Make Your Own Beef Shawarma

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/16/21
Prep: 8 hrs
Cook: 45 mins
Marinade Time: 8 hrs
Total: 16 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 sandwiches

Shawarma is the ultimate on-the-go meal. Thinly sliced meat, wrapped in pita bread with veggies and sauce is a delicious quick treat

What Is Shawarma?

Shawarma is thinly sliced cuts of meat, like chicken, beef, goat, lamb, and sometimes turkey​ rolled into a large piece of flatbread or pita that has been steamed or heated. Inside the pita, foods like hummus, tahini, pickles, vegetables, and even french fries are added. Think of shawarma as a taco or burrito Middle Eastern style.

How Is Shawarma Made?

Raw meat is placed on large, rotating cones. As it rotates, the meat is cooked by a heat source that is located behind the actual cone. The meat slowly falls off or is thinly sliced by a chef with a large knife. It can take several hours to fully cook.

Beef shawarma recipe

The Spruce

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef, preferably prime rib

For the Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt

  • 1/4 cup vinegar

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cardamom pods

  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon

For the Sauce:

  • 1 cup tahini

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

For the Filling:

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 to 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

  • Pickle slices, optional

  • 4 large pita breads, for serving

Steps to Make It

Make the Marinade and the Beef

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine all ingredients—yogurt, vinegar, garlic, pepper, salt, cardamom pods, allspice, and lemon juice. If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil (a tablespoon at a time).

  3. Add the beef, cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

  4. In a stockpot or large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat for 45 minutes or until done. Be sure not to overcook. If beef becomes a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water throughout the cooking duration.

  5. While beef is cooking, prepare the sauce.

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients for the sauce.

  2. Combine sauce ingredients—tahini, lemon juice, yogurt, and garlic—and mix well. Here is an excellent tahini recipe, if you do not have some handy. Set aside.

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the filling ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, take the onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers and sprinkle with sumac.

  3. Add other filling ingredients—parsley and pickle slices, if using, and combine well.

Assemble the Shawarma

  1. When the beef is done, you can shred it, slice it, or leave it in large pieces. As long as it is thinly cut, there is not much difference. We prefer to cut ours into wide strips.

  2. To assemble, place enough beef on a pita to cover 1/4 of the loaf.

  3. Add veggies and pour sauce.

  4. Roll like a soft taco or burrito, and you have shawarma.

Tips

  • You can also stuff the pocket of the pita if you like.
  • We prefer to roll large pitas (this is where making your own pita comes in handy), but it is hard to find large loaves of pita at the supermarket.
  • You can serve shawarma with fries, falafel, hummus, or with a salad like tabbouleh.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1438 Calories
96g Fat
73g Carbs
74g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1438
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 96g 123%
Saturated Fat 30g 150%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 905mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 73g 27%
Dietary Fiber 8g 28%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 74g
Vitamin C 41mg 205%
Calcium 350mg 27%
Iron 11mg 64%
Potassium 1825mg 39%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)