Last updated on November 10th, 2021 at 08:31 am
Grab a napkin because this vegan shawarma is easy to make, ridiculously tasty, completely addictive and 100% carnivore-approved. This is one of my favourite recipes - it even appeared in the Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook with my favourite charity Edgar's Mission.
This recipe was first published on September 2, 2019 and updated with ingredient profiles, process images and frequently asked questions on October 8, 2021.
Why We Love This Vegan Shawarma
Cooking vegan food for non-vegans can be challenging but this dish is something everyone can sink their teeth into. It's:
- Packed with flavour
- Simple to make
- Naturally gluten-free - serve with rice or gluten-free pitas for the wrap version
- Abundant! Served on rice or in a wrap, this recipe can feed 6
- Cheap to make
- Carnivore-approved - this is such a tasty, moorish dish even your non-vegan friends will love it.
What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is my new favourite word, that's what it is!
"Sha-War-Ma". Such a great word. But if you want the real lowdown...
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish made from meat that is marinated in aromatic spices, lemon and garlic.
Stacked in to a cone shape and cooked on a vertical skewer the meat is then cut in to thin slices and served on a warm pita with fresh tomatoes, pickles and tahini or hummus.
While traditionally made from meat - lamb, beef or chicken - a mouthwatering vegan shawarma is easy. Just combine some trusty jackfruit with some aromatic spices. The smell when cooking this dish is incredible!
I can't wait for you to try it.
What You'll Need | Ingredients
Traditionally shawarma is served as a sandwich or wrap in a flatbread but you can also serve it with rice. For the "shawarma" you'll just need some pantry ingredients.
Aromatics: cumin, paprika, cinnamon, pepper, garlic.
Young jackfruit: Make sure to buy canned young jackfruit in brine. You can find it in most supermarkets these days.
Cooked chickpeas: Cooked from scratch or simply canned chickpeas work here.
Pickled vegetables: I love plain pickled cucumber but you can any pickled vegetable you like.
How To Make Shawarma
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Like my Vegan Sabich Sandwich and my Vegan Mushroom Reuben Sandwich creating a vegan shawarma is simple, all you need is a little imagination... and a few cans of young jackfruit. I am telling you, this recipe couldn't be simpler.
Step 1: Slice or shred the jackfruit and add it to a large bowl with the chickpeas. Add a handful of spices, lemon, garlic, parsley and red onion.
Step 2: After letting the mixture sit for a few hours to mingle and marinate, spread it all out on a tray and roast it in the oven.
Step 3: (Optional) To make the lemon tahini sauce, just throw all the ingredients (provided in the recipe card) in a blender with some water. Simples!
That's it! Once it comes out of the oven you can go ahead and serve it on a warm pita with fresh tomatoes, pickles and lettuce or with rice.
Recipe Shortcuts & Tips
- While you'll get more flavour if you marinate the shawarma for a few hours before roasting, you can roast it straight after mixing it.
- For lighter work, nix the the lemon tahini sauce and add a good dollop of hummus to your plate or pita.
- Mix the shawarma mixture in the morning so you can pop it in the oven after work.
Recipe FAQ's
Yup! You can mix the shawarma the day before and leave it in the fridge to marinate before roasting the next day?
Kept in a sealed container, vegan shawarma will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
It does! After roasting, allow the sharwarma to cool completely before storing it in a freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating on the stove top to serve.
More sandwich and burger inspiration:
Resources: Morsel By Plated | Wikipedia |
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Vegan Shawarma
Equipment
- roasting pan
Ingredients
Shawarma "Meat"
- 550 grams young jackfruit "meat" from 2 (20 oz) cans of jackfruit
- 400 grams / 2.5 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil good quality
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large red onion peeled and finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
Lemon Tahini Sauce
- 1 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3-4 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin or sumac
To serve
- 6 pita breads
- 1 and ½ cups thinly sliced lettuce
- 2 fresh tomatoes sliced
- ⅓ cup hummus
- pickles
Instructions
- Strain the brine from two cans of young jackfruit. Thinly slice each triangle lengthways and pop them in a large bowl.
- Add the chickpeas and the remaining shawarma "meat" ingredients and stir to combine. Cover with a clean cloth or cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).
- While the oven is heating, remove the marinated jackfruit from the fridge and spread it out over a roasting pan or tray.
- Place the tray in the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes or until some of the jackfruit edges are slightly charred. Remove from the oven when roasted.
- While the jackfruit is roasting, add the lemon tahini sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if needed to thin out. Transfer to a jar.
- To serve the vegan shawarma, warm a pita gently on a dry pan over medium heat for a minute or two, turning halfway through. Remove from the heat and lay the pita on a plate or board and smear with a good dollop of hummus. Add the sliced lettuce and tomato followed by a good handful of the roast jackfruit and chickpea mixture. Add pickles - if you're adding them - and drizzle with a little lemon tahini sauce.
- Fold the bottom of the pita up and then roll from the side to make a wrap. Grab and napkin and dig in!
Adam says
This is the most incredibly flavoursome meal. The kids even went in for seconds. I may have gone for thirds but let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about the yum. Yum.
Amanda says
Yay! I love this and I am so glad the kids liked it too. Thanks, Adam. Yes, we should talk way more about the yum. Always. 🙂
Jenny | Inka Restaurant says
Awesome Recipe! Jackfruit could have been used as a replacement to chicken in a shawarma, was beyond my imagination.
Amanda says
Awesome,Jenny. I love hearing this! I am so happy you like the recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to write 🙂
Melissa Hedden says
Wow! This is seriously delicious. Used to make a lamb shawarma and chickpea pilaf and this is the best since turning plantbased.
Amanda says
I am so happy right now! Thanks for letting me know, Melissa. I am so pleased you enjoyed the recipe. It is one of my favourites. Thanks again. 🙂
Melissa Hedden says
Super Yummy!!!
Alex says
I've made this several times since first discovering this recipe, and I am blown-away by the deliciousness every time. Simple, and delicious. The perfect duo.
Before we decided to cut out/reduce meat from our diets, take-out shawarma from a local favourite spot was one of our go-to meals for an occasional treat. My wife's comment after I served this vegan version up? "Better than take-out."
Thank you!
Amanda says
Oh, Alex, that's so awesome. Thank you! You have absolutely made my day. I find traversing a plant-based life easier if I am not craving the things I used to eat. Shawarma was an old favourite so I HAD to find a plant-based alternative. Thanks goodness for jackfruit!
Thanks again for taking the time to let me know. A
Don Schuldes says
Looks good! Do you think we could make it with mushrooms? It think it could be tasty.
Amanda says
Try shredded oyster mushrooms. They are awesome! Thanks Don. Let me know how it goes.
Tamar says
This shawarma looks so good! I’m can’t believe it’s vegan!
Amanda says
How good is jackfruit, Tamar?! I love roasting it when I need a chicken substitute. I hope you get to try it. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Maddy says
I’ve never had shawarma with jackfruit. This was awesome. Will absolutely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Amy Chung says
I love jackfruit and can seriously eat it all the time but I have never tried a jackfruit savoury recipe before! I can't wait to give this a go!
Amanda says
I hope you try it Amy!