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    Home Β» Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.    

    Published: Feb 18, 2018 | Updated: Aug 15, 2022 | Author: Paint the Kitchen Red | 58 Comments

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    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Pinterest pin - shawarma on pita with white sauce and topped with tomatoes and parsley - Paint the Kitchen Red

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma is a quick and easy homemade pressure cooker version of shawarma that’s healthy, requires very little hands-on time and delivers a delicious punch of bold flavor.   Make a chicken shawarma wrap with pita bread or make a shawarma rice bowl.  Serve with hummus, garlic sauce, tahini sauce or hot sauce, and pickles, lettuce, tomatoes , onions, french fries.

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma - pita with white sauce, chicken, salad greens, halved cherry yellow and red tomatoes on parchment placed on a large white plate with French fries and white sauce and folded shawarma

    Table of Contents


    1. INTRODUCTION
    2. TIPS
    3. FAQS
    4. INGREDIENTS
    5. STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
    6. RECIPE CARD – PRINTABLE
    7. RELATED RECIPES AND GUIDES

    Introduction

    I’m a huge fan of gyros and shawarmas. Both are street food sandwiches made out of succulent meat wrapped in flatbread or pita and both have a common ancestor: the doner kebab which is Turkish street food, created during Ottoman times. 

    But there are some important differences between shawarma and gyro.

    Gyros originated in Greece. Gyros are generally made from pork, lamb, and/or beef and are served with a cucumber yogurt sauce called Tzatziki. Gyro meat is usually flavored with Mediterranean spices like oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.

    Shawarma has its origins as a Middle Eastern / Arabic street food and is made from chicken, lamb, or beef. It’s served with a tahini sauce (made from sesame seeds) or garlic sauce.  Shawarma meat has very different spices from gyro meat – it’s flavored with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and coriander.

    This delicious chicken shawarma pressure cooker recipe is adapted from a stovetop shawarma recipe I’ve been making for many years.  I have family living in the Middle East and was introduced to Arabic food during my visits there.

    I feel that my recipe is healthier than what you’d get at a shawarma fast food place because when you make chicken shawarma at home, you don’t get that fat dripping back into the rotisserie meat as you do from a takeout place.

    I like to eat Instant Pot chicken shawarma with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and/or onions.  Often times I make this Mediterranean Salad that I like to serve on the side or to fill the shawarma with, instead of lettuce and tomatoes.

    The garlic sauce / white sauce recipe that I’ve included in the recipe card is my own concoction that I just kinda made up! I serve it with all kinds of foods including Mexican fish tacos or carnitas.

    My kids like to add french fries into the shawarma wrap like some of the street-food doner kebabs we ate during a visit to Istanbul.  It’s actually quite good!  You could substitute sweet potato fries to make them healthier.

    Instant Pot Shawarma can also be served with accompaniments like pickled cucumbers, hummus, tabbouleh, or fatoush (Middle Eastern salads).

    Another way of eating the chicken shawarma is as part of a shawarma rice bowl, arranging the toppings side by side.  You might like to try using my recipe for Instant Pot rice.  If you use the Pot-in-Pot method, you could make both chicken shawarma and rice at the same time.

    And here’s a tidbit of trivia for you if you’re a fan of Mexican food: Tacos al Pastor was introduced by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico and is an adaptation of shawarma!  It always fascinates me how the foods of the world are so interrelated.

    TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS


    Marination

    Although the recipe states that you can marinate the chicken 2 hours to overnight, I’ve made this without any marination ahead of time and the flavor is still amazing.


    Chicken

    If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I prefer to use chicken thighs in general and especially in the pressure cooker.  The flavor is much superior to chicken breasts, which have a tendency to dry out. That being said, I’ve had readers who use chicken breast and like the results.


    Browning

    I like to quickly saute the chicken in a frying pan or cast iron skillet but you don’t need to do that; you can just remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and allow to drain well before placing directly in your pita or flatbread.


    Spices

    I mix up a larger batch of the dry spices and store them in a bottle in a cool dry place, that way I can save time if I want to make this dish on a busy night.


    Grilling

    In the summertime, I use the same marinade and make this Instant Pot chicken shawarma by pressure cooking boneless whole chicken thighs for 10 minutes, finishing on a barbeque grill, and slicing into thin strips before assembling the shawarma.

    Liquid

    Although it might seem that there isn’t enough liquid for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, I’ve never had trouble building pressure in my 6 quart Instant Pot with this recipe. 

    That being said, if your Instant Pot is picky about the quantity of liquid (eg. some newer model Instant Pots, particularly the 8 quart Instant Pots and burn messages), please add 1/4 cup of chicken broth or a little extra yogurt.  You might want to increase the quantity of spices if you do that.

    FAQs


    If I want to double the recipe, what changes do I need to make?

    Double all ingredients but keep the cooking time.

    Do I have to brown the chicken at the end?

    It’s not essential to saute the chicken at the end, but it adds caramelization and flavor. If you have the time, it’s worth it.

    Can I use whole boneless thighs?

    Yes, you can use whole thighs or chicken breasts if you wish:
    – whole boneless thighs – pressure cook for 9 to 10 minutes
    – whole bone-in thighs – 12 to 13 minutes
    – whole chicken breast – 8 minutes
    – chicken breast (cut into pieces) – 4 to 5 minutes
    Feel free to shred the chicken after it’s cooked.

    I got the burn message. What should I do?

    If your Instant Pot is prone to getting the burn message, add an extra 1/4 cup of broth before pressure cooking. Also, make sure to deglaze the Instant Pot so that no brown bits are stuck to the bottom of the pot before you pressure cook.

    If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.

    • Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma – Ingredients List

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Ingredients - Chicken, cloves, coriander, yogurt, lemon juice, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon powder or stick, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom, cumin, salt
    • Chicken
    • Cloves
    • Coriander
    • Yogurt
    • Lemon juice
    • Paprika
    • Nutmeg
    • Cinnamon
    • Garlic
    • Bay leaves
    • Cardamom
    • Cumin
    • Salt

    More details in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post

    How to Make Chicken Shawarma in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)

    1. Marinate chicken
    2. Add chicken to Instant Pot
    3. Add remaining ingredients
    4. Pressure cook
    5. Release pressure
    6. Brown chicken
    7. Simmer to thicken

    Marinate chicken

    chicken shawarma instructions collage - marinade ingredients, mixed, chicken marinated
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine coriander, cumin, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, yogurt, and garlic.
    • Add chicken to the marinade and stir.  Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

    Saute chicken and mushrooms

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Instructions 1 collage - marinated chicken inner pot, bay leaves added, stirred - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Transfer chicken to Instant Pot inner pot.
    • Add bay leaves and stir to combine.

    Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes

    Instant Pot Duo Manual mode 5 minutes collage - close lid, press manual, press - or +, display shows 5 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
    • Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads β€˜5′ (5 minutes).

    Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes

    Instant Pot Ultra pressure cook 5 minutes collage - close Instant Pot Ultra, set time to 00:05 and select Pressure Cook, press start - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Close the lid.
    • Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
    • Press Start.

    Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)

    Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooking collage - display shows On, float valve is down, display shows L0:00 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    Instant Pot Ultra pressure cooking collage - Ultra display shows On, float valve is up, display shows 00 00 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Instant Pot display will change to On.
    • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
    • The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display β€˜L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.

    How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA

    Instant Pot Duo natural release cancel and open collage - float valve is down, arrow pointing to Cancel, lid is open - Paint the Kitchen Red
    Instant Pot Ultra Natural Release Cancel and Open collage - arrow pointing to float valve down, press cancel button, lid is open and Instant Pot Ultra display shows Off - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
    • Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.

    Brown chicken

    Chicken shawarma collage - chicken cooked, chicken sauted in pan
    • Stir up the chicken.
    • Using a slotted spoon, drain the chicken well and transfer it to a serving bowl, and discard the sauce.
    • Heat some oil in a  frying pan or cast iron skillet.  Saute the chicken till lightly browned, adding some of the sauce to deglaze and keep the chicken moist.

    Assemble the pita

    Chicken shawarma collage - pita with sauce, vegetables and chicken
    • Lightly heat the pita to make it pliable.
    • Spread garlic sauce / white sauce on the pita.
    • Add your choice of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions.
    • Add chicken on the vegetables.
    • Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
    • Optional toppings: feta cheese, hummus, pickled cucumbers.
    • Roll the pita up tightly.
    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma - pita with white sauce, chicken, salad greens, halved cherry yellow and red tomatoes on parchment placed on a large white plate with French fries and white sauce and folded shawarma

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

    Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma requires very little hands-on time and delivers a delicious punch of bold flavor.   Serve in a pita or flatbread or as part of a rice bowl, with hummus, garlic or tahini sauce, hot sauce, pickled baby cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes.
    4.92 from 25 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 377
    Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    • Large Nonstick Frying Pan
    • Slotted Spoon
    • Large Bowl
    • Whisk
    • Medium Bowl

    Ingredients
      

    Chicken Shawarma

    • 1/4 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp cardamom powder
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder or 3-inch piece of cinnamon stick
    • 1/4 tsp ground cloves powdered
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1/4 cup yogurt
    • 2 Tbsp garlic minced
    • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch strips
    • 2 bay leaves
    • Chopped parsley for garnish
    • pita to serve
    • Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes
    • Optional toppings: cucumbers, sliced onions, hummus, feta cheese, pickled cucumbers, french fries or sweet potato fries

    Garlic Sauce / White Sauce

    • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
    • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
    • 1/8 tsp salt or to taste
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 tsp garlic minced
    • 1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped finely (optional)

    Instructions
     

    Chicken Shawarma

    • In a large mixing bowl, combine coriander, cumin, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice,Β yogurt, and garlic.
    • Add chicken to the marinade and stir. Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight if you have the time.
    • Transfer chicken to Instant Pot inner pot.
    • Add bay leaves and stir to combine. Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
    • Allow the pressure to release naturally.Β  If you're in a hurry, do a 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR)Β  i.e. allow the pressure to release naturally forΒ  10 minutes, and release remaining pressure using quick release (QR). Β Β [Read More:Β The Different Pressure Release Methods]
    • Stir chicken and sauce.
    • Transfer chicken to a serving dish using a slotted spoon, draining well.
    • Optional: heat oil in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet. Saute the chicken till lightly browned, adding some of the sauce to deglaze and keep the chicken moist.

    Garlic Sauce / White Sauce

    • Combine all ingredients for garlic sauce / white sauce in a medium bowl.
    • Whisk together until smooth and set aside.

    Chicken Shawarma Assembly

    • If necessary, lightly heat the pita to make it pliable
    • Spread garlic sauce/white sauce on the pita
    • Add lettuce and tomatoes
    • Add your choice of optional toppings
    • Add chicken on top
    • Garnish with chopped parsley

    Notes

    • This recipe was tested with a 6 quart Instant Pot.Β 
    • Instead of using lettuce and tomatoes, try substituting this Mediterranean Salad.
    • See the blog post for more detailed recipeΒ tips.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 pita sandwich | Calories: 377 kcal | Carbohydrates: 39 g | Protein: 37 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 128 mg | Sodium: 441 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 2 g
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Main Ingredient chicken
    Have you made this recipe? I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed or #PaintTheKitchenRed!

    Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!

    I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

    If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lily

      June 20, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      This is genuinely one of the best recipes I have ever made. It tastes exactly like what I get at the shawarma shop! I broiled the chicken for a few minutes and added pickled turnip to the wrap. I’m borrowing a friends Instant Pot and this alone has convinced me to buy one! I’ll be keeping this one on regular rotation. Thank you, Neena!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        June 21, 2021 at 12:40 pm

        I’m so glad you chose to try out my recipe! Thank you for the kind words – very much appreciated!

        Reply
    2. Laura

      March 27, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Ended up drizzling olive oil on the cooked chicken and popping in the oven to broil, 5-6 minutes on each side. So impressive and easy, thank you!!!!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        March 28, 2021 at 5:35 pm

        Laura, thank you! I’m so glad you liked it. I love the flavors of this recipe too.

        Reply
    3. Stephanie

      February 18, 2021 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      This is absolutely delicious. Don’t skip the pan browning at the end – it really helps and the flavor intensifies as you deglaze the pan.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        February 18, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Stephanie, thank you for the feedback – I’m thrilled to hear you loved the recipe – I love the browning of the chicken too!

        Reply
    4. Theresa J

      December 20, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      Could this be adapted into a freezer meal to prep in advance? If so any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        December 20, 2020 at 10:28 pm

        Theresa, I’ve not frozen this particular recipe before but if I were to do it, I’d pressure cook and freeze the chicken and sauce and saute before eating. Let me know if you try it out.

        Reply
    5. Jackie

      August 27, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this recipe!! So flavourful and easy to make. I did not have cardamom or coriander and it was still delish! Did not have pitas so I used soft taco shells and that worked just as well. Had lots leftover so we had it a second time served over jasmine rice along with the seasoned broth. Also delish!!
      The garlic white sauce as well was very yummy!
      Absolutely will be making again. Pretty sure this will be a staple instant pot dinner.
      Another side note….I did use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was extremely tender.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        August 27, 2020 at 4:12 pm

        Jackie, thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to make your own substitutions.

        Reply
    6. Nina

      August 23, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious. I will definitely make it again!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        August 24, 2020 at 12:25 pm

        Glad to hear it, Nina. Thank you for commenting.

        Reply
    7. Candace

      July 21, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      The flavour was wonderful! It was enough for dinner for 5 of us. If I were to double this recipe, would I need to add time to the instant pot?

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        July 23, 2020 at 11:03 am

        Candace, thank you for your question. No, you would keep the cooking time the same if you double the recipe.

        Reply
    8. Dhanya

      April 29, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Neena,

      I finally got down to trying this today, and the chicken was fabulous. I was tired after grinding some of the while spices and prepping the chicken, so I didn’t make the white sauce. The chicken was nice and flavorful and was nice even plain with ghee rice. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        April 30, 2020 at 8:35 am

        Hi Dhanya, great to hear from you. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and let me know that you liked the recipe. The white sauce adds extra flavor but not essential πŸ™‚

        Reply
    9. Linda

      April 28, 2020 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this a few times and everyone loves it. It’s replaced our favourite oven shawarma recipe.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        April 30, 2020 at 8:37 am

        Linda, that’s so great to hear! I love the how moist the chicken is with this method.

        Reply
      • Amanda Becerra

        July 07, 2020 at 8:46 pm

        5 stars
        Great recipe! I don’t think I will pan fry again (just to save time and cleaning) but I could totally see doing this on the grill one day. I have an 8qt IP, I added the 1/4 cup chicken stock just in case but probably didn’t need to. I served with taziki sauce, feta, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Definitely a keeper and a great meal prep recipe!

        Reply
        • Paint the Kitchen Red

          July 08, 2020 at 9:48 am

          Thank you, Amanda. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe πŸ™‚

          Reply
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