Shawarma Seasoning
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Bring bold Middle Eastern flavor to your kitchen with this easy homemade Shawarma Seasoning recipe! Made in just 5 minutes with a blend of warm, earthy spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, it’s perfect for seasoning chicken, beef, veggies, and more.
Why this seasoning blend is the best
After finding the perfect beef shawarma seasoning blend at a Mediterranean market, I knew that I had to recreate it and share the recipe with you. After several attempts at the recipe, I’ve finally perfected it and now I’m making shawarma recipes at home like they’re going out of style!
There’s a lot of shawarma seasoning recipes out there, but here’s why this one is the best.
- It’s made with authentic spices. No filler ingredients or ingredients you can’t pronounce! This seasoning blend is made with fragrant, warm spices. The same ones that are used to season the shawarma at your favorite restaurant.
- The flavor is incredible! After testing this recipe with various spices and altering the quantity of each spice, I found the perfect balance that creates incredibly flavorful shawarma every time!
- It’s easy to make. You only need 5 minutes to mix it up, then you can easily make chicken, beef or lamb shawarma at home anytime!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this shawarma seasoning recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Ground cumin – adds a rich, earthy, and nutty element to the spice blend.
- Ground coriander – adds a warm, earthy and slightly sweet flavor, with a hint of citrus that pairs perfectly with the cumin.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Salt – I prefer either kosher salt or sea salt, over table salt, because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
- Allspice – adds a uniquely fragrant, zesty warmth, and peppery flavor to the spice blend.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Cayenne pepper – added for heat, but when combined with the other spices, they balance it out to make a mild seasoning.
- Black pepper
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Transfer the shawarma spice blend to an airtight container, like a mason jar and label with the date. Store in a cool dry place, like the pantry, for up to 6 months.
Easy as that, in 5 minutes or less, you have a flavorful shawarma seasoning, ready to season beef, lamb or chicken.
How to make shawarma marinade
Combine 4 tablespoons shawarma seasoning with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Use this mixture to marinade 2 pounds of steak, lamb or chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
After marinating the meat, use your favorite cooking method to prepare the meat, or follow this recipe for beef shawarma for step-by-step instructions on how to marinate and grill skirt steak to make shawarma.
Serve the prepared beef, lamb or chicken shawarma in pita bread to make a wrap, on top of a salad, or over rice in a bowl.
Other ways to use the seasoning
- Use it as a dry rub before grilling, roasting, or smoking chicken wings, ribs, beef, lamb, or your favorite protein. You’ll want to use 2 tablespoons of the shawarma seasoning mix per pound of meat.
- Season vegetables before roasting them in the oven. Toss 4 cups of diced vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning. Roast the vegetables in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Use the spice blend to season rice or quinoa. Add a teaspoon of shawarma seasoning to white rice, brown rice, or quinoa for a boost of flavor.
- Season roasted chickpeas for a meatless high-protein option. Drain and rinse a 15 ounce can of chickpeas, toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F preheated oven for 25 minutes.
More seasoning blends
Stock your pantry with the most popular homemade spice blends on the blog to add flavor to every meal!
Shawarma Seasoning
Ingredients
- 8 teaspoons ground cumin
- 8 teaspoons ground coriander
- 8 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons allspice
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Notes
- This recipe makes 15 tablespoons of seasoning mix. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click the 2X button above and the ingredient amounts will automatically update.
- I recommend using 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat that you want to season.
- The seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container in the pantry, for up to 6 months. After that the spice blend will not “go bad” but as spices sit longer, they begin to lose their flavor.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
Nutrition Facts
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