Nothing beats the flavour of chicken cooked slowly over charcoal. This homemade shawarma uses juicy chicken thighs stacked onto a large skewer and cooked on the BBQ, just like traditional street food. It works perfectly with either our boneless & skinless chicken thighs or our bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (simply debone before marinating if preferred).

Serves: 6–8
Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ overnight marinating)
Cook Time: 1½–2 hours

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 2.5kg The Organic Butchery chicken thighs
  • Boneless & skinless (recommended)
  • or bone-in thighs (deboned if preferred)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Shawarma Marinade

• 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed

Shawarma Seasoning

• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground allspice

To Build the Shawarma

You'll need:

• 1 large metal BBQ skewer (or rotisserie spit)
• 1 onion, halved (to form the base)
• 1 tomato (optional, to cap the top)

Push the onion onto the skewer first to act as a sturdy base, then tightly stack each marinated chicken thigh, pressing them together firmly. Finish with the tomato to help keep everything compact if desired.

BBQ Method

1. Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking at around 170–180°C.
2. Place the shawarma away from the direct heat.
3. If using a rotisserie, allow it to rotate slowly.
4. Without a rotisserie, stand the skewer upright (if your BBQ allows) or cook horizontally, turning every 15–20 minutes.
5. Cook for around 90–120 minutes, until the centre reaches 75°C.
6. During the final 20 minutes, move closer to the heat to crisp the outside.

As the outside becomes beautifully caramelised, slice off the cooked meat and return the skewer to the BBQ to continue cooking—just like traditional shawarma.

Organic Butchery Shawarma Sauce

Ingredients

• 250g Greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Mix everything together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To Serve

Fill warm flatbreads or pittas with:

• Sliced shawarma chicken
• Organic salad leaves
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Pickled red cabbage
• Fresh parsley
• Generous spoonfuls of shawarma sauce

Optional extras:

• Chilli sauce
• Pickled chillies
• Crumbled feta
• Homemade chips

The Organic Butchery Tip

The secret to authentic shawarma is chicken thighs. They stay incredibly juicy during the longer cook and develop beautifully crisp, caramelised edges over the BBQ. Marinating overnight gives the best flavour, but even 4–6 hours will produce excellent results.

Enjoy with family and friends, and don't be afraid to shave off crispy pieces as they cook—they're often the best bits!