Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma (Easy Homemade Recipe)

Last updated: May 2026

Slow cooker chicken shawarma is one of the easiest ways to make tender, flavour-packed Middle Eastern style chicken at home. The chicken cooks slowly with warm spices like cumin, paprika and coriander until it becomes perfectly tender and easy to shred.

Serve the chicken in warm flatbreads with fresh salad and a simple lemon yogurt sauce for an easy dinner that tastes incredible.

Because the recipe uses the slow cooker, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare, then the slow cooker does the rest of the work.

Quick Summary

Slow cooker chicken shawarma is made by cooking chicken thighs with shawarma spices, lemon and olive oil for around 3½–4 hours until the chicken is tender enough to shred. It’s perfect served in flatbreads with crisp salad and yogurt dressing, or as a shawarma rice bowl.

If you enjoy slow cooker dinners, try our Slow Cooker Bolognese or Slow Cooker Beef Curry for another comforting family meal.

This slow cooker chicken shawarma recipe is one of our favourite easy chicken dinners.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This slow cooker shawarma chicken is perfect for busy days.

• Quick and easy preparation
• Packed with flavour from simple spices
• Perfect for meal prep
• Works in wraps, rice bowls or salads
• Ideal for summer when you don’t want the oven on

The slow cooking process allows the spices and lemon juice to slowly infuse into the chicken, creating a deep shawarma flavour without needing complicated marinades.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make slow cooker chicken shawarma at home.

For The Chicken

• 6 large boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon

Shawarma Spice Mix

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper

Lemon Yogurt Sauce

• 1 tablespoon natural yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Juice of half a lemon

To Serve

• Flatbreads or pitta breads
• Shredded lettuce
• Sliced cucumber
• Red pepper
• Baby plum tomatoes
• Hot chilli sauce (optional)

How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma

1. Prepare The Slow Cooker

• Lightly grease the inside of the slow cooker with olive oil.
• Place the chicken thighs into the slow cooker in a single layer.

2. Add The Shawarma Flavour

• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and lemon juice.
• Sprinkle over the shawarma spice mix and season with salt and pepper.

3. Slow Cook

• Cook on HIGH for around 3½–4 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F.

4. Shred The Chicken

• Remove the chicken and shred using two forks.
• Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and mix it through the cooking juices so it absorbs all the flavour.

5. Serve

• Serve the chicken in warm flatbreads with crisp salad and lemon yogurt sauce.

What Is Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie where marinated meat slowly rotates and cooks before being sliced into wraps.

At home, the same flavour can be recreated by cooking chicken with shawarma spices such as cumin, paprika and coriander.

Using a slow cooker helps replicate the tender texture and allows the spices to fully develop.

Best Chicken For Shawarma

Chicken thighs work best for slow cooker shawarma.

They stay juicy during long cooking and shred easily once cooked.

Chicken breast can also be used, but it tends to be slightly leaner and may not be quite as tender.

How To Serve Slow Cooker Shawarma Chicken

This recipe is incredibly versatile and works in several different meals.

Shawarma Wraps

Serve the shredded chicken in flatbreads or pitta breads with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and yogurt sauce.

If you love quick flatbread meals, try our Air Fryer Chicken Flatbread recipe too.

Shawarma Rice Bowls

Serve the chicken over fluffy rice with salad, hummus and pickled onions.

Shawarma Salad

For a lighter option, serve the chicken over shredded lettuce with cucumber, tomatoes and olives.

Shawarma Nachos

Add the chicken to tortilla chips with cheese and bake until melted.

Tips For The Best Slow Cooker Shawarma

Use fresh spices for the best flavour.

Avoid overcooking the chicken — around 4 hours on HIGH is ideal.

After shredding, mix the chicken back into the cooking juices to maximise flavour.

How To Store Slow Cooker Shawarma Chicken

Store leftover slow cooker shawarma chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow it to cool before refrigerating and reheat thoroughly before serving.

It can also be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in a pan or microwave.

Is Chicken Shawarma Healthy?

Chicken shawarma can be a healthy dinner option.

The slow cooker method uses very little oil while the chicken provides a good source of protein.

For a lighter meal, serve the chicken as a salad or with wholegrain rice instead of flatbread.

Get our BEST slow cooker recipes here

Looking For More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes? Try:

• Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
• Slow Cooker BBQ Beer Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Disclaimer - in a lot of our slow cooker recipes we use a crockpot where the inner pan in safe to use on the hob as well as in the crockpot. If you don’t have a hob safe slow cooker - then use a pan for any hob cooking then transfer to the slow cooker pan for slow cooking.