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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Made this for a family lunch yesterday. It was delicious and everyone said “it’s a do again” and asked for the recipe. Easy to make ahead and just pop in the oven when ready to bake. I served with a salad of lettuce, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta as suggested. I pre-fixed this as well. Fantastic. Thanks for another easy meal recipe.
Glad you liked it!
Super easy and quick to make! The flavor was fabulous! We paired it with your Feta dressing and enjoyed every last bite!
Love this idea, definitely one to put on my “to try” list!
Sorry, I forgot the stars!
Loved it. It was a lot for the two of us so its done lunch and freezer. Really easy and tasty. Nice wrapped in a low carb wrap too
Excellent recipe as written, easy to follow, with a delicious result. Thank you.
Awesome recipe, thanks! I don’t have loaf pans so I cooked this in two nesting Pyrex storage containers as described for loaf pans, and while it didn’t stick together, it was perfect. Don’t let the lack of loaf pans stop you from making this. I won’t bother with the weighing and pressing in the future, and will just bake in my glassware. No real need to do so.
Very tasty, easy to make, and my family loved it!
Thanks so much!
So Freaking Flavorful! I like how easy it is to prepare and cook. I actually forgot to leave the top pan on, but it doesn’t matter because I’m cutting the thing up anyway when it comes out. I made some tzatziki to go with, and it was a beautiful combination.
Glad you liked it!
This was delicious!
Carolyn, this was unbelievably good! My family absolutely LOVED it. And it was so easy to make and to scale down or up for large groups. Thank you – this will become a regular part of my go-to meals.
This was so delish! We had it with cucumbers, tzatziki, red onions and dill – all wrapped in lavash which we put in a cast iron skillet to toast it. Yummy!!!