What Is Shawarma Spice? What's in It and How to Use It

Shawarma is one of the world's great street foods, but the spice behind it is often misunderstood. Here's what goes into shawarma spice, what it tastes like, and how to get the best from it at home.

Where the name comes from

The word "shawarma" comes from the Turkish çevirme, meaning "turning". It describes meat stacked on a vertical spit, turning slowly beside the heat and shaved off in thin slices. The dish grew up in the Levant during the Ottoman era. It was traditionally lamb or mutton, but chicken, beef and turkey are common today. The spice is what makes any of them taste like shawarma.

What's usually in shawarma spice

There's no single recipe, but most blends are built from the same warm, savoury family:

• Cumin and coriander for the earthy base
• Paprika (often smoked) for colour and depth
• Turmeric for colour and a mild earthiness
• Cardamom, allspice, cloves (and sometimes cinnamon) for sweet warmth
• Black pepper, garlic and salt
• Sumac or lemon for a tangy lift

What's in ours

Our Shawarma Spice (Blend No. 36) is made from garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, sumac, oregano, lemon peel, allspice, turmeric, ginger, cloves, coriander, cayenne and cardamom.

What it tastes like

Warm, smoky and aromatic. Cumin and coriander lead, with smoked paprika, allspice and cardamom adding a sweet warmth. Sumac and lemon peel brighten it. It's gently spiced, not hot, so it works for the whole family.

Why the label is worth a look

Some shop-bought shawarma mixes contain things that aren't spices at all, such as mushroom powder bound with maltodextrin, or anti-caking agents. Some leave out sumac, which is the ingredient that gives shawarma its tang. A good blend should read like a list of spices. Ours does, and it's hand-blended in small batches.

How we use it

In our video lesson, Mac slices the chicken really thin so it cooks quickly, then marinates it in the shawarma blend with a little oil for about an half to one hour. Thin strips are the key. They cook in minutes and pick up plenty of colour. Here's the rest of his method:

• Use a quite dry pan with just a little oil. Mac used groundnut oil, but olive oil or avocado oil work too.
• Don't fiddle with it. Put the chicken in and let it sit so it catches and browns. Moving it around only takes the heat out of the pan.
• Make a garlic dip. Roughly slice 2 cloves of garlic, add a little salt, then crush it with the flat of a heavy knife. The salt works as an abrasive and helps turn the garlic into a paste, otherwise it stays chunky. Stir it into yoghurt with some chopped coriander (or mint or parsley if you don't like coriander). You can make it the day before.
• Build your wrap with lettuce, the chicken, a spoonful of dip and a pickled salad.

Another way we do it, on a Friday if the weather's good: marinate whole chicken breasts for about an hour and cook them on the barbecue for a bit of char. Rest them whole, then slice or shred them to go in the wraps. It's a slightly different, more authentic take.

If you've got kids who don't love salad, a bit of rice in the wrap works brilliantly, and it goes well with home-cooked wedges.  David used to do wedges for the kids but have the rice sitting there too.  They slowly migrated from the wedges to the rice.

The best part of cooking it this way is that you can make the whole meal without shop-bought wraps or a ready-made salsa, so you control what goes into every part of it. Mac can do the whole thing in about 20 minutes, flatbreads included. For the rest of us, 30 to 40 minutes is realistic once you get used to the dishes.

Our full method is in the Classic Chicken Shawarma recipe.

What to look for when you buy it

Check that the ingredients are spices, that sumac or lemon is in there, and that there's no filler. Our Shawarma Spice is made to that standard.

Shawarma spice FAQ

What spices are in shawarma?

Cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, allspice, cloves, black pepper, garlic and sumac or lemon are the usual ones.

Is shawarma spicy?

Not usually. It's warmly spiced and aromatic rather than hot. Ours has a little cayenne for background warmth.

What's the difference between shawarma, döner and gyros?

All three are spit-roasted meat from the same Ottoman tradition. Shawarma is the Levantine, spice-forward version, döner is the Turkish one, and gyros is Greek, usually seasoned more simply with oregano and garlic.

Can I make a shawarma paste?

Yes. Mix the spice with olive oil and lemon juice to a loose paste and rub it on.

Does it work on vegetables?

Yes. It's particularly good on cauliflower, chickpeas and potatoes.