This beef shawarma is truly EPIC. The seasoning is off the charts, the sauce is the perfect complement, and the pitas and tomato-cucumber salad bring it all together. And I have my friend Salvador Mazzocchi to thank for the inspiration.
Once upon a time, I had a freakin’ delicious Turkish steak skewers dish that Salvador made. That led me to making pizza steak skewers and garlic Parmesan skewers the same way. I also tried his method for beef kebabs, which was both really fun and off the charts in terms of flavor. Now, we’ve got this fun and simple beef shawarma recipe that you can make on the grill! Or even in your oven, smoker or pizza oven if you want.
Why You’ll Love Beef Shawarma
Beef shawarma is a famous Middle Eastern street food that traditionally gets its flavor from a long, slow cook on a vertical rotisserie. This method gets us those caramelized, crispy edges while keeping the meat juicy and tender. We’re mimicking the classic vertical spit approach for homemade beef shawarma in our grill by adding sliced sirloin to a trompo or skewering the steak. That gives you that same deliciousness without the specialty equipment.
The other thing that sets grilled shawarma apart is the seasoning of warm spices. We’ve got a great homemade shawarma seasoning combo here of cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cloves, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Toss in a yogurt and tahini dressing, pita bread and a tomato, cucumber and red onion salad. Now, you’ve got a freakin’ delicious, incredibly popular street food on your table for dinner. Might as well open your cart now, since your family and friends will be asking for this one again!
Want more skewers on your grill? Check out my post on The Best Skewers Recipes!
Beef Shawarma Ingredients
- Beef & Shawarma Seasoning: We’re using top sirloin steaks for our grilled shawarma, seasoned with ground cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cloves, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and cubed white onions.
- Shawarma Sauce: To make the accompanying sauce, we’ll use plain yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic paste, cumin and Spiceology’s Salt Pepper Garlic Seasoning.
- Pita: To assemble our beef shawarma, we’ll use large pita bread wraps, diced tomatoes, sliced red onions, chopped parsley and diced cucumber.
Easy French Fries
French fries are a perfect side dish for grilled shawarma, so here’s an easy way to make your own. I used this method in my steak Diane recipe (and in plenty of other steak and fries recipe).
Grab 2-3 russet potatoes, cut them into fries and place them in a bowl of ice water. Let them soak until you are ready to start cooking. Next, heat up a Dutch oven or large skillet with 1 quart beef tallow until the tallow reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry off your fries and add them to the beef tallow.
Cook the fries for the first time for about 3-4 minutes. Then, pull them out and let them cool for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to cook the fries in 2-3 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Then, add the fries back to the pan and fry again until they are golden brown (about 4-5 more minutes). Once the fries are done, place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil. Add the fries to a bowl along with some kosher salt to taste and toss to evenly coat them. Keep warm until ready to serve.
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How to Make Beef Shawarma
Let’s start by using a sharp chef’s knife to thinly slice your 2 top sirloin steaks (about ¼” in thickness). Pound the thin slices of meat flatter if needed.
Then, add the steak to a bowl along with your shawarma spices — ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, ground turmeric, ground cloves, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon — and neutral oil. Mix together thoroughly until well coated.
Add your steak to a trompo or thread it on skewers. Stack the slices on top of each other until you reach the end of the skewer. Then, add some sliced onions to the base and then set to the side.
Preheat your oven to medium high heat (around 375 degrees Fahrenheit) for indirect cooking. Add the beef shawarma to the oven to cook for 1-1.5 hours, until the beef is deep brown and cooked through. Pull off once done and let rest.
In a bowl, mix together the shawarma sauce. You’ll need plain yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic paste, cumin and SPG to taste.
Carve off steak from the skewers and place on a warmed pita wrap with your shawarma sauce, tomatoes, sliced red onion, chopped parsley and diced cucumber. This beef shawarma recipe makes enough for 5-6 pitas, so you’ll want about 1 cup diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 diced cucumber for your salad ingredients. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Beef Shawarma
Grilled shawarma is a full meal on its own, but serving it with fries is a great way to elevate this dish. If you want another salad option, tabbouleh would be so freakin’ delicious!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover beef shawarma, store the steak and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat the steak, wrap it in aluminum foil, add a little broth or water to keep it most, and bring it back out to your grill at medium heat until it’s warmed through. You could also do this on the stovetop or in the oven.
For More Beef Skewers
FAQs
Sure! Flank steak or strip steak would work well if you don’t want to use sirloin.
Any nut butter (almond, cashew or peanut) would work here if you don’t want a tahini sauce. You could also omit the tahini from the sauce and go with a more tzatziki-like dressing.
Use the same heat (375 degrees F) and timing for the cook! Super easy. You’ll miss some of that smoky grill flavor, but this will work in a pinch.
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Grilled Beef Shawarma
Ingredients
Beef & Shawarma Seasoning:
- 2 Top Sirloin Steaks sliced thin
- ½ cup Neutral Oil
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1-2 White Onions cubed
Shawarma Sauce:
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Tahini Sauce
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Cumin
- SPG to taste
Pita:
- 5-6 Large Pita Breads
- 1 cup diced Tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced Red Onion
- ¼ cup Chopped Parsley
- ¼ cup diced Cucumber
Instructions
- Slice thin your top sirloin steak (about ¼” in thickness). Pound flatter if needed
- Add the steak to a bowl along with seasoning and oil. Mix together thoroughly until well coated.
- Add to a trompo or skewer the steak. Stack on top of each steak until you reach the end of the skewer. Add some sliced onions to the base and then set to the side.
- Preheat your oven to medium high heat (around 375F) for indirect cooking.
- Add the shawarma to the oven to cook for 1-1.5 hours until the beef is deep brown and cooked through. Pull off once done and let rest.
- In a bowl, mix together the shawarma sauce.
- Carve off steak from the skewers and place on a warmed pita bread with sauce, tomatoes, red onion, parsley and cucumber. Serve and enjoy!
