Baking chicken shawarma in a loaf pan results in tender, juicy layers of perfectly spiced meat. Inspired by the classic street food, it’s packed with bold Middle Eastern flavor and perfect for slicing. Minimal prep and oven-baking make it an easy, flavorful meal for any night of the week.
Served over salad or with some cauliflower rice pilaf, it is an easy keto chicken recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Shout out to my brother-in-law who introduced me to this easy method for making chicken shawarma at home. I was visiting for a few days and he made a big batch for dinner. I was utterly intrigued by the idea.
Most of us don’t have a big vertical rotisserie at our disposal for making classic style shawarma. But packing the seasoned chicken thighs into a loaf pan creates a similar layered dish that you can bake in your oven. I went a step further, packing the meat into the pan and weighing it down while it marinated.
It turned out so well. And it made a big batch of delicious low carb chicken that we could enjoy all week long!
Why we love this recipe
- So easy: Classic shawarma is a labour of love that uses a large vertical rotisserie oven and takes hours to cook. This loaf pan method simplifies the whole process tremendously without the need for special equipment.
- Fabulous flavor: The combination of spices in this recipe gives it a classic Middle Eastern flavor. And your house smells fabulous while it’s cooking!
- Juicy meat: The loaf pan keeps all the juices in so the chicken is succulent when it’s done.
- Great for meal prep: This makes about 3 pounds of chicken so it’s ideal for weekly meal prep.
- High protein recipe: Each serving has 29 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of carbs.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: I recommend thighs over breasts, as they don’t dry out as easily.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is used to add flavor and moisture to the marinade. You can use avocado oil instead.
- Shawarma seasoning: Ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, salt, and black pepper.
Quick Overview: How to Make Loaf Pan Chicken Shawarma
- Season the chicken: Coat chicken with the olive oil. Combine the spices and make sure each piece of chicken is completely seasoned.
- Layer in the pan: Pack the thighs tightly in a 9×5 inch loaf pan and top with a piece of parchment paper. Set another loaf pan on top and weigh down with something heavy like soup cans. Let the chicken marinate 2 hours.
- Roast the chicken: Remove the cans from the top loaf pan but leave the pan and parchment paper in place. Cook until done, about 1 hour. Test the center with an instant read thermometer to make sure it’s properly cooked through.
- Slice the chicken: Remove and let cool a few minutes. Pour the pooled liquids into a bowl, place the chicken on a cutting board, and use a sharp knife to slice thinly. Serve over salad or cauliflower rice.
Tips for Success
Weighing the chicken down while it marinates helps the meat stick together more as it bakes. I use large soup cans to give it some pressure. When it comes time for cooking, I simply remove the soup cans but keep the top loaf pan in place.
There is a lot of liquid in the pan after cooking, as is normal with chicken. You want to pour it off before slicing but I recommend keeping at least some of it. Storing the chicken in a little of the liquid helps keep the leftovers more moist.
If you want to make a smaller amount, try cutting back to two pounds of chicken and using an 8×4 inch loaf pan.
What to serve with Chicken Shawarma
To keep it low carb, I recommend making chicken shawarma bowls with cauliflower rice, or using the chicken to top a salad. If you have a favorite low carb wrap, you could use that as well.
Shawarma is often served with cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, and lettuce, so it’s easy to turn this Middle Eastern dish into a big salad. I also like it with some feta and a quick garlicky yogurt dressing. For the dressing, I simply whisk a little Greek yogurt with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. But you can always use some of my popular Feta Dressing instead!
Frequently Asked Questions
The seasonings added to shawarma is a unique blend of spices that create bold Middle Eastern flavor. Although the exact amounts differ from recipe to recipe, most shawarma seasoning contains cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, and cardamom. It can also contain sumac or fenugreek, but these are not always readily available at grocery stores.
Store any leftovers in a covered container with a little of the juices from cooking to keep it extra moist. It will last in the fridge for up to 4 days, and can also be frozen for several months.
This easy shawarma recipe has 1.7g of carbs and 0.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.0g net carbs per serving.
More keto chicken recipes
Loaf Pan Chicken Shawarma
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1,360.78 g) chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 3 tbsp (42.61 g) olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the olive oil. Add the spices and toss to coat well, making sure each piece of chicken has plenty of seasoning all over it.
- Layer the thighs in a 9×5 inch loaf pan, packing them in tightly.
- Top with a piece of parchment paper and set another loaf pan on top. Weigh the top loaf pan down with some heavy cans. Let marinate 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the cans from the top loaf pan but leave the pan and parchment paper in place. Cook the chicken for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 165ºF when inserted into the center.
- Remove and let cool a few minutes. Pour the pooled liquids into a bowl (do not toss!).
- Flip the chicken out onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice thinly. Use a little of the reserved liquids for storing, so the chicken doesn't dry out.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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It’s incredible.
I was served this dish while flying out to Montana and I’ve been looking for the recipe ever since. Now I have it and you can bet your booty that I’m going make this within the week!
EXCELLENT RECIPE!!! I’d tried another version from someone else but this version won hands down! The spice combination was DELICIOUS and the chicken was perfectly moist. The process was so easy. Thank you, Carolyn for ANOTHER GREAT RECIPE!!!
This has become instantly one of my favourite recipes here! So easy and so flavourful! Everybody LOVED it.
Buying chicken thighs at every Costco visit now… just to make that recipe!
thank you!!
Made this tonight with homemade Naan bread and a cucumber salad. Super easy and really delicious. Not everybody liked the Naan or the salad but everyone loved the chicken!
I really wanted to try this recipe but there were so many ads popping up I couldn’t follow it and gave up.
You must have missed the Jump to Recipe button right at the top of the post. And there is only ONE pop up ad on my website so it sounds like you need to update your browser.
I admit I was lazy and didn’t check my spice cabinet so I didn’t have the turmeric or the ground coriander. This was still amazing. I could eat my body weight in this chicken. Highly recommend!
Great to hear!
Oh my! This was amazing! And so easy with loaf pan method…Kudos to you and your brother-in-law! We served Rice Pilaf (for the little kids), a chunky tomato/ cuke/ red onion/ bell pepper salad, pita chips (for the little kids) with home-made hummus and tzatziki…and lovely Mint tea. The whole family (elderly to little kids) gave your Shawarma 5+ stars *****+ Thank you SOOO much for sharing!
Oh my yummy! I was first introduced to Chicken Shawarma by my son and now I can make it at home. This recipe was so simple to put together – it took my oven 80 minutes to cook it. So worth it…I will be making this again!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful recipe Carolyn! I enjoyed how easy it was to make – the hardest part was trimming the thighs. Served on low carb tortillas with lettuce, toum, and hummus.
Definitely a keeper! I had to borrow some spices from a friend so had to share with her – double win! Thanks for the idea of cooking it in a loaf pan – so much easier than other methods I’ve seen. And I never would have guessed that cinnamon was a key ingredient – well done!
This was SO tasty!! Adding to my FAVORITES quick and easy dinner list!
Made this evening for the three of us. Fantastic!! Used 2 of the Costco packs of chicken thighs, laid them out on a sheet pan and brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with the spice mix, flipped and repeated. Then packed into a 5 x 7 loaf pan. Fitted perfectly. Made as written and wouldn’t change a thing! This is going to be one of our staples. Thank you!!
We used the Costco chicken too!
Thanks for giving me delicious meals to continue my keto journey.
Making this for supper tonight!! Already marinading in the frig!!
Sounds so versatile and yummy!! Can’t hardly wait I am so excited!!!
I bet a person who loves gyro meat could try this same method with lamb, beef and pork mix of meats and Greek seasonings and bake the same way! …Thank you again for your thought provoking and always delicious recipes!!!
I have another great method for gyro meat! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/homemade-gyro-meat/
Already printed out!! Thank you!!
Just finished our DELICIOUS Loaf Pan Chicken Shawarma for supper.
I use a brand of rice, developed for diabetics by Univ of Louisiana called Parish Rice/Parrish Rice which is 51-53% protein and does not spike my blood sugar and served with brocolli florets and chicken shawarma over the top. I should have taken the time to make the yogurt garlic dressing along with fresh veggies go go with it all.
IT WAS DELICIOUS!! Left overs will be in a salad with the yogurt dressing along with some feta cheese!! THANK YOU
This is genius! I am going to make this tonight for dinner. Thank you!