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    You Are Here Home » Entree Recipes

    Published: Aug 11, 2017 Updated: Apr 2, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Easy Beef or Lamb Shawarma

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    shawarma

    Have you ever had the pleasure of eating beef or lamb shawarma wrapped in a hot pita? If not, allow me to introduce you to this tasty Middle Eastern equivalent of the Greek gyros sandwich.

    lamb shawarma with fixings on pita bread

    For starters, shawarma is made with marinated lamb, beef, or chicken. The shawarma seasoning includes classic Middle Eastern spices like allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom.

    Next, the meat is stacked vertically on a spit, and cooked for many hours. Like gyros, it's sliced off the spit and served in a pita or lavash bread and wrapped like a burrito.

    So, if you don't have shawarma available where you live, roll up your sleeves, and make your own.

    chicken shawarma on a spit

    One of the reasons I love cooking is that I get to take simple ingredients, and with a little effort and creativity, end up with something delicious to eat.

    Personally, I prefer eating from the comfort of home. I guess you can say I'm a homebody. Most nights, I'd rather be home cooking my own dinner, while enjoying a glass of wine.

    So when I'm craving shawarma, I want to be able to make it myself. But like most folks, I don't have a spit handy, or hours to cook dinner. As the saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention."

    After some trial and error in the kitchen, and experimenting with different shawarma seasoning combinations, I settled on this recipe. And guess what, it's been a hit with the family too!

    How to Make Lamb Shawarma

    Slice meat into strips. Add vinegar and olive oil.

    sliced meat on a cutting board

    Shawarma Seasoning: Mix the black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, za'atar, crushed red pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, dried mint, and salt.

    Sprinkle the shawarma spices over the meat, working in to coat the meat thoroughly.

    lamb shawarma with spices

    Marinate for a minimum of two hours.

    seasoned shawarma meat in a ziplock bag

    Heat a castiron skillet for a few minutes. Remove the meat from the marinade and cook in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan. Repeat with the remaining meat.

    meat being cooked in a castiron pan
    lamb shawarma with fixings on pita bread

    Expert Tips

    • Shawarma is served wrapped in flatbread. It is usually drizzled with tahini sauce. Sometimes it's accompanied by a side of hummus and pickled turnips. 
    • If you're watching your carb, you can wrap the meat in a low-carb tortilla instead of stuffing it into pita pockets.
    • I like adding feta cheese to the shawarma sandwich, although it's not traditional, it is delicious!
    • Have leftovers? Be sure to try my Shawarma Pizza recipe!

    Related Recipes

    • Chicken Shawarma Plate Recipe
    • DIY Shawarma Seasoning Blend
    • Za'atar Substitute Spice Blend
    • Manakish (Lebanese Za'atar Bread)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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    shawarma

    Easy Beef or Lamb Shawarma

    Easy beef or lamb shawarma that you can make at home!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Assyrian, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 512kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1-½ lbs lamb or beef
    • 3 T. white wine vinegar
    • 2 T olive oil
    • ½ tsp. black pepper
    • 2 tsp. allspice
    • ½ tsp. cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp. cardamom
    • 1 T. za'atar
    • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
    • ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
    • 1 tsp. dried mint
    • 1-½ tsp. salt

    Instructions

    • Slice meat into strips. Add vinegar and olive oil.
    • Mix the black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, za’atar, crushed red pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, dried mint, and salt.
    • Sprinkle the spices over the meat, working in to coat the meat thoroughly.
    • Marinate for a minimum of two hours.
    • Heat a castiron skillet for a few minutes. Remove the meat from the marinade and cook in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Repeat with the remaining meat.

    Notes

    • Shawarma is served wrapped in flatbread. It is usually drizzled with tahini sauce. Sometimes it's accompanied by a side of hummus and pickled turnips. 
    • If you're watching your carb, you can wrap the meat in a low-carb tortilla instead of stuffing it into pita pockets.
    • I like adding feta cheese to the shawarma sandwich, although it's not traditional, it is delicious!
    • Have leftovers? Be sure to try my Shawarma Pizza recipe!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1023mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alissa says

      December 09, 2021 at 9:12 am

      Thank you for the recipe! What type of beef works best?

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        December 09, 2021 at 2:43 pm

        Hi Alissa,
        If you don't mind spending a little extra, I'd definitely go with flank steak!

        Reply

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