Shawarma Spice Blend

This Shawarma Spice Blend is a warm, earthy Middle Eastern-inspired spice mix with enough depth for beef, lamb, chicken, or roasted vegetables. The deeply aromatic, blended spice profile is designed to bloom in hot oil or marinades, but is also delicious stirred into yogurt to make a sauce.

Whether you serve your shawarma with Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Tzatziki or a simple chopped veggie side salad, I know you’re going to love this homemade shawarma seasoning mix. The only question is, what is the first protein you’re using it on?

Shawarma Spice Blend

I’m obsessed with shawarma. Chicken, Lamb, Beef…I love it all. Authentic shawarma is pure culinary magic. From the spin of the rotisserie to the meat shaver and the irresistible aroma that fills the shop.

Getting that signature, deeply aromatic profile at home depends on a well-balanced spice mix. We’re talking about the savoury warmth of cumin and coriander with the sweet complexity of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Adding in smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper gives it just a little bit of smoky heat.

When you mix your own batch of custom-made shawarma seasoning, your kitchen instantly transforms. Suddenly, a simple weeknight chicken breast or chicken thighs, a tray of roasted chickpeas, or a block of grilled tofu gets blasted with the exact same bold, complex flavor profile that usually requires a trip to your favorite street food cart.

In this post, we’re breaking down the ultimate DIY Shawarma Spice Blend. It takes less than five minutes prep time to measure out, utilizes pantry staples you likely already have, and will completely revolutionize your meal prep game. Let’s raid the spice cabinet!

Shawarma Seasoning Variations

Because shawarma is a beloved street food spanning multiple countries, there isn’t just one single “official” recipe. Instead, the seasoning profile changes depending on the region and the type of meat being used.

Spice blends for chicken shawarma tend to have brighter, more citrusy and herbaceous notes while seasoning recipes for lamb or beef shawarma contain deeper, warmer, and more aggressive spices to complement the richness.

However, today’s recipe works on all protein choices and is highly adaptable should you wish to customize it. It contains a little taste of each region’s shawarma flavours – turmeric from Israel/Palestine, black pepper from Iraq, cumin, coriander, allspice, and cinnamon from the Levantine (Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan).

Ingredients in Shawarma Spice Blend

You don’t need any special equipment to make this spice blend. However, if you want to buy whole spices to toast and grind, you’ll need a frying pan and a spice grinder. If you don’t toast and grind your own spices, I highly recommend buying new spices for best flavour results.

• Ground Allspice
• Cayenne Pepper
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Ground Coriander
• Ground Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Ground Ginger
• Onion Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Sweet Paprika
• Ground Turmeric
• Black Pepper
• Salt

Note that this list of spices is solely for the purpose of creating Shawarma Spice Blend to combine with other marinade ingredients such as plain yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or sumac.

How to Make Shawarma Spice Blend

To make Shawarma Spice Blend, whisk all the ground spices together in a small bowl until the colour is completely uniform and no streaks of yellow turmeric or red paprika remain.

Note: If you are using whole spices, toast them in a dry frying pan until they become aromatic. Remove from hot pan and place in spice grinder. Repeat with remaining whole spices before grinding them together. Mix as directed.

How to Store Shawarma Spice Blend

To store, transfer the spice blend to a clean, airtight glass jar. Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. It will stay intensely aromatic for up to 6 months (though it’s perfectly safe to use long after that, the volatile oils will just slowly fade).

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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