Easy Beef Shawarma Wrap Recipe

If you have a penchant for shawarma, you’re in for a treat with this homemade beef shawarma recipe! Using some pantry essentials, you can replicate this beloved street food in the comfort of your own home, creating a mouthwatering meal that’s perfect for a crowd.

Understanding Shawarma

Shawarma, a beloved Middle Eastern dish, features marinated meat, including lamb, beef, and chicken. Typically, the meat is marinated in a blend of spices and slow-cooked on a rotating vertical spit or rotisserie. After cooking, the meat is thinly sliced from the spit and served either stuffed into pita bread with tahini sauce and various vegetables or plated alongside accompaniments like fries, pickles, tabouleh, or fattoush salads.

What Makes This Beef Shawarma Recipe Special

Simple – This recipe not only delivers deliciousness but is also quick and easy to prepare.
Packed with Flavor – The harmonious blend of shawarma spices ensures a burst of flavors in every bite.
Meal Prep-Friendly – It stays fresh in the refrigerator, allowing you to prepare it in advance.
Protein-Rich – A high-protein meal that keeps you feeling satisfied.
Healthy – Crafted from real food ingredients, this beef shawarma recipe is both delightful and nutritious.

Ingredients for Beef Shawarma

To whip up homemade beef shawarma, gather the following ingredients:

Beef: The recipe suggests flank steak, but flap steak and skirt steak are also excellent choices.
Shawarma Spice Mix: A flavorful blend of spices to season the beef, including cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, allspice or cloves, black pepper, and salt.
Garlic: For imparting rich flavor to the beef.
Olive Oil: To create the marinade and cook the beef.
Lemon: To marinate and tenderize the beef.
Vinegar: For further tenderizing the beef and balancing the flavors.

If you plan to serve the beef shawarma as wraps, don’t forget to pick up some pitas and select your favorite toppings. We’ve provided some suggestions below.

Dietary Adaptations

For Gluten-Free: No adaptations necessary; this beef shawarma is naturally gluten-free. Just ensure you pair it with gluten-free pita.

For Dairy-Free: No adjustments required; this recipe is dairy-free.

Preparing Shawarma Seasoning

While shawarma spice mix is readily available in many grocery stores, it’s also a breeze to concoct at home using dried spices. Plus, you can make a larger batch and store it in an airtight jar for future use. Here’s the recipe for homemade shawarma seasoning:

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparing Beef Shawarma at Home

Slice the beef: Lay the flank steak on a cutting board and cut it into thin strips, no thicker than 1/4 inch.
Marinate the beef: In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic. Add the beef strips and shawarma spice mixture. Toss until the beef is evenly coated. For best results, marinate the beef in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight. If time is limited, allow it to rest at room temperature for a few minutes.
Cook the beef: In a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the marinated beef strips and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until they are browned and fully cooked. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to work in batches to prevent overcrowding, which can cause the beef to steam instead of sear. Once cooked, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, then set aside.
Serve as desired: To create the wraps, warm the pitas in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or in the oven at 300°F for 5-10 minutes. Then, assemble the wraps by placing a pita on a plate or cutting board and topping it with slices of beef shawarma, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, and tahini sauce as desired.
The wraps can be enjoyed right away, and any leftover beef can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

For detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Nutrition Tip

While this recipe is designed for serving in pita wraps, the beef can also be a delightful addition to a large green salad, drizzled with garlic tahini sauce.