Shawarma spice
shuh-WAR-muh
Warm, earthy, savory, gently spiced.
What it is
Shawarma spice is the warm Levantine blend used to marinate the stacked, spit-roasted meat of the same name. Closely related to baharat, it combines cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and black pepper, sometimes with turmeric, into a warm, earthy, savory mix. Worked into a marinade with garlic, oil, and lemon, it flavors chicken, lamb, and beef before they roast, and it seasons roasted vegetables and chickpeas just as well. It is warm and aromatic rather than fiery. As with most regional blends, the exact balance varies from cook to cook.
Similar but different
Easy to mix up, different enough that swapping changes the dish.
- Baharatwarm, peppery, sweet, aromatic.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: sweet dishes.
Common in Middle Eastern cooking.
Whole vs ground
Shawarma spice is a finished ground blend, a Levantine cousin of baharat tuned for marinating meat. The freshest comes from toasting and grinding whole spices.
How to handle it
Mix into a marinade with oil, garlic, and lemon, coat the meat, and rest it before grilling or roasting. It is warm rather than hot.
Storage
Airtight and dark. Best within a few months of grinding.
Buying note
Blends vary; look for cumin, coriander, and warm spices leading. It is a close relative of baharat.
What's in it
- Cumin·earthy base
- Coriander seed·citrus body
- Paprika·color and fruit
- Cinnamon·warm sweetness
- Green cardamom·floral lift
Classic dishes
chicken shawarma, lamb shawarma, roasted chickpeas, spiced vegetables.
Out of shawarma spice? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Baharat with a little extra paprika and cumin | to taste | very close, since the two blends are cousins |
One odd thing
Shawarma spice is essentially a marinade-tuned version of baharat, the all-purpose warm blend of the Middle East.