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Lamb Shawarma Recipe

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4.1 from 32 reviews

  • Author: Sara
  • Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes (excluding marinating time if refrigerated)
  • Yield: 8 servings

Description

This authentic Lamb Shawarma recipe features a tender, flavorful leg of lamb marinated with a blend of Middle Eastern spices and slow-roasted to perfection. The lamb is coated in a rich, aromatic paste made from garlic, shallots, sumac, cumin, coriander, and other warm spices, then slow-baked in the oven on a bed of onions until it’s juicy and tender enough to pull apart easily. Perfectly paired with pita bread, labneh, tahini sauce, and fresh vegetables, this recipe brings the iconic shawarma taste of the Middle East right to your home kitchen.

Ingredients

Meat and Marinade

  • 3 lb boneless leg of lamb (or bone-in leg or shoulder, if preferred)
  • 1 large onion, sliced into thick ½ inch slices
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 shallot, quartered
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Plan for a total baking time of around 4 to 4 ½ hours, but start checking the meat at 3 ½ hours to avoid overcooking.
  2. Make the marinade paste: Combine the garlic cloves, shallot, olive oil, cumin, coriander, sumac, paprika, turmeric, allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and kosher salt in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
  3. Create an onion bed: Spread the thick onion slices evenly on the bottom of a heavy-duty Dutch oven or a cast iron skillet. This will serve as a flavorful base and help keep the lamb moist during cooking.
  4. Prepare the lamb: Pat the lamb leg dry with paper towels. Coat all sides completely with the spice paste, ensuring to rub it inside the cavity where the bone was removed if using boneless. Roll the lamb back up and place it seam side down on top of the onions with the fatty side facing up. Let it marinate at room temperature until the oven is fully heated, or for up to 2 hours. Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 72 hours for deeper flavor.
  5. Add water and start roasting: Pour 1 cup of water into the side of the Dutch oven (not directly over the lamb) to maintain moisture. Cover with a heavy lid or double wrap with foil to trap steam, then place in the preheated oven for 2 ½ hours.
  6. Uncover and brown the top: Remove the lid or foil to let the lamb’s surface brown and get golden. Continue roasting for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. Monitor the liquid in the pan—add another ½ cup water if it looks dry. If the crust is browning too quickly, tent the lamb loosely with foil to prevent burning.
  7. Finish cooking until tender: Continue roasting and basting the lamb every 30 minutes. The goal is to cook until it pulls apart easily with tongs or forks. This may take another hour or longer. Keep ensuring the top doesn’t burn and that the pan has enough liquid.
  8. Rest the roast: Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring a moist and tender finish.
  9. Serve: Slice or pull apart the lamb and serve alongside Middle Eastern rice, pita bread, roasted vegetables, labneh, tahini sauce, zhoug yogurt, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers for an authentic shawarma experience.

Notes

  • You can use a bone-in leg or shoulder for a richer, more traditional flavor, but cooking time may increase slightly.
  • Marinating the lamb in the spice paste in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours intensifies the flavors.
  • Ensure to keep some liquid in the pan during roasting to prevent drying out the meat and burning the spices.
  • Resting the meat after roasting helps maintain its tenderness and juiciness.
  • Serve with classic accompaniments like pita bread, tahini, labneh, and fresh vegetables to complete the meal.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus marinating time if refrigerated)
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Find it online: https://saraflavors.com/lamb-shawarma-recipe/