Spice blends are one of my specialties as a recipe developer, and when I realized how difficult it was to find shawarma seasoning locally, I decided to create my own homemade version. Turns out it’s super easy and you may have most of the ingredients already!
Store a jar of this in your spice cabinet and you can play “will it shawarma?” as often as you like! I have a couple ways you can use this spice blend coming up that I’ll link to below. Shawarma seasoning is delicious on just about any type of meat, adds personality to roasted vegetables, dips, and rice dishes!
What makes this the Best Shawarma Seasoning Recipe
First, there are no quirky ingredients that are difficult to find. All of the ingredients should be easy to find in most grocery stores.
Second, I intentionally kept the salt content low-ish so you could adjust it as needed without sacrificing flavor!
Third, I also left out the heat. Adding some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to your recipe separately lets you have the flexibility of cooking mild dishes for those who can’t tolerate heat.
What is Shawarma Seasoning?
Shawarma seasoning is a spice blend commonly used in Middle Eastern countries on spit-roasted meats. It usually has a paprika-cumin-coriander base with a smoky flavor.
What is in Shawarma Seasoning?
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Sea salt
- Granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
How to make Shawarma Seasoning
- Combine all of the spices in a bowl, lidded container, or a spice jar. Mix well.
- Store at room temperature for up to a year for best flavor.
Chicken Shawarma Seasoning Substitutions and Additions
- Swap out the smoked paprika for regular paprika if you prefer.
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for some extra heat.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom and a pinch of cloves to bring out the baking spice flavor.
How to use Homemade Shawarma Spice
Use this spice blend like you would any other spice blend. It’s delicious on all kinds of meats (as a dry rub or in a marinade), sprinkled on roasted vegetables before cooking, and incorporated into dips and rice/potato dishes.
I’ll link to a couple of recipes shortly that use this blend to give you an idea.
How to store Shawarma Spices
Store this spice blend like you would any other spice blend — in a lidded container at room temperature. I’d recommend using it within a year so the flavors don’t go stale.
Best Shawarma Seasoning FAQs
7 spice is sometimes called baharat, and, no. This isn’t the same thing. Shawarma has different base with fewer baking spices than Lebanese 7 spice.
In my opinion, the secret is the cooking method and what you serve your shawarma meat with. Grilling or roasting brings out a lot of flavor and highlights this spice blend. Pairing it with some kind of tahini or yogurt based sauce elevates it to another level.
More Homemade Seasoning Blends on Perry’s Plate
If you like this recipe, click over to find my whole collection of custom seasoning blends!
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Homemade Shawarma Spice
Store a jar of this in your spice cabinet and you can play "will it shawarma?" as often as you like! Shawarma seasoning is delicious on just about any type of meat, adds personality to roasted vegetables, dips, and rice dishes!
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients into a lidded container and store at room temperature for up to a year.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 TablespoonAmount Per Serving Calories 22Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1063mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 1g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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