Lamb Shawarma Recipe
The best recipe for Lamb Shawarma - tender, juicy, leg of lamb, slow roasted in the oven with Middle Eastern spices until falling apart. Serve this with rice and veggies, or in a pita or wrap!
How to Make the Best Lamb Shawarma
Few dishes capture the essence of Middle Eastern cuisine quite like lamb shawarma. This oven-roasted version delivers all the aromatic, deeply spiced flavors of traditional shawarma without the need for a vertical rotisserie. Slow-roasting a boneless leg of lamb transforms it into incredibly tender, pull-apart meat that’s infused with cumin, coriander, sumac, and a warming blend of spices.
The secret to this recipe is the spice paste that coats the lamb before roasting. Blending fresh garlic, shallots, and olive oil with the spices creates a flavorful crust that caramelizes beautifully in the oven. The bed of onions at the bottom of the pot adds moisture and becomes deliciously soft and sweet as they cook in the lamb drippings.
Whether you serve this shawarma over fragrant rice with roasted vegetables, tucked into warm pita bread with tahini and pickled vegetables, or as part of a mezze spread, it’s guaranteed to become a family favorite. The long cooking time is hands-off, making it perfect for weekend entertaining or meal prep.
Lamb Shawarma
The best recipe for Lamb Shawarma - tender, juicy, leg of lamb, slow roasted in the oven with Middle Eastern spices until falling apart. Serve this with rice and veggies, or in a pita or wrap!
Ingredients
Lamb
Shawarma Marinade
Instructions
Prepare the Lamb
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Plan on a full 4½ hours baking time, but check at 3½ hours.
- Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste, scraping down sides to incorporate well.
- Place onion slices in the bottom of a dutch oven or cast iron skillet to create a base for the lamb.
- Pat the lamb dry and coat all sides really well with the paste, including the inside where the bone was removed. Roll it back up and place it on the bed of sliced onions, seam side down, fatty side up.
- Let this marinate on the counter until the oven is hot, or up to 2 hours. You could also wrap it up and refrigerate for 24-72 hours.
Roast the Lamb
- Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the dutch oven (to the side of the lamb) and cover with a heavy lid or double wrap with foil. Place in the oven for 2½ hours.
- Uncover the roast to let the top get golden, and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Check the roast. If the pan seems dry, add another ½ cup of water. If the crust seems like it's getting too dark, tent lightly with foil.
- Continue cooking until the lamb pulls apart easily with tongs or two forks, possibly another hour. If it's still feeling tough, continue roasting and basting, checking every 30 minutes.
- Let the lamb roast rest 15 minutes before serving.
Serve
- Serve with your choice of Middle Eastern rice, pita bread, simple roasted veggies, labneh, tahini sauce, zhoug yogurt, tomatoes, and/or cucumbers.
Notes
- For bone-in leg of lamb, increase cooking time by about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Lamb shoulder can be used instead of leg - it has more fat and will be even more tender.
- The marinade can be made ahead and the lamb can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours for more flavor.
- Leftovers are perfect for shawarma wraps the next day.
