What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is a classic Levantine Arab dish of meat (lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats) seasoned and placed vertically on a spit and slow roasted. It’s typically sliced thinly and served with tabbouleh, fattoush salad, bread, tomato, and cucumber and various sauces.
The word “shawarma” is an Arabic rendering of Turkish çevirme ‘turning’, in reference to the rotisserie cooking of the meat, which turns around an axis. Though considered a Turkish dish by origin, it’s enjoyed through the Middle East and Mediterranean region in various forms. (source)
How to Make Shawarma Spice Mix
Shawarma spice blends were created in the Middle East and used to add flavor and spice to the rotisserie meats. Common spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, all spice, and cayenne. Find a more authentic version of shawarma spice blend here.
This is our inspired, personal go-to DIY shawarma spice blend that’s perfect for adding to all of your favorite chickpea dishes, scrambles, salads, vegetables, and more!
DIY Shawarma Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom (or cloves)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper // amount as original recipe is written)
Instructions
- Add all spices to a small jar and shake or stir to combine. Will keep at room temperature for several months.
- This spice blend is ideal for seasoning things like chickpeas, roasted vegetables, tofu scrambles, curries, and more!
Anna says
Turned out good. I put on thin steak strips to make shawarma on pita wraps. I added olive oil to the meat, salt and pepper, and finely dice onion and a couple cloves of garlic. Then baked at 450. next time I will fry it on the stove top to make more juicy, but that’s reflective of my recipe not the spice blend. Tastes very close to the flavour I was trying to mimic. Also I used 1 tsp of cumin instead of 2 tbsp, didn’t want to over power the other spices. The guy at the restaurant said they used paprika (obviously he’s not going to tell me all the spices, so I wanted to keep it heavier on the paprika less cumin). Will make again!
That sounds delicious, Anna! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Meg says
Delicious and easy! And nice to have a quantity of spice ready for the next batch!
So glad you enjoy it, Meg! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sana says
Ground cardamom or cloves?
Hi Sana! Yes, we are using ground spices here!
Kate says
Perfect spice blend for the whole baked cauliflower w the magic green sauce!! SOOOO goood! thank you
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kate! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
M says
Amazing! I added some garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp) and roasted some chickpeas, onions and tomatoes. 5/5⭐️!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Ruthie says
So good & so easy! Especially tasty on roasted cabbage served with green chutney.
Yes! Love that combo. Thank you for sharing, Ruthie!
Mary says
I made Middle Eastern ChickPea Bowls that called for Shawarma Spice blend. It turned out fantastic. I used black pepper with a dash of cayenne. My husband raved about it. I told him he could add hot sauce and he said he wouldn’t change a thing!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Mary!
Ammon says
Just an FYI…. since this recipe contains turmeric, as noted above when it comes to adding cayenne pepper or using black pepper as an alternative, whether you want cayenne pepper or not, turmeric should ALWAYS be accompanied with black pepper (which has piperine). Black pepper increases the absorption rate of turmeric (curcumin) by 2000%. Yes really. And you only need a VERY little amount of black pepper. Turmeric should ALWAYS have black pepper with it. And hey, next time you use spicy mustard which has black pepper, throw a little turmeric on it too… Turmeric is CRAZY healthy!
Lynne Cawker says
This cauliflower looks absolutely amazing! And it will taste amazing as minimalist baker recipes always do.
I use turmeric with black pepper in turmeric tea but never made the connection here, so thanks for the healthy tip, Ammon. I will add the black pepper when I make this for dinner tonight.
Jess says
This is a really easy and delicious blend! I use it on roasted veggies and in the marinade for a shawarma inspired chicken and rice bowl *chef’s kiss*
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jess! Love those serving ideas! Thank you for sharing! xo
Elsa says
Hi there! Just confirming, is ground cardamom (or cloves), right?
Hi Elsa, yes, it is! Cloves can be overwhelming though so we’d suggest starting with less.
Zhou says
The shwarma spice is really Indian spices aka garam masala. It consists of the same ingredients. India was conquered by Arabs for hundreds of years and another 300 years by the Brits. The same masala spice can be found in any country or continent where there are Indians such as Africa, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Guyana, USA and Canada. The origin isn’t Arab/Middle Eastern.
s says
I was just going to say that. You are correct.
Klaus says
2 whole table spoons of cumin?!
Yes, this makes ~1/4 cup, not just one serving. Hope that makes more sense!
Laura says
I’m with you. We have lots of New Mexican and Mexican, but have to cut down on the cumin, it can overwhelm.
MelanieRu says
Not us; we love extra cumin on everything! haha! :D
BTW, I just got some BLACK cumin because it is recommended by a lot of nutrition experts, like Dr. Greger. Can’t wait to start using it. Can it be used in this shwarma recipe, you think?
Thanks!
We haven’t experimented with black cumin, but we think it could work. Let us know how it goes!
Kate says
I have black cumin seeds and they have a unique flavor, one I don’t associate with the cumin we’re used to. If you have found a way to use them, let us know! Mine are in the freezer! Kate
VERONICA LEWIS says
DELICIUOS… put it on roasted veggies…yummy!!
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Veronica!
Carrie says
I used for baked cauliflower – it was fantastic!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing, Carrie! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Kate S says
Delicious! Thank you!
s says
It is very much like garam masala (I make) – so why a new name? What does it mean?
Also, if you roast the mixed ingredients for a few minutes, the flavor is better!
S
Interesting! We find they taste much different- perhaps due to the addition of smoked paprika. It is a strong flavor.
carrie says
Sure -I didn’t see the option, I see it now :) . My daughter loved it, too :)
Thanks Carrie!
Lorie says
How much smoked paprika would you mix in Garam Masala?
Hi Lorie! We’re not sure we understand your question, but unlike this shawarma spice blend, traditional garam masala does not contain smoked paprika.
Steve says
I use this mix with dry sizzled beef mince, (drain off fat as you fry and brown the mince)
I buy some sambal oelek to add on the side and serve the mince inside pitta breads
:D says
Do you prefer using cardamom or cloves? I hav ed both spices. Use dried ground ginger or fresh? Your fresh ginger in the photo threw me off.
Hi there, we used dried ginger. Cardamom would be the preferred of the two.
Qweenie says
Would the spice blend be totally off, or not worth making, if I were to omit the cardamom/cloves? It’s the only ingredient in the recipe that I don’t have, and since it is one that I don’t typically cook with, I don’t want to buy it just to make this spice blend. Your thoughts?
It would probably still be great! Let us know if you give it a try! Another idea- you could purchase cardamom or cloves from the bulk spice section to get just the amount you need.
Andy P. says
I made this tonight and really enjoyed it, I had homemade coleslaw so had this with the steak, It’s a recipe that you could probably play around with to suit your taste, very nice with the syrup. I have tried to make this before but this was the better recipe. I’m not a Veggie but I do like to have veggie meals 4 to 5 nights per week. I’ve downloaded the recipe book and look forward to trying more recipes from Dana @ Minimalist Baker.
Leah says
I made this last night and everyone loved it. It was delicious I would definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! We’re glad to hear that, Leah!
DONNA MCFARLAND says
Cannot wait to make this! I’ll use it on everything! thank you so much!!
Hope you love it, Donna!
Allie says
Where did you get this wooden spoon and jar?!
I believe World market a long time ago!
A Fair says
Hobby Lobby
Franklin Colbert says
I’d like to add some ground sumac to this blend. How much would you suggest and would you substitute for one or more of the other spices?
Hmm I’m not sure, but if you give it a try, report back!
morgan says
Hey, Just wondering if im doing the perfectly roasted chickpeas, how many table spoons of this spice mix should i use? The spice mix is vapidly becoming a firm favourite.
2 tsp?
rach45000 says
Perfect blend!
I actually use it for almost everything I cook :)
It’s just perfect ….