This easy Shawarma Spice Blend will bring authentic Middle Eastern flavor to any dish. Make it into a Shawarma marinade with a little olive oil for your favorite protein or use it to season vegetable kebabs.
This is a great addition to your spice cabinet. Once you start to make your own spice mixes, you never go back!
For more easy homemade spice blends, try this Canadian Steak Seasoning, Italian Herb Mix, or Homemade Vegan Taco Seasoning.
Why You’ll Love This Spice Mix
- Quick & Easy – This Shawarma seasoning recipe comes together in just 5 minutes. It will probably take you longer to locate all of the spices in your pantry than it will to make this spice blend!
- Easily Adjustable – Increase, decrease, or omit any of the flavors in this recipe to adjust to your liking. Looking for less heat? Decrease the cayenne pepper. Big fan of turmeric? Add more!
- Versatile – This is a great spice mix to have on hand. You can use it for so many recipes!
Ingredients
- Cumin – Such a versatile earthy flavor and a staple of most Middle Eastern-Inspired dishes.
- Turmeric – The turmeric really sets this spice blend apart from other non-Middle Easter inspired dishes. Feel free to increase or decrease to your liking.
- Ground Coriander – A popular spice in most cuisines across the world, ground coriander adds tons of flavor.
- Garlic Powder – Is any spice mix complete without it? Honestly, no. It is not the most powerful flavor when combined with these spices, but if you don’t like it, feel free to reduce or omit.
- Smoked Paprika – You will see some recipes call for Spanish style or sweet paprika, but I prefer the flavor of smoked paprika. You can choose whichever you prefer.
- Ground Cloves – This adds a subtle warmth to this spice blend without being overpowering or changing the original flavors.
- Cayenne pepper – Feel free to increase or decrease based on your heat preference.
- Black pepper – This is technically optional, but I think it helps round out the flavors of this shawarma seasoning.
- Celery Salt – You won’t find this in traditional Shawarma spice blends, but I like to add it for a bit of a twist and some dynamic flavors.
- Optional: Salt – I tend to salt my finished dishes versus the marinade or spice blend itself, but feel free to include salt right into this blend to save yourself a step.
How to Make
Add all spices into a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until no clumps remain. This should take only about 10-15 seconds.
Use this mix as a dry rub on tofu, tempeh or any other vegan protein of your choice. Make it into a marinade and use it to season vegetables or as a spicy dressing for a salad.
Make this into a marinade by combining 1 part shawarma spice blend with 3 parts oil. The marinade will store 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Homemade spices make a great gift! Make a big batch and divide into smaller airtight containers as a hostess gift for your next potluck.
Ways to Use Shawarma Spice Blend
- Mix this spice blend with olive oil to marinate tofu, tempeh, or any vegan protein.
- This recipe can also be used on a variety of meets to make shawarma chicken or beef shawarma.
- Add 1 tsp into 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 Tbsp lemon juice for an easy shawarma salad dressing.
How to Store Homemade Seasonings
- Pantry: When stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight, this shawarma spice blend will last for one year. I have found the best way to store my spices is with an airtight mason jar.
More Tips
- Not Vegan? Use this as a dry rub or marinade for meats. Mix into a yogurt sauce or tahini sauce for a twist to the flavors.
- Gluten-Free? These warm spices are naturally gluten-free, so you are good to go!
- Want less heat? Reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp. OR ramp it up for high heat.
FAQ
For a marinade or dry rub, you should use about 1 Tbsp of spice per pound of protein. To mix a marinade, you should use 1 part spice to 3 parts oil. So to dry rub 1 lb of tofu, you would use 1 Tbsp spice mix. To marinade 1 lb of tofu you would use 1 Tbsp spice mix plus 3 Tbsp oil. To marinade 2 lbs of chicken, you would use 2 Tbsp spice mix and 6 Tbsp oil. And so on. This may vary slightly based on the type of protein you are using, so feel free to experiment until you find the perfect fit for you!
Shawarma Spice Blend
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Fork or whisk
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ¾ tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp celery salt
- Optional: ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all spices together into a small bowl or jar.
- Mix with a fork or whisk until spices are evenly incorporated.
- Use as a dry rub or marinade for your favorite vegan proteins, vegetables or even meats.
To Make a Marinade
- Combine 1 part spice mix with 2 parts olive oil. Stir until evenly combined.
Notes
- Not Vegan? Use this as a dry rub or marinade for meats.
- Gluten-Free? These spices are naturally gluten-free, so you are good to go!
- Want less heat? Reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp.
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Last Updated on February 14, 2025
Loved this mix! Made chicken shawarma and it was a winner. Thank you.
YAY! I’m so thrilled that you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing!!
This classic flavor blend is so easy to make it home! It is delicious on veggies and proteins alike!
Love a slice blend and I’m getting more used to making my own now. This sounds lovely.
Definitely saving this because I love making homemade shawarmas.
I love making my own spice mixes, as they tend to have much more flavor than the premade ones. I’ve never had anything shawarma flavored before but trying new foods and flavors is one of my favorite things. I look forward to making this spice blend and giving it a try.
I have always wanted to try Shwarma. I have just tried yours and it was amazing. Thank you for amazing recipe.