Restaurant-Style Beef Shawarma Recipe

Beef shawarma is a simple dish with bold spices, tender meat, and crispy browned edges. This recipe is made with thinly sliced beef, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and a blend of warm shawarma spices. It is cooked over high heat and served with warm pita, garlic sauce, pickles, and fresh vegetables. For this recipe, I followed the Spinning Grillers Beef Shawarma recipe and kept the preparation simple enough to make at home.

Serves: 20–25
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Marinating Time: 12–24 hours
Cook Time: 2–3 hours

Ingredients

For the Beef Shawarma

• 10 lb beef, thinly sliced
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 tbsp turmeric, optional

For the Shawarma Stack

• Marinated beef slices
• Thinly sliced beef fat, optional
• 1 large onion
• 1 tomato, optional

For Serving

• Pita bread or flatbread
• Garlic sauce
• Pickled cucumbers
• Pickled turnips
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Sliced onions
• Fresh parsley
• French fries, optional

Preparation

Marinate the Beef

Place the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and all the spices in a large food-safe container. Mix until well combined.

Add the thinly sliced beef and toss well until every piece is coated with the marinade.

Cover the container and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. Overnight marination gives the beef more time to absorb the spices and develop flavor.

Prepare the Meat Stack

Place the bottom plate onto the shawarma spit.

Put a thick slice of onion on the bottom to create a stable base.

Start placing the marinated beef slices onto the spit. Add the pieces one at a time and press them together as you build the stack.

If using beef fat, place small pieces between some of the beef layers.

Continue stacking until all the beef has been used. Finish with an onion or tomato on top and secure the stack with the top plate.

The meat should form a firm, even stack that can rotate properly.

Procedure

Cook the Beef Shawarma

Place the prepared meat stack onto your Spinning Grillers Commercial Shawarma Vertical Broiler.

Start the rotation and turn on the burners. Position the burners so the outside of the meat receives steady heat.

Let the outside layer cook and brown gradually. The rotating spit allows the heat to reach the meat evenly while the inside of the stack continues to cook.

Once the outside is fully cooked and has developed a good brown crust, use a sharp shawarma knife to shave thin slices from the cooked surface.

Continue rotating the stack and shaving the meat as each new outside layer becomes browned and cooked.

Keep the shaved beef in a serving pan and serve it hot.

Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup thick Greek yogurt
• 5–6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt

Method

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For restaurant service, the sauce can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated.

Assemble the Beef Shawarma

Warm the pita bread or flatbread.

Spread garlic sauce over the bread and add freshly shaved beef shawarma.

Add pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and parsley.

For a restaurant-style shawarma wrap, add a few French fries before rolling.

Serve immediately while the beef is hot.

You can also serve the beef as a platter with pita, garlic sauce, hummus, fries, pickles, and salad.

Restaurant-Style Tips

• Slice the beef thin: Thin slices cook and brown more evenly on the spit.
• Marinate overnight: A longer marinade gives the beef better flavor.
• Build a tight stack: Press each layer together so the stack stays firm while rotating.
• Add some beef fat: Fat between the layers helps keep the meat moist.
• Let the outside brown: Wait until the outer layer has a good crust before shaving.
• Shave thinly: Keep the knife close to the cooked surface for thin, even slices.
• Keep the spit rotating: This helps the meat cook and brown evenly.
• Adjust the heat: Move or adjust the burners when needed to prevent the outside from burning.
• Serve the shaved meat hot: Freshly shaved shawarma has the best texture and flavor.