Description
This slow cooker chicken shawarma is a tender, juicy, and boldly seasoned dish inspired by the classic Middle Eastern street food. With warm spices, garlic, and lemon, the chicken is slow-cooked until it’s fall-apart tender — perfect for stuffing into pitas, serving over rice bowls, or wrapping in flatbread with creamy garlic sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Optional: sliced red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh parsley for serving
- Optional: garlic sauce, hummus, or tzatziki for topping
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and all the spices.
- Add chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly in the marinade.
- Place in a slow cooker and pour any remaining marinade over top.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred chicken with two forks and mix with juices.
- Serve in pitas, wraps, or over rice with your favorite toppings and sauces.
Notes
- Tastes even better the next day after flavors develop.
- Can crisp up shredded chicken under the broiler for extra texture.
- Great with garlic yogurt sauce or tahini dressing.
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Keywords: slow cooker shawarma, chicken shawarma recipe, crockpot shawarma, Middle Eastern chicken, healthy shawarma
- Video URL: [Add URL if available]
- Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Mixing bowl
- Knife and cutting board
- Forks for shredding
- Nutrition (Per Serving)
- Nutrifox ID: [Add ID if available]
- Serving Size: About 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 510mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Nutrition
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 510mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
