• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
1 hour 48 minutes
4.63 from 235 votes
273 Comments

Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 7434
by: Joanna Cismaru
10.04.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma will blow your mind! It combines the tender flavorful scrumptiousness of chicken shawarma with the ease and speed of any Instant Pot dish.

chicken shawarma on a pita bread with a bowl of hummus and garlic sauce

A couple years ago I shared with you my oven roasted chicken shawarma recipe and since then it’s become one of my most popular recipes on the blog! That’s because this chicken is just so good, it’s tender and flavorful and is so easy to incorporate into many a dish. The best part of this recipe is that it’s ready in about 8 minutes, all thanks to our trusty Instant Pot.

What Is Chicken Shawarma?

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern method of preparing meat. Have you been into a Donair shop and seen the cuts of meat piled high rotating slowly on a vertical rotisserie? While I don’t exactly have one of those rotisseries lying around (and I’m sure you don’t either) we’re going to use our Instant Pot today to replicate the flavor and juicy cuts achieved more traditionally.

chicken shawarma on a plate with lime wedges and a bowl of salad in the background and garlic sauce

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Chicken shawarma

  • Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil to cook our chicken down in.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh is best! We’re using the juice from 2 lemons.
  • Spices – Smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.
  • Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Onion – White or yellow, something that cooks down well.
  • Chicken – I used chicken thighs today, you can always substitute breast instead but I find chicken thighs are so tender and flavorful.
  • Parsley – Fresh chopped up nice and fine.

Garlic sauce

  • Oil – A nice neutral tasting vegetable oil like canola.
  • Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh as always, we’re using quite a bit of juice for this sauce.
  • Egg – Just egg white, if you’d rather not include raw egg I’ve included a section below detailing how to make a yogurt based sauce instead.
  • Seasoning – Just salt for this sauce.

Shawarma wraps

  • Hummus – Here’s my recipe for regular hummus and lentil hummus.
  • Greek salad – Here’s my recipe for a delicious and simple Greek salad to be served in the wrap and alongside it.
  • Pita wraps – Any kind will do, although I believe that home made is always best so here’s my recipe for whole wheat pita bread.
  • Chicken and garlic sauce – We’re going to incorporate everything we’ve made in the last few steps of our Chicken Shawarma!
overview of chicken shawarma chunks simmering in an instant pot

How To Make Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma

  • Marinate the chicken: Add the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, garlic, pepper, salt and onions to a ziploc bag, then add the chicken thighs. Seal the bag and shake it well to mix the ingredients. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour.
  • Cook the chicken: Transfer the chicken into your Instant Pot. Mix to ensure even coverage. Close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Manual setting and set the timer to 8 minutes on high pressure.
  • Remove the chicken: Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 15 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon.
  • Brown the chicken shawarma: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and sear them for about 1 to 2 minutes per side just until they start to brown. You may have to do this in a couple batches. This step is optional if you want to get a crispier chicken.

Garlic sauce

  • Combine the sauce: Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Chicken Shawarma wraps

  • Assemble the wraps: To assemble the chicken shawarma wraps, warm up the pitas for 20 seconds to soften them. Spread a tbsp each of garlic sauce and hummus over the middle of the pita. Top with chicken, greek salad, garnish with parsley, and more sauce if desired.

Egg Free Garlic Sauce

Regarding raw eggs, some fear that they may contain Salmonella which can cause food poisoning. However, the risk of an egg being contaminated is quite low. This used to be a problem over 20 years ago, but since then improvements have been made in the processing of eggs, leading to fewer Salmonella cases.

If you’re looking to make a raw egg free garlic sauce, I’ve got an easy sauce here for you that is just as delicious although less authentic.

  • Combine: Lemon juice, plain yogurt (either Greek or regular), garlic, and salt.

You can also just omit the egg white and add your vegetable oil bit by bit to the blender as it blends till it has the consistency of mayonnaise.

tabbouleh salad in one bowl and garlic sauce in another bowl

Other Cooking Options

Don’t have an Instant Pot? Fear not, there are other ways to make this delectable dish!

Oven

If you’d like to prepare this recipe in the oven I have a beautiful Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma recipe on the blog which I can promise is just as drool worthy as this one. That recipe calls for chicken breast instead of thigh but feel free to use whichever cut you like!

Slow cooker

  • Create the marinade: Marinate the chicken the same as instructed above and allow to sit for at least 1 hour, although longer is ideal.
  • Cook the chicken: Dump the chicken and marinade in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and brown in a skillet on the oven. Follow the instructions outlined above for what to do with this chicken once it’s done cooking!
chicken shawarma on a pita bread with a bowl of hummus and garlic sauce

Some Tips

  1. The longer you let the chicken marinate for, the better it gets! It will become so intensely flavorful if given some extra time so feel free to prep the chicken the night before.
  2. When I initially made this recipe I forgot to add onions to the marinade so I decided to caramelize some onions in the left over liquid in the Instant Pot once my chicken was finished cooking. It was so delicious so feel free to get creative with happy accidents!
  3. While it’s totally optional I really recommend searing the meat so it gets nice and crispy once it’s done in the Instant Pot. This will get it as close as possible to the chicken you get from the vertical rotisserie at Donair shops.
  4. You can serve this chicken right over rice with a nice salad on the side if you’d like a meal that feels a bit more complete – it’s delicious either way!

Leftovers

Chicken

The Chicken Shawarma will last in the fridge in an air tight container for 3 – 4 days. If you’d like to freeze this dish I recommend freezing the chicken in the bag with the marinade while still raw, then when it defrosts it will marinate and you can pop it in the Instant Pot from there!

Garlic sauce

You can store this home made garlic sauce for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing this sauce as it is similar to a home made mayo which separates and becomes unusable after thawing.

Craving More Middle Eastern Dishes? Try These Delicious Recipes:

  • Best Ever Hummus
  • Tabbouleh Salad
  • Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
  • Moroccan Style Roast Chicken and Potatoes
  • Baba Ghanoush
  • Baklava
  • Greek Lemon Potatoes

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

side view shot of chicken shawarma on a pita topped with fresh toppings

Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

4.63 from 235 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Marinating +NPR Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Total: 1 hr 48 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
This Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma will blow your mind! It combines the tender flavorful scrumptiousness of chicken shawarma with the ease and speed of any Instant Pot dish.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot – 6 Quart

Ingredients

Chicken Shawarma

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon tumeric
  • 2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 4 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
  • 2 tablespoon parsley fresh, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic Sauce

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • â…“ cup lemon juice
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 egg white *
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Chicken Shawarma Wraps

  • hummus
  • greek salad
  • garlic sauce
  • chicken
  • pita wraps
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Chicken Shawarma

  • Add the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, garlic, pepper, salt and onions to a ziploc bag, then add the chicken thighs. Seal the bag and shake it well to mix the ingredients. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour. The flavours develop better the longer you leave them. 
  • Transfer the chicken into your Instant Pot. Mix to ensure even coverage. Close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Manual setting and set the timer to 8 minutes on high pressure.
  • Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 15 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and sear them for about 1 to 2 minutes per side just until they start to brown. You may have to do this in a couple batches. This step is optional if you want to get a crispier chicken.

Garlic Sauce

  • Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Chicken Shawarma Wraps

  • To assemble the chicken shawarma wraps, warm up the pitas for 20 seconds to soften them. Spread a tbsp each of garlic sauce and hummus over the middle of the pita. Top with chicken, greek salad, garnish with parsley, and more sauce if desired. 

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Note: In the video I forgot to add the onion to the marinade, so we ended up caramelizing some onion in some of the liquid left in the instant pot after the chicken was done.
  2. Chicken breast can also be used instead of the thighs with the same cooking time.
  3. * If you are unsure whether or not you want to consume raw egg white because of risk of Salmonella in raw eggs which can cause food poisoning, make a different type of sauce with just yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt. However, the risk of an egg being contaminated from raw egg is quite low. This used to be a problem over 20 years ago, but since then improvements have been made in the processing of eggs, leading to fewer Salmonella cases. 
  4. You can also omit the raw egg white, just add the oil little by little to the blender until it thickens and should have the consistency of mayonnaise.
  5. Total time include time required to marinate the chicken and the time required for the Instant pot to start and release pressure.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 680kcal (34%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 38g (76%)Fat: 56g (86%)Saturated Fat: 15g (94%)Cholesterol: 222mg (74%)Sodium: 770mg (33%)Potassium: 569mg (16%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 585IU (12%)Vitamin C: 10.7mg (13%)Calcium: 39mg (4%)Iron: 2.3mg (13%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Middle Eastern
Keyword:chicken shawarma, instant pot, instant pot recipes
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 7434
  • 19

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

side view shot of the strawberry tiramisu trifle
Previous Post
Strawberry Tiramisu Trifle
side view shot of a fork taking a bite of butter pecan dulce de leche poke cake
Next Post
Butter Pecan Dulce De Leche Poke Cake

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Susanne says

    March 15, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    5 stars
    This was easy and delicious! I used chicken breast because that is what my family prefers and just released the pressure at 12 – 13 minutes.

    Reply
  2. Roxana says

    March 11, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    I’m about to make this recipe and it doesn’t look like it calls for any liquid. Will the liquid from the marinade be sufficient? I’m worried it will burn in the IP. Thank you

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 11, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      There’s enough liquid in the marinade, plus the chicken will release some as it cooks.

      Reply
      • Roxana says

        March 11, 2022 at 5:34 pm

        I just finished this recipe and the chicken is delicious!! Thank you 😀

    • Dita says

      March 27, 2022 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      This is a go to in my house and has been for a few years! Kids just love it and it’s so easy. I use chicken thighs and marinate it for 24 hours! For those who don’t make the garlic sauce because of the raw egg white, you are missing out. Thanks for another great recipe Joanna !

      Reply
      • Joanna Cismaru says

        March 28, 2022 at 11:39 am

        My pleasure! So glad you enjoy it!

  3. J Arora says

    February 7, 2022 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this countless times and it’s a family favorite. Super flavorful and so easy. The last step (searing the chicken in oil) gives it a perfect crispy-ness that is so delicious. Not a fan of raw egg so I haven’t tried the sauce. I just whip up my own tahini dressing or eat with hummus, etc.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 7, 2022 at 12:11 pm

      So glad you like this! Yeah a tahini sauce would be good with this too!

      Reply
  4. Amy G says

    February 2, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best thing I have ever cooked!! I didn’t have ingredients for sauce so I deglazed pan with left over broth from instapot and then added some cream, and ate it over mashed cauliflower! Seasoning was delish. My picky 15 year old loved it!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 2, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      I love hearing this!!

      Reply
  5. T Say says

    October 9, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    Flavors just pop. I just needed a thicker pita. I’d make this again and use grilled eggplant salad.

    Reply
  6. Angely says

    August 26, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made! So quick and easy too! I don’t sear the chicken afterwards and I always forget to marinate it so I just dump it all in my Ninja Foodi and it tastes incredible.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      August 26, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      So glad you like it! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Chef Chant Illy says

    August 23, 2021 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    We love Swarma. This recipe was easy peasy and the ingredients were from my garden and whole food bought from a farmer. Delicious results…Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Jackie Webb says

    June 26, 2021 at 5:28 am

    5 stars
    Just amazing!

    Reply
  9. Azra Cooks says

    June 20, 2021 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was AWESOME and easy! I didn’t even have time to marinate the meat, just mixed all the spices with the meat and put it in the Instant Pot. Also, I left out the searing of the chicken part. And didn’t make the garlic sauce. We ate the cooked chicken with white rice. It was delish.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      June 20, 2021 at 11:24 am

      So glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Jatinder Mehta says

    May 29, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    So easy to make and extremely delightful dinner. I’m going to make it again and again. Hope to follow your other recipes.

    Reply
  11. T Wan says

    May 25, 2021 at 4:33 am

    I make a double batch of this at least once a month. I love quick and delicious meals; this recipe meets BOTH requirements. It’s also a bonus in flavor when I let it marinade longer. The only change I make is to double all the spices because I thicken the sauce and use it over rice. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team AMJ says

      May 25, 2021 at 9:03 am

      That’s wonderful! So glad you are enjoying it so much!

      Reply
  12. Shauna J says

    May 11, 2021 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    This was super easy to make and so flavorful. Make the garlic sauce from scratch, it was awesome! On my list to make again and again.

    Reply
  13. Drew T. says

    March 24, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    This was so easy and SO good. Highly recommend!!!

    Reply
  14. CindyS says

    February 28, 2021 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    So easy to make and delicious!!! I make this at lease once or twice a month. Yummy

    Reply
  15. Kay Brew says

    February 17, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    Although I’ve made 100’s of delicious recipes from various websites, I’ve never submitted a comment until now. I just have to rave about this Shawarma recipe– one of the tastiest dishes I’ve ever made. I used the yogurt sauce, which topped it off nicely. Family loved it!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
asian green beans in a wok.

Asian

overhead shot of a spoon taking a bite of italian meatball soup

Italian

freshly made pozole rojo in a dutch oven.

Mexican

mititei on a plate with mustard and french fries.

Romanian

a stack of roti wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!