Save time by making your own homemade shawarma spice blend to season meats and vegetables. This simple, reliable mix comes together in minutes and works equally well for both chicken and beef shawarma.
Keep a few homemade Middle Eastern and Levantine spice blends in your pantry so you can quickly add authentic flavor to any meal.
Table of Contents
- What is Shawarma?
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Use this Shawarma Spice Blend
- Recipe FAQs
- Other Levantine Spices and Blends
- Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend Recipe
What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is a beloved street food originating from the Eastern Mediterranean—primarily the Levant (modern-day Lebanon, Palestine, Syria). Over centuries, regional and cultural influences shaped the dish into the layered, seasoned meat preparation we know today. The vertical rotisserie method was refined over time, and the name “shawarma” likely comes from the Turkish word “çevirme,” meaning “turning.” Today it remains a staple of Levantine cuisine.
Having a ready-made shawarma spice mix in your kitchen makes preparing this dish fast and effortless.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
There is no single authoritative shawarma spice blend—recipes vary by region and household. This version uses common pantry spices; a few may need to be purchased ground if you don’t keep them on hand. Adjust the blend to taste.
If you prefer heat, add cayenne. If you don’t have smoked paprika, sweet paprika is a fine substitute. See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
How to Use this Shawarma Spice Blend
This blend is ideal for chicken, beef, or lamb shawarma. It also makes a great rub or marinade for grilling, air frying, or pan-searing proteins, and it works well with fish. Use it to season ground meats for kofta, in falafel, on roasted vegetables, or to boost the flavor of chickpeas and stews.
Use it dry as a rub or combine the blend with olive oil and lemon juice for a wet marinade. A good guideline is 2–3 teaspoons per pound of meat, but adjust according to your taste and the intensity of the spices.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Toast whole spices briefly in a dry pan, let them cool, then grind them to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mill. Use the same quantities listed in the recipe card.
Store the blend in an airtight jar and keep it in a cool, dark cupboard away from heat and light. For best flavor, use within six months.
Other Levantine Spices and Blends
Recipes
7-Spice Mix (Baharat)
Recipes
Za’atar Spice Blend
Recipes
What is Sumac? Uses, Recipes and History
If you try this Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend or any Levantine recipe, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment to help others who want to try it.
Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend Recipe
Luay Ghafari
2
Tablespoons
10 mins
10 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground cloves
- ½ tsp Ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Combine all the ground spices in a small bowl, mix thoroughly, and transfer to an airtight spice jar.
Notes
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light and heat.
Do not add salt to the blend—season meats separately to control salt levels.
Try this blend in a Lebanese Chicken Shawarma recipe for authentic flavor.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 4 g,
Protein: 1 g,
Fat: 1 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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