How to Make Lamb Shawarma

Lamb Shawarma is an iconic Middle Eastern street food that is made up of juicy, flavorful Lamb that is thinly sliced into strips and cooked to perfection. Then, it is stuffed into warm fluffy pita bread and topped with tahini dressing, harissa sauce, and all your favorite fresh and pickled veggies. It is a dish that always hits the spot. Making this Lamb Shawarma at home is a lot easier than you think. I love serving the lamb shawarma on a platter, family-style so everyone can make their own shawarma.

This post is brought to you by AMERICAN LAMB BOARD. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow Fig & Olive Platter to continue sharing delicious recipes.  All opinions are my own.

American Lamb 

I used Boneless leg Halal American Lamb in this recipe, and you can either thinly slice them into strips yourself or ask your butcher to do so. I prefer purchasing American lamb because you are directly benefiting local producers that are dedicated to caring for the land, the animals, and the local communities they serve.  All kosher and halal certified meat in the U.S. is American. The lamb is produced in every state in the U.S., making fresh, local lamb available year-round. If you want to learn more about the nutrition benefits, grazing methods, and where to find American Lamb near you, head over to their website.

Some of the Ingredients you will need to make the Lamb Shawarma– 

1. Boneless leg of American Lamb, thinly sliced (check here, to inquire where to find American Lamb near you) 
2. Spices: Ground Paprika, Turmeric, Garlic, Onion, Black Pepper, Salt, All Spice, Ginger 
3. Lemon Juice 
4. Olive Oil 
5. Yogurt 
6. Red Onion 
7. Sumac 
8. Parsley 
9. Tahini 
10. Harissa 
11. Fresh and pickled veggies 

Marinade:

Spices, Yogurt, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. Marinate for a couple of hours covered in the fridge, but preferably overnight.

Cooking the Lamb –

In a large pan on medium heat, heat some olive oil and then add the lamb and sauté for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and cook the lamb for another 7-10 minutes uncovered. If there is a lot of liquid, increase the heat for the liquid to evaporate, stirring frequently. I like the lamb to caramelize around the edges slightly. The lamb is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145F degrees and has rest for at least 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Top the lamb with freshly chopped parsley and red onion tossed in sumac and lemon juice. 

Assembling the lamb Shawarma Platter 

Get a large plate, place some lavash bread at the bottom and spread some lamb on top. Then, add shredded cabbage, pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, tahini, harissa, and any of your favorite toppings. You can use warm pita bread or wraps to make the shawarma. 

Print Recipe

How to Make Lamb Shawarma

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time17 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: 5 people

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of Boneless leg of American Lamb thinly sliced strips
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

Spices

• 1&1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1&1/2 tsp ground garlic
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp ground onion
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper adjust spice to your preference

Toppings for Shawarma Wraps

• Tahini Dressing (Tahini, water, salt, lemon juice, yogurt)
• Harissa
• 2 large tomatoes sliced
• Pickles
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
• ½ red onion thinly sliced and tossed in 1 tsp of sumac, lemon juice and salt to taste.
• Fresh mint
• Shredded cabbage or romaine lettuce
• 5 pita bread or lavash bread

Instructions

• Place the thinly sliced lamb strips in a large bowl. Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Mix everything well until the meat is coated evenly in the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
• Then, in a large pan, heat 2 tbsps. of olive oil and sauté the lamb for 5 minutes on high heat. The liquid from the lamb will begin to release. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 7-10 minutes uncovered.
• Stir occasionally to make sure the lamb does not stick to the bottom. If there is a lot of liquid, increase the heat for the liquid to evaporate, stirring frequently. I like the lamb to caramelize around the edges slightly.
• The lamb is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145F degrees and has rest for at least 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and I like to drizzle a little bit of olive oil to keep the lamb moist. Top with some fresh chopped parsley and red onion tossed in some sumac and lemon juice.
• To make a shawarma wrap, add the juicy lamb and top with tomatoes, pickles, sumac spiced onions, mint, harissa, and a lot of the tahini dressing. Enjoy immediately!