Shawarma Chicken Wraps

4 servings
45 min

These Shawarma Chicken Wraps are full of spicy marinated chicken and topped with fresh veggies, feta cheese, tzatziki sauce, and pickled onions. All of that wrapped in a warm pita to make a delicious and healthy meal!


If you are looking for a homemade meal full of flavor, spices, and healthy ingredients, these Shawarma Chicken Wraps are for you! The chicken can marinate anywhere from 4 hours to overnight to infuse all of that spicy flavor.


Even if you make this entire meal from scratch, you can make it in one day. Or, you can plan ahead and make some of the ingredients ahead of time. Any way you decide to pull this meal together, you will have a delicious and healthy meal.


Although you can buy pitas and tzatziki sauce at the store, why not make your own?!? My Pita Bread Recipe is pretty easy to make and there is nothing better than fresh pita bread.


Tzatziki sauce is surprisingly easy to make and only takes about 5 minutes. My recipe is a small batch recipe so you don’t have to worry about having a ton of leftovers.

Chicken Shawarma Wraps with tzatziki sauce, veggies, and pickled red onions.

Chicken Shawarma inside of a pita.

Ingredients to make Shawarma Chicken Wraps

Recipe details
  • 4  servings
  • Prep time: 30 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 45 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Chicken Shawarma Marinade
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 pita bread rounds (homemade or store-bought)
Toppings
  • tzatziki sauce (homemade or store-bought)
  • pickled red onion or fresh onion slices (see notes)
  • 1/2 medium cucumber, diced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions

If you are making your own pita bread, start the process at least 4 hours before you are going to cook the chicken. You can also make the tzatziki sauce and vegetable and feta mixture ahead of time and place them in the fridge until you are ready to plate the meal.
Chicken Shawarma Marinade
Measure out the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, curry powder, ground cinnamon, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper into a bowl. Mix together in a large bowl.
Add the raw chicken to the bowl or plastic bag with the marinade and fully coat the chicken. If you are marinating the chicken in the bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Place the chicken in the fridge and allow it to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, 12 hours or overnight is ideal.
Cook the Chicken
I like to cook the chicken in a cast-iron pan (see notes for alternative cooking methods). Heat the skillet over med-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil.
Add enough pieces to fill the pan but ensure each piece has enough room around it to cook. Cook for about 4 minutes on one side before flipping. Cook on the other side and check the internal temperature. Continue cooking and flipping until the center is no longer pink and the chicken reaches 165° F (74°C), about 8-12 minutes.
Once fully cooked, you can slice the chicken into smaller pieces or into strips so that they fit into the pitas.
Wrap Assembly
Take one pita bread and place some of the chicken in the middle. Top with tzatziki sauce, vegetables with feta cheese, and pickled red onions. Serve immediately.
Tips
  • Cooking the Chicken: You can choose to grill the chicken or bake it in the oven if you do not want to cook it on the stove. Grilling will add extra flavor from the flame and smoke and baking the chicken will keep it nice and moist. Regardless of the method you choose, ensure the chicken gets to an internal temp of 165° F (74°C) for safe cooking.
  • Vegetable and Feta Topping: Dice half of a medium cucumber, 2-3 tomatoes, and half of a red onion (you can omit if adding pickled onions to the wraps). Place the diced vegetables into a medium mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup feta cheese and 1/4 cup kalamata olives (sliced). Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix everything together and ensure it’s all coated in the lemon dressing.
  • Quick Pickled Red Onions: Slice a medium red onion into crescents and place them into a sealable jar. Place 1/2 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into the jar with the sliced onions. Cool for an hour and then place the jar in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Nutrition facts were calculated for 2 wraps with chicken, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
Emily | emilyfabulous.com
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