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Beef Shawarma is perfect to use in pita sandwiches, hummus bowls or on its own. Flank steak is marinated in a shawarma seasoning mix and grilled to perfection. The beef is tender and juicy and pairs nicely with a tahini sauce and pickles in a pita.
Shawarma is a classic Arabic dish of seasoned meat (chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, or a mix) stacked on a vertical spit and slow-roasted. You’ll see it on the menu at most Lebanese restaurants, and it’s a popular street food across the Middle East. This version uses flank steak, marinated for 2 hours in olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and warm spices, then grilled and thinly sliced.
Shawarma meat is perfect piled into pita wraps, paired with hummus, spooned over rice bowls, or served on its own with a variety of sides. Typically it’s thinly sliced and served with fattoush, tabbouleh, pita bread, tomato, cucumber, and a sauce like tahini sauce.If you like Mediterranean beef recipes, try my Beef Kafta Kabob, Beef Souvlaki, Asian Marinated Flank Steak, or Grilled Flank Steak with Dry Rub.
Why This Recipe Works
• The 2-hour marinate is exact, not a guess. Long enough for the spices and lemon juice to flavor the meat, short enough that the citric acid doesn’t start breaking down the texture.
• Flank steak has the right grain-to-marbling ratio. It stays tender when sliced thin against the grain, without needing an expensive cut.
• One seasoning blend, two recipes. The shawarma spice mix here is the same one I use in my Chicken Shawarma, so it’s worth mixing a double batch to keep on hand.
Recipe Ingredients
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
- Beef Shawarma Seasoning: My homemade shawarma spice blend combines warm spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, onion powder, and allspice. I use this same blend in my Chicken Shawarma, so it’s worth mixing extra to keep in your pantry.
- Marinade: Olive oil, vinegar, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and the shawarma seasoning come together into a marinade that does double duty, flavoring the beef and starting to tenderize it. Always marinate in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
- Beef: I use flank steak here, but flat iron steak or strip steak both work well and slice thin nicely for pita wraps.
- Tahini Sauce: In Lebanese cooking, we drizzle tahini or yogurt sauce on nearly everything. It’s the finishing touch I always want on a shawarma pita.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it spicier. Add a pinch of cayenne or a dash of hot paprika to the shawarma seasoning mix for extra heat.
- Swap the protein. Use the same seasoning and marinade with chicken thighs or lamb for a different take on shawarma.
- Try a different cut. Ribeye, sirloin, or top round all work in place of flank steak, just adjust the marinate time slightly longer for tougher cuts.
- Make it dairy-based. Swap the tahini sauce for a garlic yogurt sauce if you prefer a cooler, tangier finish.
- Turn it into a bowl. Serve the sliced beef over rice or cauliflower rice with chopped vegetables and Quick Pickled Red Onions instead of pita.
- Skip the citrus for a longer marinate. Leave the lemon juice out of the marinade and add it fresh right before cooking if you want to marinate overnight instead of just 2 hours.
- Make it a meal-prep protein. Double the batch and portion it into containers with rice and vegetables for grab-and-go lunches through the week.
- Add heat to the pita. Warm the pita in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side before filling for a softer, slightly charred wrap.
How to Make Beef Shawarma
Step 1: Create Seasoning Mix: Create the shawarma seasoning by mixing the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, onion powder, AllSpice, cinnamon, and black pepper in a mason jar or small container. Set aside.
Step 2: Create Tahini Sauce: In a mason jar or small container combine the ingredients for the tahini sauce: tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Create Marinade: In a large gallon ziploack or a large plastic or glass tupperware container place the flank steak. In a medium mixing bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shawarma seasoning mix, garlic, onion and salt. Whisk until combine.
Step 3: Marinade Beef: Pour the marinade over the beef and zip the top or close the container. Shake the beef and marinate together until the steak is coated. Refrigerate for two hours {do not marinate longer due to the acid in the lemon juice-see notes for explanation}.
Step 4: Grill Beef: When you are ready to grill pull the flank steak out of the fridge and set on the counter to come to room temperature. Preheat your grill for direct heat grilling at 450 degrees F. Grill the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until an internal thermometer reads 125-130°F internal temperature for medium rare.
Step 5: Serve: Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Serve in a beef shawarma sandwich, with hummus, with french fries or rice bowls with the tahini sauce. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to Cook Beef Shawarma: 4 Ways
You don’t need a rotisserie or a spit to get restaurant-style shawarma at home. Here’s how to get there with what you already have.
- On the grill: Preheat for direct heat at 450°F. Grill the marinated flank steak 4 to 5 minutes per side, until it reaches 125 to 130°F for medium rare.
- In a skillet: Sear over medium-high heat for a few minutes per side, until well browned and cooked to your desired doneness. This is my go-to method when the grill isn’t an option.
- In the oven: Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, then broil for a few minutes at the end to get that charred, restaurant-style edge.
- In the air fryer: Cook at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Whichever method you choose, let the beef rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Marinating longer than 2 hours in a citrus-based marinade. The lemon juice will start to break down the meat’s texture past that window, leaving it mushy instead of tender. If you want to marinate overnight, leave the lemon juice out and add it fresh right before cooking instead.
- Slicing with the grain instead of against it. This is the difference between tender shawarma and chewy shawarma.
- Overcrowding the pan or grill. Beef needs room to sear rather than steam, whichever method you use.
- Skipping the rest after cooking. Five minutes on a cutting board keeps the juices in the meat instead of on your cutting board.
- Using a very lean cut with no marbling. Some fat is what keeps thin-sliced beef from drying out.
What to Pair with Beef Shawarma
When I make beef shawarma I like to roll it in a pita along with a tahini sauce, romaine lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips and pickles. If I use the beef shawarma in a rice bowl, a beef shawarma platter or hummus platter I like to set out a variety of these sides:
- Salad: In Lebanese cooking we love easy, fresh salads like Tabbouleh, Balela or Fattoush Salads. These are great alongside any Mediterranean meal.
- Vegetables: Another great addition to a beef shawarma pita or meal is Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables or this Turmeric Cauliflower.
- Hummus: Hummus is always a nice, healthy side to your meal. I especially like a roasted red pepper or lemon version.
- Mediterranean Ingredients: There are a lot of ingredients that go great with this flank steak. I like to set out olives, pickled onions, pickles, fresh vegetables and feta cheese to go with it.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover beef shawarma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It reheats well in a skillet over medium heat, and it’s an easy one to cook once and use for lunch bowls or a second dinner later in the week.
Recipe FAQ
Flank steak is my go-to because it slices thin and stays tender when cut against the grain. Ribeye, sirloin, and top round all work well too, though tougher cuts benefit from a slightly longer marinate.
Yes. A grill, skillet, oven, or air fryer all get you tender, well-charred beef without any special equipment.
Slice it thin, against the grain, right after it rests. This shortens the muscle fibers and keeps the meat tender instead of chewy.
Marinate beef shawarma for no more than 2 hours when the marinade contains lemon juice. The citric acid starts to break down the meat’s texture past that point. If you want to marinate longer, leave the lemon juice out of the marinade and add it fresh right before cooking instead.
Shawarma is a classic Arabic dish, traditionally made with beef, chicken, lamb, or a mix, seasoned and slow-roasted on a vertical spit. The name comes from the Turkish word çevirme, meaning “turning,” a nod to how the meat rotates as it cooks. You’ll find it on the menu at most Lebanese restaurants, usually thinly sliced and served with pita, fattoush, tabbouleh, and tahini sauce. This version brings that same flavor home using a skillet, grill, oven, or air fryer instead of a spit.
More Beef Recipes
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Beef Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of flank steak
For the marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, {or you can use apple cider vinegar}
- Juice of two lemons
- 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning mix (see below)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the shawarma seasoning mix:
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon allSpice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the tahini sauce:
- 1 cup tahini paste {otherwise known as sesame paste}
- 1/4 cup water {add more for consistency}
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
Instructions
- Create the shawarma seasoning by mixing the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, onion powder, AllSpice, cinnamon, and black pepper in a mason jar or small container. Set aside.
- In a mason jar or small container combine the ingredients for the tahini sauce: tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
- In a large gallon ziploack or a large plastic or glass tupperware container place the flank steak. In a medium mixing bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shawarma seasoning mix, garlic, onion and salt. Whisk until combine.
- Pour the marinade over the beef and zip the top or close the container. Shake the beef and marinate together until the steak is coated. Refrigerate for two hours {do not marinate longer due to the acid in the lemon juice-see notes for explanation}.
- When you are ready to grill pull the flank steak out of the fridge and set on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your grill for direct heat grilling at 450 degrees F. Grill the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until an internal thermometer reads 125-130°F internal temperature for medium rare.
- Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Serve in pita wraps, hummus or rice bowls with the tahini sauce.
Notes
- Because this marinade contains lemon juice, marinate for no more than 2 hours. Marinades with citrus should be limited to 2 hours or less, since foods left longer can change color and texture. To marinate overnight, leave the lemon juice out and add it fresh before cooking.
- Total time reflects active prep and cook time only; add 2 hours for marinating.
- Best cuts for beef shawarma: flank steak, ribeye, sirloin, or top round. Tougher cuts benefit from a slightly longer marinate to help break down the fibers.
- Cook on the grill, in a skillet, in the oven, or in the air fryer:
- Skillet: medium-high heat, a few minutes per side
- Oven: 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, then broil a few minutes for char
- Air fryer: 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking halfway
- Slice against the grain into thin strips to keep the meat tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pictures looks great. I have tried shawarma recipe last night and it was delicious and crispy.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have always wanted to try a recipe for beef shawarma, but they always seem so complicated. Thanks for creating this simple grill friendly recipe for summer!
I am glad you liked it! Simple is sometimes best. 🙂
Love your recipes. Can I marinate this overnight or longer than the 2 hours. Thank you
Thanks for the kind words. So because this marinade has acid in it {lemon juice} you can only marinade it up to 2 hours. Marinades that contain citrus juices, especially lemon or lime juice, should be used for only 2 hours or less. Be careful when using acidic marinades. Foods left too long in these blends can change color and texture. You could leave the lemon juice out of the marinade and then you could marinade overnight. I think the marinade would still taste great-just a bit different.
This is an amazing Julia….and this shawarma with tahini sauce idea is perfect for it…it looks soo creamy, yummy and sound so delicious..i will trying to making this form your recipe…Thanks for sharing…!
Thank you! I hope you give it a try. It is a favorite in our house.
Julia, I’m excited to try this recipe on my friend this weekend. If I decided to leave out the lemon juice to marinade overnight, could I still add the lemon juice a couple of hours before grilling, or is it best to not use it at all!?!
I think you could add the lemon juice when you are ready to grill or a little bit before. You should be fine to marinade overnight if there is no acid or salt. You can add the salt and the lemon juice like we mentioned when ready to grill or a bit before. Let me know how it goes!