BBQ Shawarma — recipe with dry rub
Deel
Short answer: Make BBQ shawarma by marinating chicken thighs for at least 4 hours with Shawarma rub and grilling at 185°C. Core temperature 74°C. Serve in pita bread with tzatziki, red onion, and fresh herbs.
Shawarma traditionally comes from a vertical spit that rotates slowly for hours. You don't have that spit at home — but you do have a BBQ. And with the right dry rub, you can get surprisingly close to the original.
The key lies in the spices: cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric. Together, they create the warm, aromatic profile that makes shawarma so unmistakable. The BBQ adds a smoky bark that you'll never get from a spit.
What makes Shawarma unique?
Shawarma is Middle Eastern street food at its best. The dish originated in the Levant — Lebanon, Syria, Turkey — and is related to Greek gyros and Turkish döner. The name comes from the Arabic word for “turning,” referring to the rotating spit.
What distinguishes shawarma from other grilled chicken is its spice profile. Cardamom gives a floral, slightly citrusy note. Cumin brings earthy depth. Cinnamon and cloves add warmth. Turmeric provides the golden-yellow color. Together, they form a flavor profile you won't find anywhere else.
Traditional shawarma is made with a wet marinade based on yogurt or lemon juice. With a dry rub, you get a crispier bark and a more intense flavor on the surface. Use yogurt as a binding layer for the best of both worlds: the rub adheres better and the meat stays juicier.
What do you need?
For 4 people:
- 1.2–1.5 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Shawarma BBQ rub — 65g per 1.5 kg chicken
- Full-fat yogurt or olive oil as a binding layer
- Meat thermometer
- BBQ with lid
- Pita bread, tzatziki, red onion, tomato, fresh parsley
For shawarma, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Without skin, the rub adheres directly to the meat, giving you a nicer, even bark. The thighs stay juicy enough without the skin — unlike chicken breast, which dries out quickly.
Marinating — at least 4 hours
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
- Rub a thin layer of full-fat yogurt or olive oil over the meat as a binding layer.
- Apply the Shawarma BBQ rub generously to all sides — rub in firmly.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight gives the deepest flavor.
- Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
Yogurt is the best binding layer for shawarma. The acid in the yogurt makes the meat slightly more tender, and the proteins help the rub adhere. Use full-fat yogurt — low-fat yogurt has too little fat and dries out faster on the grill.
Grilling — the technique
Temperature
185°C. The Shawarma rub contains sugar and spices that color quickly — don't grill too high, or the bark will burn before the meat is cooked.
Method
25–30 minutes indirect at 185°C. Last 5 minutes direct for a crispy, golden-brown bark. Flip halfway through.
Wood chips
Optional: add a few cherry wood chips for a subtle smoke. Not too much — the spices are already complex enough.
Core temperature
74°C in the thickest part of the thigh. The bark should be golden-brown to dark-brown — that's the caramelization of the spices.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after grilling. Then slice into thin strips — against the grain. This way you get the thin shawarma strips you know from the spit, but with a crispy bark on the outside.
Serving — the complete wrap
Serve shawarma in warm pita bread or flatbread with:
- Tzatziki or garlic sauce — the classic accompaniment, fresh and creamy
- Thin rings of red onion — sharp and crunchy as a counterpoint
- Tomato and cucumber — fresh and cool
- Fresh parsley or mint — adds freshness to the whole dish
- Sumac — a sour, fruity spice that makes shawarma authentic
Place the pita bread directly on the grill for the last 2 minutes — briefly on both sides. The bread gets a light grill mark and becomes soft and warm inside. Much better than the microwave.
More chicken on the BBQ? Check out our Jamaican Jerk chicken recipe for a Caribbean twist, or the Korean BBQ chicken recipe for an Asian flavor profile. For the right wood chip combination for shawarma, read our wood chip guide.
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