Authentic Shawarma seasoning blend, just the way it’s made in the Middle East. It’s so fragrant, delicious, and easy to make. Great to season chicken, meat, vegetables, and even chickpeas.
As I grew up in the Middle East, I had lots of Shawarma in my life. It’s a popular snack/dinner food that everyone loves, and in every Jordanian town, you’ll find a Shawarma shop in almost every street. In the “Souk” you might even find 2 or 3 or even 4 Shawarma shops next to each other, and they all have their customers!
It’s just how the Middle East rolls. Shawarma = life. In the UK, these shops are called “Kebab shops” but mainly made the Turkish way. And as in Little Sunny Kitchen, we are all about healthifying recipes as much as we can so we created a Shawarma seasoning recipe for you. Of course, a Shawarma recipe will follow!
If you like Middle Eastern flavors, make sure to check out my Baharat seasoning mix which is added to all Middle Eastern dishes.
If you google Shawarma spices, you’ll find lots of recipes. But let me assure you, THIS IS the authentic recipe here!
Shawarma seasoning ingredients
You will need the following spices, either ground or whole:
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
How to make Shawarma seasoning?
- First, you need to collect the spices. I don’t recommend adding any extras such as chili flakes as that will change the flavor and you’ll end up with a different spice blend.
- You can either collect ground spices and just mix them, or collect whole spices and then grind them. It depends on what you have available.
Grind the spices using a pestle and mortar or an electric grinder.
If you’re looking to buy a really good electric spice grinder, then I can recommend this Cuisinart spice grinder (currently on sale for just $36, it went down from $70).
This is the grinder that we used at the cookery school when I did my chef training, it’s so efficient and the reason why I love it because it comes with a removable stainless steel bowl (most cheaper spice grinders come with built-in bowls which makes them so difficult to clean). And you can just pop the bowl in the dishwasher! It’s also great for grinding nuts.
The KitchenAid spice grinder is also great, it comes with 2 bowls and that’s perfect if you also would like to grind coffee.
STORING SPICES
Whole spices stay fresh for longer, once you grind them, they need to be stored in a cool dry place. However, homemade spices last much longer than any ground spice that you buy from a store. So store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place for up to a year.
How to marinate chicken or meat with shawarma seasoning?
In a bowl, add 1 tbsp of seasoning to every 1 lbs of meat. Add 1 tbsp of yogurt, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix everything together, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
Make sure that you check out my chicken shawarma recipe that I made in the Instant Pot.
More homemade seasonings
If you make this recipe, please don’t forget to share your feedback with a rating in the comments below. I hope you enjoy!
Shawarma Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder/granules
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon dried ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon dried ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First, you need to collect the spices. I don’t recommend adding any extras such as chili flakes as that will change the flavor and you’ll end up with a different spice blend.
- You can either collect ground spices and just mix them, or collect whole spices and then grind them. It depends on what you have available.
Diana’s Tips
- Use 2 tablespoons of seasoning per 1 kilogram of chicken/meat, or 1 tablespoon per 1 pound of chicken/meat.
- The amounts in this recipe card will make around 6 tablespoons of seasoning which is enough for 6 pounds of chicken or meat.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe.
- To marinate chicken or meat: in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of seasoning to every 1 pound of meat. Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix everything together, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
- Store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place for up to a year.
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