Name: Beef Shawarma
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1 and 1/2 pounds (680g) rib-eye steak, flank, or flap; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or plain vinegar; juice of half a lemon; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 6 garlic cloves, grated; 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon paprika (not smoked); 1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano; 1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1/4 teaspoon allspice; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 cup tahini; 1 garlic clove, grated; 1/4c-1/3 cup fresh lemon juice; 2-3 tablespoons yogurt; warm water; salt, to taste; garnish: parsley and sumac; 1 cup plain yogurt; 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Jump to Recipe

Easy, flavorful beef shawarma right at home! So much better than takeout!

Watch the Video:

Beef shawarma is a very popular fast food in Middle Eastern restaurants, and if you’re lucky, you can find a delicious shawarma truck nearby. However, it’s so easy to make at home that you don’t need to venture out to find it. The best thing about shawarma at home is that you can customize the flavors to what your family likes best. Also, it just tastes so much more fresh and flavorful that way. I’ve included the recipe for two popular sauces served with shawarma, tahini, and shawarma sauce, as well as quick pickled onions. It may be a requirement to the pickled onions with shawarma, but don’t hold me to that!

The best beef for beef shawarma

I think the best cut of beef to use for beef shawarma is ribeye steak. It has the perfect amount of fat marbled throughout, giving you the most tender a juicy beef shawarma possible. I know that it tends to be on the pricey side, so you can use other cuts of meat. It will be seasoned well, so it’s going to have tons of flavor no matter what cut you use. Try a flank steak or flap for more cost-effective options.

Why you’ll want to make this weekly

Creamy shawarma sauce
Slight vinegar bite from the pickled onions
Melt in your mouth warm spiced beef
Fresh, spicy beef shawarma at home!

Equipment Used to Make this Recipe:

Cast-Iron Skillet
A sharp knife
Apron
Olive oil

What makes good shawarma

Onion, thinly sliced
Ribeye steak –flank or flap can be used as well
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar –plain vinegar if you have that on hand
Juice of half a lemon
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic cloves –grated
Plain yogurt

Shawarma Spices:

Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Paprika –not smoked
Dried crushed oregano
Ground dried turmeric
Crushed red pepper flakes
Optional: Cinnamon, Ground cardamom, sumac, allspice

The Pickled Onions:

Red onion –thinly sliced
Apple cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Sugar
Salt

Tahini Sauce:

Tahini
Garlic clove–grated
Fresh lemon juice
Yogurt
Warm water
Salt
Garnish: parsley and sumac

Shawarma Sauce:

Plain yogurt
Mayonnaise
Lemon juice
Garlic clove–grated

How to make beef shawarma

Marinate the Beef:

Cut the beef against the grain into thin slices, and then place it in a large mixing bowl.
Next, add the onion, spices, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt.
Mix it all together and set it aside at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Make the Pickled Onions:

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Remove from heat and immerse the onion slices in the water for a minute, then drain the water.
In a bowl or container that the onions will be stored in, stir together the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Add the onions and toss in the vinegar.
Once they come to room temperature, refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Tahini or Shawarma sauce

Combine the ingredients for each sauce in separate bowls and whisk each sauce.
Taste the sauces and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cook the Shawarma:

Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat.
Cook the shawarma in two batches for approximately 4 minutes on each side as not to overcrowd the pan.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

Serving

The traditional way to serve beef shawarma is in a pita. I like to put a little tzatziki, shawarma, or tahini on the pita first, and then layer on fresh Greek tomato salad, pickled onions, and beef shawarma. But you can serve it your favorite way. Try it over Mediterranean rice pilaf or basmati rice. To keep it low carb, serve it on top of cauliflower rice. You can even serve it over a salad bowl loaded with your favorite toppings. Kali Orexi!

More Sandwich Recipes:

Beef Shawarma

Yield: serves 6

This easy beef shawarma recipe is full of flavor and tastes better than take out. Serve it in pita, over rice, or on top of a salad.

Ingredients

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 pounds (680g) rib-eye steak, flank, or flap
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or plain vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons of plain yogurt

The Spices:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika (not smoked)
1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1/4 teaspoon allspice

The Pickled Onions:

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Tahini Sauce:

1/2 cup tahini
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4c-1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons yogurt
warm water
salt, to taste
garnish: parsley and sumac

Shawarma Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove grated

Instructions

Marinate the Beef:

Cut the beef against the grain into thin slices. Place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, spices, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt. Mix it all together and set aside at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Make the Pickled Onions:

In a small sauce pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and immerse the onion slices in the water for a minute. Drain the water. In a bowl or container that the onions will be stored in, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt and mix together. Add the onions and toss in the vinegar. Once they come to room temperature, refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Tahini or Shawarma sauce by combining the ingredients in 2 bowls and whisking them together. Taste the sauces and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cook the Shawarma:

Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Cook the shawarma in two batches as to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the meat approximately 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

Serve the beef shawarma with pita, rice, or a salad, and with pickes.

Kali Orexi!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beef Shawarma