Shawarma

This low-FODMAP chicken shawarma swaps onion and garlic bulb for a homemade spice blend and garlic-infused oil, so you get warm, savory shawarma flavor without the fructans.

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

Shawarma spice blend

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1.5 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
• 1 tsp salt

Chicken

• 1.5 lb (700 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Lemon-tahini sauce

• 4 tbsp (60 g) tahini (this works out to 1 tbsp per serving, the low-FODMAP cap)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 to 4 tbsp cold water, to thin
• 1/4 tsp salt

To serve

• 4 gluten-free flatbreads or wraps (certified GF, label checked for no inulin or chicory root)
• Green tops of 4 scallions, thinly sliced (green part only)
• 1 cup (about 150 g) diced tomato
• 1 cup (about 120 g) diced cucumber
• 1 cup shredded lettuce

Instructions

Mix the spice and marinate

1. Stir all of the shawarma spice blend ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and put them in a larger bowl. Add the garlic-infused oil, lemon juice, and all of the spice blend. Toss until every piece is coated.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. A longer marinade deepens the flavor but is not required.

Cook the chicken

1. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high until hot. There is enough oil in the marinade, so no extra fat is needed.
2. Lay the thighs flat in the pan without crowding. Cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, until the underside is browned and releases easily.
3. Flip and cook another 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) at the thickest point.
4. Move the chicken to a board and rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips.

Make the sauce and assemble

1. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, and salt together. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is pourable. It will seize before it loosens, so keep whisking.
2. Warm the flatbreads in a dry pan or wrapped in foil in a low oven for a couple of minutes.
3. Fill each flatbread with sliced chicken, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and a scatter of scallion greens. Drizzle with lemon-tahini sauce and wrap.

Tips & Substitutions

• Toast for more depth. Warm the dry spice blend in a small pan over low heat for 30 to 60 seconds before mixing it with the oil. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells fragrant so it does not scorch.
• Chicken breast works too. Swap in sliced breast if you prefer leaner meat, but cook it just to 165 F and rest it, since breast dries out faster than thigh.
• Mind the tahini portion. Tahini is capped at 1 tbsp per serving on the low-FODMAP diet, so keep sauce to about that amount per wrap and check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes.
• Dairy sauce option. For a cooler topping, stir lactose-free plain yogurt with lemon juice, salt, and a little sliced scallion green instead of the tahini sauce.
• Read the flatbread label. Some gluten-free wraps hide inulin, chicory root, onion, or garlic powder. Pick a plain certified GF flatbread, or make your own from a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.
• Batch the blend. Double or triple the spice mix and store it in a jar so future batches come together faster.

Why This Works

• Garlic flavor without the fructans. The fructans in garlic are water-soluble, not oil-soluble, so garlic-infused oil carries the flavor while leaving the FODMAPs behind in the discarded solids.
• Onion note from green tops. The green parts of scallions add a mild allium bite, and unlike the white bulb they are low in fructans.
• Spices are naturally low in FODMAPs. Cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and the warm baking spices here bring the classic shawarma profile without relying on onion or garlic powder.
• Portion-controlled tahini. Splitting 4 tablespoons of tahini across four servings keeps each wrap at the tested 1 tablespoon serving.

Storage

Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, keeping the tahini sauce and fresh toppings separate so nothing goes soggy. Reheat the chicken gently in a pan or microwave until hot throughout. The sliced chicken also freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Thin the sauce with a splash of water after chilling, since it firms up cold.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.