It’s hard to beat the taste of Lebanese or Middle Eastern beef shawarma. This recipe is easy to make, even without a vertical gas roaster. Give this version a try, and I think you’ll be just as obsessed with it as I am!
One-Pot Shawarma
My least favorite part of cooking is cleaning up. If you’re anything like me, I assume this one-pot wonder will be the only weeknight shawarma you’ll want to make from now on. First, marinate the meat for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Then, cook it in a pot for 4 hours over very low heat.
What Is Meat Shawarma?
Shawarma is a popular street food from Lebanon and across the Middle East, made from marinated cuts of highly seasoned meat that are tightly stacked on a vertical spit and slowly roasted against a gas flame. As the meat cooks, it is basted in its own fat, resulting in juicy, flavorful meat with caramelized edges. The cooked outer layers are shaved off with a sharp knife and typically served wrapped in flatbread as a sandwich.
The word shawarma is Arabic and is generally thought to derive from the Turkish çevirme, meaning “turning” or “rotating,” referring to the rotating spit on which the meat is cooked.
A homemade version!
If you’re looking for a winning way to make homemade meat shawarma, this keeper of a recipe gives the meat exactly the treatment it needs. After marinating in oil, lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, and a warm blend of spices, the meat is braised with whole tomatoes, then piled onto a plate with a mix of chopped parsley, sliced onions, and pickles. It’s drizzled with a citrusy tahini sauce (taratour) made with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, then served with warm pita.
How to Make Beef Shawarma
1. Prepare the Marinade
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and vinegar. Add the spices and salt, and whisk well until everything is thoroughly combined. The oil and vinegar help distribute the seasonings evenly and coat the meat.
2. Marinate the Meat
Add the meat to the marinade and mix well, making sure every piece is evenly coated. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. During this time, the meat will absorb the marinade, allowing the flavors to penetrate more deeply.
3. Cook the Shawarma
Transfer the marinated meat, along with all the marinade, to a large stockpot. Add the three whole tomatoes.
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Do not add any water. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and let the shawarma simmer gently for about 4 hours, or until the meat is tender.
4. Serve the Shawarma
Slice or shred the cooked meat and wrap it in warm pita bread. Serve with lemon tahini sauce (tarator), roasted tomatoes, crisp Lebanese pickles, and a fresh mixture of chopped parsley and thinly sliced onions.
Meat Shawarma Marinade: Essential Components
A meat shawarma marinade consists of three essential components:
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Acid: A combination of vinegar, orange juice, and lemon juice, which helps tenderize the meat and adds brightness to the marinade.
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Oil: A blend of olive oil and sunflower oil, or another neutral oil, to help retain moisture and carry the flavors throughout the meat.
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Flavoring agents: A carefully balanced blend of spices and mastic that captures the distinctive flavor and aroma of authentic meat shawarma.
The Best Beef Cuts to Use for Shawarma
The best cuts of beef for making shawarma are sirloin, flank steak, or skirt steak. You can use tenderloin, but since the meat is slow-cooked, there’s no need to use an expensive cut. Plus, the marinade does much of the work when it comes to adding flavor and tenderness.
How to Cut the Meat
Try to cut the meat into evenly sized pieces. Slice it into strips about 1½ inches long and ¼ inch thick.
How to Marinate the Meat
Prepare the marinade by mixing the oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and vinegar. Add the spices and salt, then mix well. The liquid helps distribute the seasonings evenly and allows the flavors to coat the meat.
Place the sliced meat in a large bowl and pour the marinade over it. Stir well to ensure every piece is coated. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
As the meat marinates, it gradually absorbs the flavors, allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat and make the shawarma more flavorful and tender.
Slow-Simmered Beef with Tomatoes
Transfer the meat and marinade to a large stockpot and add the three whole tomatoes. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Do not add water—the marinade is sufficient, and the meat will release its own juices. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the stockpot, and simmer for 4 hours.
Check the Liquid Level
Make sure to check the pot every now and then. After 4 hours, there should still be a small amount of liquid left in the pot.
Accompaniments for Meat Shawarma
Lebanese pickles, sliced onions, chopped parsley, and radishes.
How to Serve Meat Shawarma
Enjoy this homemade meat shawarma in three delicious ways: as a casual wrap on the go, as a beautiful centerpiece for a special dinner, or spooned over creamy hummus.
Serve It as a Centerpiece
For holidays or special dinner parties, transfer the cooked shawarma, along with the roasted tomatoes, to a beautiful serving platter. Arrange all the fixings around it, including pickles, radishes, sliced onions, and chopped parsley, and serve with taratour on the side.
It makes a wonderful centerpiece that invites everyone to help themselves and build their own perfect bite.
Top Your Hummus with Shawarma
Or, as we commonly do in Lebanon, beef up your hummus with meat shawarma! Spoon creamy hummus onto a serving plate and top it generously with warm shawarma. Finish with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of taratour.
Make Shawarma Wraps
Prepare the lemon tahini sauce (taratour), chop the vegetables, and set out all your favorite accompaniments, such as chopped parsley, sliced onions, radishes, and Lebanese pickles. Bring the hot-off-the-stove shawarma to the table and let everyone build their own wrap, family-style.
Shawarma wraps are always a hit in our house for a casual dinner because everyone can customize their wrap with the toppings they love. Wrap warm slices of shawarma in fresh pita or Lebanese bread, then add lemon tahini sauce (taratour), roasted tomatoes, crisp Lebanese pickles, chopped parsley, and sliced onions.
Build Your Shawarma Wrap!
Smash one roasted tomato onto warm Lebanese bread or pita bread. Place a generous handful of meat shawarma down the center, then add your favorite toppings. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce (taratour), fold, and enjoy!
Pack some onion slices, radishes, pickles, and chopped parsley, then drizzle with tarator.
Wrap and enjoy.
Or serve it as a centerpiece platter for holidays or special dinner parties: Transfer the cooked shawarma, along with the roasted tomatoes, to a presentable serving platter. Arrange it with all the suggested fixings, such as pickles, radishes, sliced onion, and chopped parsley, with taratour on the side.
Looking for another way to serve hummus? Try topping it with Lebanese beef shawarma for a hearty Middle Eastern meal.
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Lebanese Beef Shawarma (One-Pot Wonder)
Description
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 kg 2 lb 4 oz beef sirloin, strip steak, or tenderloin
- 9 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 4 whole tomatoes
- ½ cup oil a combination of sunflower oil and olive oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon mastic gum optional but recommended
- Accompaniments
- Taratour Lebanese tahini sauce
- A generous bowl of hummus
- Lebanese pickles
- 2 onions sliced
- 2 cups finely chopped parsley
- Radishes sliced
- Lebanese or pita bread
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade by mixing the oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and red vinegar. Add the spices—cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, black pepper, ginger powder, cardamom powder, and ground cloves—along with the salt and crushed mastic, if using. Whisk well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the marinade is homogeneous, ensuring the seasonings are evenly distributed and will coat the meat uniformly.
- Place the meat in a large bowl, pour over the marinade, and stir well to coat. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. During this time, the meat will slowly absorb the marinade, allowing the flavors to penetrate deeply into the shawarma meat.
- Transfer the meat and marinade to a large stockpot, and add the three whole tomatoes.
- Place the stockpot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Do not add any water. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer for 4 hours.Check the pot from time to time. There should be a small amount of liquid remaining after 4 hours. If there is still too much liquid, uncover the pot, increase the heat, and cook until the excess liquid has evaporated and only a small amount remains.
The Casual Way
To build your shawarma wrap, take a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes from the pot and smash them onto the pita bread. Place some shawarma horizontally across the pita, then garnish with sliced onion, chopped parsley, radishes, and pickles. Drizzle with tahini sauce, roll up the wrap, and enjoy!Alternatively, heat your panini press, place the shawarma wraps in the heated press, and toast for a few minutes until the pita bread is crisp.
The Festive Way
Another option is to serve it during the holidays as a centerpiece platter for a special dinner party. Transfer the cooked shawarma, including the roasted tomatoes, to a beautiful serving platter, and arrange it with all the suggested fixings: pickles, radishes, sliced onion, and chopped parsley, with taratour served on the side. It makes for a beautiful and festive dish that is perfect for entertaining.
2 Comments
Do u use standard measuring cups and spoons?
Hi Zeina, yes absolutely. I use a measuring cup. 1 cup=250 ml.