I made this chicken shawarma specifically because I wanted a big batch of chicken I could cook once and use for meals throughout the week.
Instead of spreading the chicken across a sheet pan, I pound the breasts to about ½-inch thick and pack them tightly into a cast iron loaf pan. As they roast, the chicken stays stacked together almost like a homemade version of the meat on a shawarma spit. Once it rests, you can remove the whole thing and slice straight through the layers.
The lemon, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, garlic, and pepper give it plenty of flavor without needing a complicated sauce. I use it for rice bowls, wraps, salads, and easy high-protein meal prep.
Try These Next
If you like making a big batch of chicken and turning it into meals throughout the week, my High Protein Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is another easy option.
For more meal-prep ideas, try my High Protein Mediterranean Chicken Salad 90g Protein Meal or Easy High Protein Mexican Chicken Potato Bowl.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Shawarma Meal Prep
Made for meal prep: Nearly two pounds of chicken cooks at once and can be divided between several meals.
High in protein: When divided into four dinner-sized servings, you are getting roughly 40–50 grams of protein from the chicken per meal depending on the exact weight you start with.
Easy marinade: Lemon juice, vegetable oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and pepper do most of the work.
No shawarma spit needed: Packing the chicken tightly into a loaf pan creates a compact stack that is easy to slice thin.
Works with almost anything: Add it to rice bowls, salads, wraps, pita, or a meal-prep container with vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1.8–2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4–5 breasts
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Fresh chopped parsley, for serving
Ingredient Notes
Chicken Breast
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts because I wanted this to be a lean, high-protein meal-prep recipe.
Chicken thighs can also work with shawarma flavors and will generally stay juicier, but they will have more fat and may need a different cooking time.
For this exact version, I used chicken breast.
Lemon Juice
I use a generous amount of lemon juice because there is a lot of chicken in the pan.
It adds acidity and helps get the spice mixture all over the flattened chicken.
Vegetable Oil
I used vegetable oil rather than olive oil.
A full ½ cup goes into the marinade, but that does not mean every drop ends up in the finished chicken. Some stays behind in the bowl and loaf pan, which is why exact calorie calculations for a marinade can be tricky.
Shawarma Spices
The seasoning is simple:
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Turmeric
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
Traditional shawarma spice blends can also include cinnamon or coriander. I did not use cinnamon in this version.
Why I Use a Cast Iron Loaf Pan
The cast iron loaf pan is probably my favorite part of this recipe.
After pounding the chicken, I stack each breast tightly on top of the previous one and press everything firmly into the pan.
That narrow shape keeps the meat together instead of spreading it out across a baking sheet.
You are not going to recreate a vertical restaurant shawarma spit in your home oven, but this gives you something closer to a compact block of meat that can be sliced thinly after cooking.
The cast iron also holds heat extremely well.
The biggest thing to remember is that the pan stays hot for a long time. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes and do not grab the pan with bare hands just because it has been sitting on the counter.
Easy Chicken Shawarma Meal Prep Step by Step Instructions
1. Pound the chicken: Place the chicken breasts between parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound them to around ½-inch thickness.
They do not need to be extremely thin. I mainly do this so the marinade has more surface area and the chicken stacks more evenly inside the loaf pan.
2. Make the marinade: Whisk together the vegetable oil, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
3. Marinate the chicken: Add the flattened chicken breasts and coat every piece thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Longer is better here. If you know you are meal prepping the next day, you can get the chicken marinating ahead of time.
4. Pack the loaf pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Stack the marinated chicken tightly inside the cast iron loaf pan, pressing each breast firmly into the one underneath it.
You want the chicken packed together rather than loosely layered.
5. Roast the chicken: Bake for approximately 55–70 minutes.
Because the chicken is packed into a thick stack, use a meat thermometer instead of relying only on time.
The center needs to reach 165°F.
6. Rest before slicing: Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes.
This also gives the cast iron pan time to cool enough that it is easier to work around safely.
7. Slice shawarma-style: Remove the chicken from the loaf pan and slice thinly across the stacked layers.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
How to Meal Prep Chicken Shawarma
This is where I think the recipe is most useful.
I would divide the batch into about four substantial meal-prep portions if you want each meal to contain roughly 40–50 grams of protein from the chicken.
From there, you can change the rest of the meal throughout the week so you are not eating the exact same bowl every day.
Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl
Add the sliced chicken over fluffy rice with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, and a spoonful of hummus or tzatziki.
You can also use cauliflower rice if you prefer a lighter bowl.
Chicken Shawarma Wrap
Warm pita or another flatbread and fill it with the chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and sauce.
Chicken Shawarma Salad
Serve the chicken cold or reheated over greens with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, and a yogurt-based sauce.
For another chicken salad meal, try my High Protein Mediterranean Chicken Salad 90g Protein Meal.
Simple Protein Meal Prep
Sometimes I just portion the chicken with rice and whatever roasted vegetables I already have.
You do not really need to turn every serving into a full shawarma bowl for this recipe to be useful.
Best Sauces and Sides for Chicken Shawarma
The chicken has plenty of flavor on its own, but it works really well with something cool and creamy.
Try it with:
- Tzatziki
- Garlic sauce
- Hummus
- Greek yogurt mixed with lemon and garlic
- Cucumber and tomato salad
- Rice
- Warm pita
- Roasted potatoes
- Feta cheese
If you are meal prepping, I recommend storing sauces separately so the rest of the meal does not get watery.
Expert Tips
Marinate Longer When You Can
Two hours works, but this is an easy recipe to prep the night before.
The longer marinade time gives the spices more time to sit on the chicken.
Pound the Chicken Before Marinating
I would not skip this step.
It gives you flatter pieces that stack better inside the loaf pan and exposes more surface area to the marinade.
Pack the Chicken Tightly
Really press the chicken down.
Loose pieces will not give you the same compact loaf that makes the finished chicken so easy to slice.
Use a Meat Thermometer
The outside can look completely cooked before the center of a thick stack reaches temperature.
Check the middle and make sure it reaches 165°F.
Let It Rest
Give it at least 10 minutes before slicing.
If you cut it immediately, more of the juices end up on the cutting board instead of staying with the meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, chicken thighs work well with shawarma spices and are usually more forgiving because they contain more fat.
This specific recipe was made with chicken breasts, so expect the cooking time and nutrition to change if you substitute thighs.
Is This Traditional Chicken Shawarma?
Traditional shawarma is generally cooked on a rotating vertical spit.
This is an easy oven version using similar spices and a tightly packed loaf pan to make the chicken easy to slice shawarma-style.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Yes. That is really the point of the recipe.
Marinate the chicken ahead, roast the full batch, slice it, and use it throughout the week.
Can I Add Onions?
Yes. Red onion or regular onion works well in a shawarma bowl or wrap.
I did not roast onion inside the loaf pan in this version.
Is Chicken Shawarma Gluten-Free?
The chicken ingredients themselves do not contain obvious wheat ingredients, but always check the labels on individual spices if you need a strictly gluten-free meal.
Serve it with rice or a gluten-free wrap rather than standard pita.
Storage and Reheating
Store sliced chicken shawarma in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
For meal prep, portion it into individual containers with rice or vegetables, but keep cold sauces, cucumber, lettuce, and tomatoes separate when possible.
Reheat the chicken in the microwave in short intervals until hot.
You can also reheat it in a skillet over medium heat with a small splash of water to keep it from drying out.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked chicken in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
You Might Also Like
If you like easy chicken meal prep as much as I do, these are worth making next:
- High Protein Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- High Protein Mediterranean Chicken Salad 90g Protein Meal
- Easy High Protein Mexican Chicken Potato Bowl
Final Thoughts
I really like this chicken shawarma for meal prep because the actual cooking is simple and the finished chicken does not lock you into one meal.
Make a rice bowl one night, throw it into a wrap the next day, and use the rest over a salad.
The loaf pan is what makes this version fun. Packing all of the flattened chicken together gives you a big block you can slice into those thin shawarma-style pieces instead of just ending up with another tray of baked chicken breast.
Easy Chicken Shawarma Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Equipment
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and toss until every piece is fully coated in the marinade. Let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge if you have the time.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a cast iron loaf pan or a 6-inch baking dish.
- Lay the chicken breasts flat into the pan, pressing them down so they stack tightly with no empty space.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a cutting board to slice thinly.
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