Name: Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Paleo
Ingredients: 1/3 cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons; 1/2 cup olive oil; 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; A pinch ground cinnamon; Crushed red pepper, to taste; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 2 small red onions, peeled and quartered or 1 large cut into 8ths; 4 cups small cauliflower florets; 2 cups sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 1 ½ cups carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks; Yogurt Tahini Sauce; chopped fresh cilantro; Kalamata olives; roasted red peppers; chopped cucumber; chopped tomato; lettuce or arugula

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This gorgeous sheet pan spiced chicken and vegetable dish is guaranteed to impress everyone with bold and bright flavors and a variety of textures. It’s easy to make, full of nutrient dense vegetables and metabolism boosting protein. The creamy Yogurt Tahini Sauce drizzled on top creates an incredible dinner your whole family will love.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on plate with fork

Table of Contents

Why I Love This Recipe

This is a healthy oven roasted version of the popular Middle Eastern street food classic with lots of nourishing vegetables. Made with cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, and wonderful spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic roasted on a sheet pan creating rich and complex flavors.

incredible flavor using everyday spices
only 15 minutes of prep
packed with protein
full of nutrient dense vegetables
sweet and savory metabolism boosting spices
can be served on a plate or wrap
easy to make in advance for meal prep
customizable

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on platter with spoon, toppings around the side

What is Shawarma?

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Ottoman Empire (roughly modern-day Turkey) in the 18th or 19th century. The word shawarma means “turning” in Arabic. It’s a Levantine meat preparation, where thin cuts of lamb, chicken, beef, or mixed meats are stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. The surface of the rotisserie meat is routinely shaved off once it cooks and is ready to be served.

Shawarma is a popular Arabic street food that has been globalized and popularized within the last few decades. These days you can find it all over the world. It can be served on a plate, in a sandwich, or in a wrap. It is commonly paired with tabbouleh or accompanied by toppings like hummus and other vegetables.

Shawarma Spice Blend

This shawarma spice blend is big on flavor. Perfect for meat, vegetables, eggs and more! Most versions use cumin, paprika and black pepper, but some include coriander and cloves. This is my version:

Ground cumin has a distinct warm flavor with bitter, lemony undertones.
Turmeric powder is a warming healing spice with a slightly bitter earthy flavor.
Paprika is a sweet bright taste to add depth to this shawarma spice blend.
Black pepper has a sharp, penetrating aroma and a characteristic woody, piney flavor.
Ground cinnamon is an aromatic spice that adds a sweet undertone to balance out the spice.
Red pepper flakes: Use as little or as much as you’d like to create the perfect amount of heat!
Sea salt enhances the taste and helps the flavors in the marinade penetrate.

Some people use garlic powder but in this recipe I use lots of fresh garlic. Lemon helps infuse the chicken and vegetables with the spices.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma - Shawarma spice blend

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs are best because they’re juicy and soak up all of the flavors well. Chicken breasts can be used if you prefer, but be careful not to over cook.
Vegetables: In this recipe I use sweet potato, cauliflower, carrots, and red onion. Choose any vegetables you like; white potatoes, broccoli, or zucchini would be good too!
Spices: The Shawarma spices listed above are easy to find in your supermarket.
Olive oil and lemon juice make the base of the marinade.
Sauce: We’re use my easy to make Yogurt Tahini Sauce for a delicious drizzle. It’s made from tahini, greek yogurt, garlic, fresh lemon juice, a little water, and salt. Nut milk yogurt or coconut yogurt can be substituted.
Toppings: The meal is delicious topped with fresh cilantro, kalamata olives, and roasted red pepper. For a sweet flavor top with chopped dates or raisins. You could add chopped pistachio nuts or almonds give it a nice crunch.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

If you want to make this recipe vegan, marinate tofu or tempeh. Cut into cubes but don’t marinate longer than 3 hours. Proceed with the recipe the same way.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma close up

How To Make

This recipe takes only 15 minutes to prepare. It’s easy since everything is roasted in the oven on a sheet pan. The chicken tastes best when marinated for 12 hours but if you’re in a hurry 1-3 hours will work. I usually marinate the chicken in the morning for dinner that evening. The vegetables only need to be tossed in the marinade right before cooking. You can prep those at dinner time. These are the basic steps, the full recipe is in the recipe card below.

Prepare the marinade. Mix the spices, lemon juice and olive oil together in a medium bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
Save some of the marinade for the vegetables. Whisk to evenly combine, then pour out 1/2 cup of the marinade into a jar to save for the vegetables. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
Marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs in half. Add to the bowl with the marinade and toss well to coat. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 1-12 hours.
Prepare the vegetables. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the vegetables and place into a medium bowl. Add reserved marinade and toss well to coat. Pour into a baking sheet. Put into the oven and roast for 40 minutes tossing to brown evenly.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on tray raw vegetable

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma vegetables roasted

Roast the chicken. Add onion chunks to the marinade. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto a second sheet pan. If you have a large pan you can use one but I use 2 rimmed baking sheets. Pour any extra marinade onto the chicken. Put the chicken into the oven to roast at the same time as the vegetables.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma chicken raw on baking tray

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on tray chicken roasted

Make the sauce. While everything is cooking, make your Yogurt Tahini Sauce. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
Remove from the oven and combine. Mix together the chicken and vegetables. Serve from the baking sheet or transfer to a platter.
Serve. Scatter cilantro over the top. You can either drizzle the Yogurt Tahini Sauce on top or serve it on the side for people to enjoy as they choose.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on baking tray mixed together

Serving Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma

In A Wrap: Traditionally Shawarma is a street food and is served in a wrap or pita with lots of sauce, sometimes lettuce and tomatoes. Sometimes it’s served with hummus too. For your family or gathering let everyone make their own wraps.

On a Plater: I serve the Chicken Shawarma on a platter with the choice of toppings on the side. You can serve it with the Yogurt Tahini, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes. Choose whatever toppings you like. It’s also good with rice or my family’s favorite is with Middle Eastern Quinoa

Storing

Store leftovers in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days without the tahini sauce. Heat in the oven or pan on the stove top.

Great for meal prep. Since Chicken Shawarma with Vegetables stores so well it’s great for meal prep. Allow your chicken and veggies to cool completely and equally divide everything into 4 separate glass meal prep containers. Add the olives, cilantro and red pepper if you like, but leave off the yogurt tahini sauce until you’re ready to serve.

It’s a great meal to have ready for a quick lunch or dinner.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Shawarma on plate with fork and yogurt sauce

More sheet pan chicken and vegetable recipes you may enjoy:

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