Make a big batch of this quick and easy DIY shawarma spice blend to add to all of your favorite dishes including falafel, chicken, beef, lamb, fish, or sauteed chickpeas!
I had my first real bite of shawarma a few months ago in Israel and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I knew once I returned home I would have to recreate that smokey, spicy, tangy spice blend.
You can add this shawarma spice to basically anything that you want to taste delicious 😉
Like:
- The Ultimate Grass-Fed Beef Shawarma Burger
- Beef
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Grilled fish
- Burgers
- Chickpeas
- Falafels
- Veggies
- Grain dishes
- and on and on
For Easter this year I made a shawarma spiced leg of lamb that was out of this world from the Ottolenghi cookbook, “Jerusalem”. I loosely based this spice blend off of that recipe, tested several times in typical Abra's Kitchen fashion until I landed on the perfect blend.
Make a big batch, store in a glass jar, and it will keep for several months. If you like a spicier version you can add cayenne, but I found this blend to be the perfect balance between warming, smokey, and tangy spices. If I use this for protein (chicken, fish, lamb, or beef) I will also season the protein well with salt.
Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground clove
Instructions
- Combine all dried spices and stir well. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Lisa says
Hi there,
What kind of paprika do you recommend using for this spice blend or which brand/type do you use?
I have a few different kinds!
AbraPappa says
I use Hungarian sweet paprika, my brand is Szeged. Any sweet paprika would work you just don’t want to use smoked paprika in this recipe 🙂