Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma recipe features tender, flavorful marinated chicken thighs cooked low and slow in a crockpot, paired with a refreshing yogurt sauce spiced with garlic, cucumber, and cumin. Perfect as a bowl over fragrant yellow rice or wrapped in pita with classic Middle Eastern toppings like pickles, tomatoes, and hummus, this dish brings authentic shawarma flavors to your home kitchen with minimal effort.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion, sliced into rounds
For the Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons grated cucumber
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional Toppings
- Yellow rice
- Pita bread
- Arabic pickles
- Pickled turnips
- Hummus
- Olives
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Lettuce
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a medium mixing bowl, combine ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 3 cloves minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt, 7 spice, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to make a smooth marinade.
- Marinate the chicken: Place 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs into a large zip-top bag. Pour the prepared marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the meat until fully coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight to allow flavors to develop.
- Layer in slow cooker: At cooking time, arrange the sliced onion rings at the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the marinated chicken thighs on top of the onions.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Slice and return chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker, slice into strips, and return the slices to the slow cooker to coat them in the cooking juices for serving.
- Make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons grated cucumber, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well combined and creamy.
- Assemble and serve: Serve the chicken shawarma over warm yellow rice topped with optional toppings like Arabic pickles, pickled turnips, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, hummus, and olives. Alternatively, spread the yogurt sauce on pita bread, add sliced chicken and your desired toppings, then wrap to enjoy as a shawarma sandwich.
Notes
- If you don’t have 7 spice, substitute with ½ teaspoon turmeric plus ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Plain Greek yogurt can be whole milk or nonfat, depending on your preference.
- Chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs but may dry out more easily.
- Serve shawarma as a bowl over rice or wrapped in pita bread.
- Popular toppings include Arabic pickles, pickled turnips, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, hummus, and olives.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours (slow cooker LOW) or 3 to 4 hours (slow cooker HIGH)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
