Slow cooker chicken shawarma is an incredible crockpot meal. Tender chicken slow cooked to perfection in creamy, traditional Middle Eastern flavors. Wrap it up in flat bread or pita along with some customized toppings for a flavorful treat.
❓What is Shawarma
Traditional shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food. It is made out of marinated meat that is layered on a spit. Lamb is used most often, but chicken and beef are also options. I
The spit rotates in front of a heat source for hours - rotisserie style. This allows the meat to slowly cook and for all of the wonderful flavors to sink in.
Once cooked, the meat is shaved down the sides of the vertical rotisserie spit. It is traditionally served in pita pockets or wraps with tons of veggies and sauces. And- it is GOOOOD!!
Clearly, a slow cooker can't replicate all that, so this isn't considered traditional chicken shawarma. However, it marinates for quite a while before and during cooking. And of course, it has that slow-cooked component!
Authentic or not, this chicken shawarma recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy a deliciously different meal! It has the perfect mixture of spices to make you an instant fan of middle eastern food!
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📝Shopping list
To make the slow cooker version of this middle eastern favorite, you will need:
Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact quantities.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs *
- Greek plain yogurt - I use fat-free
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
For serving:
Pita bread, naan bread, or similar wrap-type bread.
🔪How to make the best chicken shawarma
Start by mixing all of the ingredients, other than chicken, in a medium sized meal prep bowl. Place chicken into this spice mixture and toss until it is fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Allow chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours. I like to make mine the night before and allow it to marinate overnight. The perfect prep-in-advance meal!
Chicken is all set to marinate in the fridge overnight
When you are ready to cook, spray your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. Place marinated chicken into the bottom along with as much of the marinade as possible. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours.
When chicken is cooked through, remove from your trusty slow cooker and cut into strips. Return cooked chicken strips to your crockpot and mix back into the yummy chicken shawarma marinade. Your slow cooker chicken shawarma is now ready to serve!
🍽️Serving suggestions
Wraps
Chicken shawarma is usually served wrapped in a pita or other flat bread. These wrap sandwiches include trimmings like lettuce, tomato, red onions, chopped parsley, and cucumber. Sauces such as lemon tahini, hummus, garlic sauce, and tzatziki sauce are often drizzled or spread on the wraps too.
Place chicken shawarma, sliced veggies, and various sauces on a tray to let everyone customize their own pita sandwich. Be sure to include the extra yogurt sauce from your slow cooker with the other sauces.
One non-authentic but delicious way to enjoy this ethnic food is to use it to make incredible lettuce wraps. These have all of the flavor with fewer carbs!
Bowls
Chicken shawarma bowls or plates are out-of-this-world delicious. Load up a plate with some chicken, rice, chicken peas, veggies, and sauces and you have a winning combination. Fresh herbs such as chopped parsley and chives also make a great addition!
I love to serve it alongside garlic mushrooms and whole dijon cauliflower.
🔁Substitutions
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used in place of thighs. Your final dish will be a little bit drier with breasts, but still delish!
- Do you like it hot? This is a great dish to dress up with hot sauce or red pepper flakes for some extra heat.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Storing leftovers
Store leftovers of this easy slow cooker recipe in an airtight container or zip-top bag. They will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator and 3-4 months in the freezer.
😉Hints & hacks
- Use a meat thermometer to confirm when chicken is fully cooked. When the center-most part of your chicken reaches 165, it is considered safe to eat.
- Store leftovers in individual serving-sized containers for easy grab-and-go future meals on a busy day.
- I am a huge fan of slow cooker liners. They are a great help with this particular recipe. If you use a liner, you can skip spraying your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- In the market for a slow cooker? I love mine!
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
Equipment
- 3.5 qt slow cooker or larger
- mixing bowl or zip lock bag
- meat thermometer
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs breasts can also be used
Marinade
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix chicken together with all marinade ingredients and allow to marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.2 lbs chicken thighs, ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- When you are ready to cook, spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray
- add chicken mixture into your slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours depending on your timing
- use a meat thermometer to confirm when chicken is fully cooked. Chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
- remove chicken from slow cooker and slice or shred. Return to slow cooker to mix with sauce.
- Serve with pita or flatbread, chopped parsley, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, tzatziki, hummus, or tahini sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nick says
I'm going to give this ago sounds really nice and healthy with it👍
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Awesome! I hope you love it as much as we do!!