Moroccan · Street food
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Shawarma
Marrakech's take on shawarma leans on the local spice cupboard — ras el hanout, cumin and paprika — to marinate chicken thighs, roasted and shaved into warm bread with garlic sauce, pickles, salad and a spoon of harissa. It's fast street food with a distinctly Moroccan accent.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp ras el hanout
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 flatbreads or wraps
- Garlic sauce (yogurt, garlic, lemon)
- Pickles, tomato and lettuce, to fill
- Harissa, to taste
- Salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Marinate
Toss the thighs with the ras el hanout, cumin, paprika, garlic, oil, lemon, salt and pepper, and marinate at least an hour.
- 2
Roast
Roast the chicken at 220°C for 30–35 minutes until charred at the edges and cooked through.
- 3
Rest and slice
Rest briefly, then slice thinly to mimic shaved shawarma.
- 4
Make garlic sauce
Blend yogurt, garlic, lemon and salt into a smooth sauce.
- 5
Build
Spread garlic sauce on warm bread, add chicken, pickles, salad and harissa.
- 6
Roll and serve
Roll up tightly and serve at once, warm and dripping.
Chef's tips
- Thighs stay juicy where breast dries out — use them for shawarma.
- Marinate ahead, even overnight, for the deepest flavour.
- Char the chicken hard at the edges to echo the spit-roasted original.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Levantine shawarma?
The marinade uses Moroccan ras el hanout and is often served with harissa and Moroccan pickles, giving a warmer, more floral-spiced profile than the classic Middle Eastern version.
No oven rotisserie — does it still work?
Yes — roasting marinated thighs hot and slicing them thin gives a very close result at home without a vertical spit.