This is so it can come close to room temperature while your chicken cooks.

STEP 5:

Heat some oil in a pan on medium-low heat.

Remove your large bowl of marinated chicken from the fridge.

STEP 6:

Add your marinated chicken to the pan once the oil is slightly heated. The oil shouldn’t be really hot because the spices in the chicken may burn.

Do NOT add all of the marinade with the chicken.

Cook over medium-low to medium heat.

There may be extra liquid in the pan because of the yogurt in the marinade and that’s okay. Let that chicken cook in its own juices and all that delicious marinade.

Continue to cook on one side for 6 to 7 minutes until the liquid evaporates.

The cooking time may vary depending on how much chicken you have in your pan, the pan you’re using and your stove.

If your pan is small, cook your chicken in batches. Try not to overcrowd the pan.

Please don’t get impatient and raise the heat. The chicken will burn at high temperatures.

STEP 7:

Once the liquid has dried up, continue cooking your chicken on the same side until you get this nice brown crust seen in the picture above.

STEP 8:

Then, flip the chicken over and cook on the other side until the chicken gets the same browning. This will take lesser time, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Again, the cooking time may vary depending on how much chicken you have in your pan, the pan you’re using and your stove.

You can adjust the heat once the chicken is cooked through to get some more browning if you prefer.

STEP 9:

Once you’re done cooking your chicken, remove it from the pan and keep it on the side.

The wonderful aroma of those chicken shawarma spices filled with Middle Eastern flavors is the absolute best ❤.

Garnish the chicken with some fresh cilantro, if you prefer.

Let the chicken rest for a bit and jump to the next step.

STEP 10:

Keep just a bit of oil in your pan and drain the excess oil if any.

Then take your pita bread and rub it on the pan to absorb in all the chicken-y goodness and toast it till it gets a little browning on it! This will take about a minute or two.

Do the same on the other side of the pita bread too.

Do this for all the other pita bread you’ll be using to make the homemade chicken shawarma wraps.

You may skip this step if you prefer, but it adds a really nice touch to the dish.

STEP 11:

Place those chunks of flavorful chicken on the warm pita bread in a line.

STEP 12:

Next, place your French fries on top of the chicken chunks.

STEP 13:

Now, drizzle the garlicky creamy sauce on top of the chicken and French fries.

STEP 14:

Go ahead and wrap the chicken shawarma!

The easiest way to have this shawarma is by wrapping it up in aluminium foil, parchment paper or wax paper to keep it in place.

Serve your flavorful chicken shawarma wrap with some more garlicky creamy sauce and French fries on the side 😍.

Hey you, I really hope you love this easy chicken shawarma wrap with creamy garlic sauce recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

Tips For Making Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap in Creamy Garlic Sauce

Here are a few handy-dandy tips you can follow to make sure your homemade chicken shawarma wraps come out perfectly every single time!

• This recipe calls for loads of garlic. One of the easiest ways to deal with the garlic here is by smash it with your knife first, which is necessary to make it nice and pasty for the marinade as well as the garlic sauce. After smashing it, peeling it becomes easier! Then mince whatever is left.
• You can also mince your garlic in a food processor. Don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor though. I prefer doing this on my own because I feel the whole process of smashing and mincing the garlic adds sooo much more garlic flavor. But that’s a personal preference, and you can do what you feel is right and whatever makes things easier for you! If you want to use a food processor, go ahead and use one and if you don’t have one or don’t want to use one, don’t ❤️.
• Plan this recipe at least 6 to 8 hours or a day before. This is a super simple recipe to cook and put together BUT more time allows the flavors in the chicken and creamy garlic yogurt sauce to work so much better!
• To make things faster, make sure you marinate your chicken and create your creamy garlic yogurt sauce at the same time. You can then keep them in the fridge in separate airtight containers for a few hours. This will make sure the chicken and garlic sauce work on their flavors at the same time and are ready when the time comes for you to cook this dish.
• I prefer to cut my chicken into bite-sized strips before marinating. The pieces get flavorful much better this way. You can do the same or cut it however you like. Maybe into fat cubes or thin slices? You can also marinate whole pieces of chicken, cook them (you can check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken, using a food thermometer if you want- it should be about 165°F!) and then slice the cooked chicken breasts into thin slices.
• Please try and marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight. This delicious marinade is wonderful and the flavors are absorbed by the chicken almost instantly but to enjoy the actual deep, rich flavors of all the spices you’ve added to the chicken, you should let it marinate for a long time. You can wait just an hour though if you’re in a hurry (or really in the mood for shawarma) and it’ll still taste amazing but the flavors really reallyyy set in after a couple of hours.
• Make sure you leave your creamy garlicky yogurt sauce to work for at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight. The sauce won’t be bland if you wait just an hour BUT leaving it for 4 to 6 hours or overnight will lead to a strong, rich, creamy, garlicky taste.
• When you’re marinating the chicken, go in with your hands if you can. I know I know, it is a bit of a task but your meat will reward you once you cook it!
• While cooking the chicken, please keep a constant check on it. Cook it on medium-low to medium heat and make sure you get just the right amount of browning without burning it.
• Please try and go for fresh, soft flatbread. I prefer using pita, but if it’s not available, please try getting a flatbread that can be folded easily to make a wrap. The softer the bread, the easier it will be to make a wrap with it.
• After wrapping the shawarma, you can wrap some aluminium foil, parchment paper or wax paper around it to keep it in shape. This makes it easier to handle and eat too! It also has a very pleasant surprise once you’re done- of creamy homemade garlic sauce and flavorful chicken-y goodness at the bottom. ❤

Serving Suggestions for Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce

Ah serving suggestions, my favorite part!

Chicken shawarma can be served in so many ways, and every single way is wonderful. How can we even choose the best one?

• If you don’t have the time to create our creamy homemade garlic sauce, can’t have it because of your diet preference or just want to experiment, you can use Hummus, Tahini, Toum or even Tzatziki sauce (a little like Greek gyros) instead, you can use either one or a combination of these sauces in your chicken shawarma wraps (like one cup garlic sauce and one cup tahini, you can mix together too!). Go ahead and experiment! I’ve sometimes been having my chicken shawarma with some toum and hummus since the past year and it’s pretty yum too!
• If you prefer some spice in your chicken shawarma pita wrap, you can sprinkle in some cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes into your chicken marinade. You can also sprinkle some cayenne pepper or chilli pepper flakes over your chicken shawarma while assembling the whole thing in Step 11.
• You can have the shawarma chicken on its own. It tastes absolutely divine. Yum. Maybe drizzle just a little olive oil (a perfect vegetable oil for all those Middle Eastern flavors 😍) on top and sprinkle some fresh herbs over it such as cilantro and/or maybe fresh parsley or whatever you feel will go best here. You can also have it with French fries and creamy garlic sauce on the side. Chicken shawarma with French fries is the absolute best.
• Serve it in a wrap, like it is traditionally done and how I did in this chicken shawarma recipe too! Warm pita bread stuffed with shawarma chicken, creamy garlic sauce and crispy French fries makes for such a filling little meal! Some people prefer adding veggies in too such as red onion, bell peppers, cucumber… You can add veggies to your wrap too if you like! You can also have it with some more garlic sauce on the side, like a dipping sauce, if you love the sauce way too much like me! Sometimes Zee and I behave like absolute animals and bite into the thickest part of the shawarma wrap because we feel it has all that shawarma meat and garlic sauce!
• Or make some pita pockets! Pita pockets are pretty simple to make. Just open up the pita bread from the center and stuff the chicken, creamy garlic sauce and French fries in it. Pita pockets are absolutely delishhh ❤️.
• If you want to change it up a little, make a shawarma plate and serve this dish on its own with the chicken, creamy garlic sauce and some pita bread on the side. You can drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and maybe even add some veggies on the side too such as red onion, bell peppers, cucumber, lettuce… whatever you prefer! You can dunk pieces of the pita bread in the garlic sauce and have it with the chicken and fresh veggies. Such a feast!
• You can also make a shawarma chicken bowl. Just place the chicken in a bowl (sprinkle it with some cilantro or fresh parsley), add the creamy garlic sauce to it, drizzle some olive oil over it and toss everything together. You can add in some of your favorite fresh vegetables to it too such as red onions, cucumber, lettuce or whatever you like to make it a chicken shawarma salad!
• You can also try my scrumptious Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce Rice Bowl recipe. Go ahead and serve your shawarma chicken with the delish, flavorful yellow rice in this recipe and serve it with fresh crunchy vegetables such as red onion, lettuce, maybe some bell pepper and lots of garlic dip on the side.
• If you have a party coming up, or just want to make your shawarma wraps look cute, you can make some mini chicken shawarma rolls by using smaller pita bread or just cutting the pita bread in half (or even three parts if it’s a big pita bread)! These baby shawarma rolls can be served as appetizers at your party too! You can also make an adorable little shawarma roll as a treat for yourself!
• Another great way I serve this dish at parties is by creating a shawarma platter! Take a nice big platter or flat board and place your cooked chicken on it, with garlic sauce in a bowl, some French fries on the side, a bowl of herb and garlic infused olive oil, a salad such as a Greek salad, some pickled red onions or cucumber, and a stack of pita bread and let people make their own shawarma wraps. For a smaller gathering, you can all share the platter too. It’s the absolute best!
• Go ahead and make a chicken shawarma sandwich. If you do not have pita bread or any other flatbread available, you can go ahead and spread your chicken and creamy garlic sauce on a slice of bread. Then sandwich it with another slice of bread. You can serve it with some French fries and maybe pickled red onions or cucumbers on the side and there you have it, your very own chicken shawarma sandwich!
• You can top your chicken shawarma wrap (or however you prefer serving your chicken shawarma) with some feta cheese crumbles in Step 11. Feta cheese adds a delish touch to the shawarma. You can sprinkle some fresh herbs over your shawarma chicken in Step 11 too such as fresh cilantro and/or fresh parsley or whatever fresh herbs you feel will go well here. Fresh herbs add such a nice refreshing earthy flavor to the shawarma. You can also drizzle some olive oil over the chicken in this step.

Phew, those are so many serving suggestions and I’m sure there are many more other methods out there too. If you happen to discover a new one, please let me know in the comments section below. And if you’ve taken an idea from some of the suggestions given above, I would love to know that too!

How do you like having your chicken shawarma? ✨

Can chicken shawarma be made ahead of time or in advance?

Yes! You can make the shawarma chicken ahead of time.

This is a great recipe for meal prep.

After cooking the chicken ahead of time, you can store the cooked chicken shawarma in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To reheat it, remove it from the airtight container and heat it over a non-stick pan and let it sizzle until warm. You can heat it in a microwave too.

You can make the creamy garlic sauce 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days as well.

Make sure you don’t heat your creamy garlic sauce. Leave it outside and let it reach room temperature before having it with the chicken shawarma pita wrap.

Leaving your garlic sauce to reach room temperature is essential. If you try heating it, it’ll turn into an oily mess.

It’s best if you use fresh pita bread and fry the French fries fresh on the day you’re planning on making your chicken shawarma wrap.

Can you store chicken shawarma wrap with creamy garlic sauce?

You can follow the instructions above if you want to create chicken shawarma wrap in advance, but once you’ve made the chicken shawarma wrap, it’s best not to freeze it or store it.

You can store the cooked chicken separately in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days, and you can keep the creamy garlic sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days as well, as mentioned above, but I suggest you don’t refrigerate it once you make a wrap with it.

That’s because when you reheat the chicken shawarma wrap, the creamy garlic sauce will become oily, unfortunately. Not just that, but the bread won’t be fresh anymore and will become hard and crackly 😱.

It’s best not to freeze this dish once it is made into wraps.

Can I make this easy chicken shawarma wrap with creamy garlic sauce recipe according to my diet preference?

Yes, you can!

Explore the Variations Section above to see our suggestions on how you can make vegetarian shawarma wraps, dairy-free chicken shawarma wraps, gluten-free chicken shawarma wraps, nut-free chicken shawarma wraps or vegan shawarma wraps.

Can I have shawarma with Hummus, Tahini or Toum?

If you don’t have the time to create the creamy garlic sauce or can’t have it because of your diet preference and have Hummus, Tahini, Toum or even Tzatziki sauce available instead, then yes, you can use any of these in your chicken shawarma wraps.

To make your Hummus or Tahini garlicky, you can add in some crushed garlic to it and keep it aside for a few hours to absorb the flavors.

All five of these sauces- our creamy garlic sauce, Toum, Tahini, Hummus and Tzatziki sauce lend very different flavors to the shawarma.

Our creamy garlic sauce, Toum, Tahini, Hummus and Tzatziki sauce make the shawarma taste absolutely delicious in their own way. You can use just one of them or a combination of them, it all depends on you.

Some people prefer to keep one cup garlic sauce or one cup Tahini or Toum, Hummus… next to their shawarma while having it to dip into these sauces.

You can also add one cup tahini, hummus or whatever sauce you prefer to our garlic sauce here and see how you like that combination. I’ve seen so many people doing that too!

Don’t forget to check our Serving Suggestions out above for many more ideas.

❤❤❤

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