Your search for a delicious, restaurant-quality meal is now over! This Tender Middle Eastern Style Beef Shawarma will become the only star of your wildest food dreams.
Made of golden tortilla bread with lots of overnight deeply marinated Beef Shawarma, chopped tomatoes, some pickles, and tahini sauce, this beef shawarma will leave your guests impressed and asking for seconds. Ah! Don’t forget to add the onion sumac.
Making this authentic Beef Shawarma at home might seem rocket science, but it doesn’t have to be. To replicate the authentic texture and flavor, you simply need to pick your favorite juicy beef, follow my recipe, and witness the power of Middle Eastern charm.
Recipe Summary
Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Lebanese
Prep & Marinating Time: 4 to 12 hours (marinating) + ~20–25 minutes active prep
Cooking Time: ~15–20 minutes (pan or oven)
Method: Marinating, pan-searing or oven-roasting
Skill Level: Easy to Intermediate (requires marination and thin slicing)
Why You’ll Love This Beef Shawarma Recipe
Authentic Flavor: This recipe is packed with Middle Eastern spices that give you the same smoky, savory taste you’d get from a shawarma shop.
Tender & Juicy Beef: With the right marinade and cut of beef, every bite is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Quick Cooking Time: Once marinated, the beef cooks in under 30 minutes.
Versatile Serving Options: Enjoy it in a warm pita wrap, as a rice bowl, or even on a colorful shawarma platter with sides and dips.
Ingredients for Beef Shawarma
Beef Shawarma Meat
- Beef tenderloin/tri-tip/flap meat
Beef Shawarma Marinade
- Plain yogurt
- Tahini
- Mayo
- Shawarma spices of choice
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Sumac
- Garlic paste
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Seven spice
- Aleppo pepper or paprika
- Ginger
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Tahini
- Yogurt
- Salt
- Lemon juice
- Water
Sumac Onions (Classic Shawarma Side)
- Onion
- Sumac
- Lemon juice
- Salt
How to Make Tender Beef Shawarma Step by Step
To start, add the beef sections to a big bowl, then add the ingredients of the marinade sauce made of plain yogurt, tahini, mayo, shawarma spices of choice, garlic powder, onion powder, sumac, garlic paste, salt, black pepper, seven spice, Aleppo pepper or paprika, ginger, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Mix until well combined, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Once the marinating process is done, discard the sauce and cook on high heat.
Now, let it rest for 5 minutes before chopping.
Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt tahini sauce. Whisk in tahini, yogurt, salt, and lemon juice. Add water for a thinner consistency, and your tahini sauce is ready.
To make the sumac onion, cut the onions into short wings then add salt, sumac, and lemon juice.
Finally, line up the tortilla bread or shrak if available, layer some chopped tomatoes, pickles, and sumac onion, then drizzle the tahini sauce.
Wrap tightly, press in a panini press until golden, and enjoy.
Beef Shawarma Variations and Substitutions
Bread and Wraps: Shawarma can be enjoyed with different types of bread. If you don’t have shrak or tortilla, no worries—pita or any flatbread works perfectly and still delivers that authentic Middle Eastern taste.
Serving Style: Beef shawarma is super versatile. You can enjoy it wrapped in your favorite bread or served in a bowl with rice for a hearty meal. Here is this Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl for inspiration.
Vegetarian Shawarma: Easily swap the beef with tofu, seitan, or vegetables of your choice. Just use the same spices and sauces to get that classic shawarma flavor.
Beef Cut: If the cut of meat in this recipe isn’t available, you can substitute it with ribeye or sirloin. The cut you choose makes a big difference in tenderness and texture.
Tips for the Best Middle Eastern Beef Shawarma
Marinate for Maximum Flavor: For the most flavorful beef shawarma, marinate the meat overnight or at least early in the morning. This ensures that the spices fully penetrate the beef. The good news? Once marinated, your beef shawarma cooks in less than 30 minutes.
Don’t Over-Marinate: While longer marination deepens the flavor, avoid leaving it too long. Over-marinating can break down the meat fibers and affect the taste.
Choose the Right Cut of Beef: The secret key in this recipe is using the right kind of juicy meat in order to get a tender Beef Shawarma. I used beef meat in my recipe, but feel free to use lamb or any other mix.
Try a Mixed Shawarma Platter: Play a fair and square game with your loved ones’ heartstrings by serving both meat and chicken shawarma. To do so, refer to my Authentic Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma recipe and enjoy.
Sauce Options: I like to pour tahini yogurt sauce when making Beef Shawarma as mentioned in the recipe, but you can use all tahini instead. It is completely up to you.
Don’t Skip the Sumac Onions: Onion with sumac is a must-have side for shawarma—it adds freshness and a tangy bite that balances the richness of the meat.
Rest Before Slicing: Once cooked, let the beef rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices. This keeps the juices inside and ensures your shawarma stays moist and tender.
How to Serve Beef Shawarma: Wraps or Platters?
Beef Shawarma (also known as Shawerma or Turkish döner) is a beloved Middle Eastern street food that you can enjoy in two delicious ways.
Shawarma Wraps:
The most traditional way is as a shawarma sandwich, wrapped in thin tortilla bread or shrak. Fill it with juicy beef slices, fresh tomatoes, tangy pickles, onions, and drizzle with creamy tahini or garlic sauce. These add-ins balance the rich spices of the meat and take every bite to the next level.
Shawarma Platters:
If you prefer a heartier meal, serve beef shawarma on a platter. Arrange the sliced beef with colorful tomatoes, cucumber pickles, and a side of sumac onions. Pair it with crispy French fries, fluffy rice, or warm pita bread for a complete meal that will impress family and guests alike.
Whether you serve it in a wrap or on a plate, this tender beef shawarma recipe is always a hit — guaranteed to win everyone at the table!
Storage Tips
Refrigeration: Store leftover beef shawarma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Keep the meat separate from the bread and sauces to maintain freshness.
Reheating: Warm the beef shawarma in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through. Avoid microwaving for too long, as it can dry out the meat.
Storing Sauces & Onions: The tahini yogurt sauce and sumac onions should be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The sauce lasts about 3–4 days, while sumac onions stay fresh for up to 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mayo works as a tenderizer, along with yogurt and lemon juice.
This is because your meat is not well coated with the marinade sauce.
You can absolutely marinate pre-sliced beef meat, then cook them according to the instructions.
You need to discard the sauce before cooking.
For best results, marinate the beef for at least 24 hours. If you’re in a rush, you can marinate for a minimum of two hours.
you can roast the marinated beef in the oven at (200 °C) until it’s cooked and slightly charred at edges. Ensure slices aren’t too crowded so they brown, not steam.
Must-Try Recipes:
Restaurant Style Butter Chicken (cheat version)
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tender Middle Eastern Style Beef Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef tenderloin/ tri tip/flap meat
For marinade:
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1½ tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon shawerma spices of choice
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1½ teaspoons garlic paste optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the tahini yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup tahini
- ½ cup yogurt
- Salt to taste
- lemon juice to taste
- Water to thin to desired consistency
Sumac onions
- 1 large red onion chopped into short wings
- 1-2 tablespoons sumac
- ½ lemon squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a big bowl, add the beef sections then the ingredients of the marinade sauce: plain yogurt, tahini, mayo, shawarma spices of choice, garlic powder, onion powder, sumac, garlic paste, salt, black pepper, seven spice, Aleppo pepper or paprika, ginger, olive oil, and lemon juice.
- Mix until well combined, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
- Once the marinating process is done, discard the sauce and cook on high heat.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes before chopping.
- Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt tahini sauce. Whisk in tahini, yogurt, salt, and lemon juice. Add water for a thinner consistency and your tahini sauce is ready.
- To make the sumac onion, cut the onions into short wings, then add salt, sumac, and lemon juice.
- Line up the tortilla bread, or shrak if available, layer some chopped tomatoes, pickles, and sumac onion, then drizzle the tahini sauce.
- Wrap tightly, press in a panini press until golden, and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use all tahini instead of tahini and yogurt.
- Be careful not to over-marinate, the meat flavor might not be as good as it is supposed to be.
- Onion Sumac is a must in this recipe, don’t skip it.
- Let the cooked beef rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into thin slices.
14 Responses
This is sooooo amazing! If you follow the recipe just make sure you get good tender beef. My husband loved it and he doesn’t even like beef shawarma
We had this one and the chicken one the other day. AH-MAY-ZING!!! I love love love the marinade, it makes the beef so tender. If i could rate it a 12/10, i would
Hello
I have a quick question. Marinating the beef for 42-72 hours would be fine? Probably make it more tender? Also when I was at the store today they didn’t have any tortilla bread? What would be a good substitute to grab when go back since I forgot to grab kebab skewers. Thank you for your time
hi, marinating for 48hrs is okay, I wouldn’t go longer. If you have shrak that works. lavash too- but its dry and breaks quickly. If you like pita, you can use that as well
Perfect! Thank you Fatima. I hope you have a good weekend and happy new year.
These where such an amazing hit! Everything was so juicy, tender and aromatic. I loved it. The neighbors loved it. Will be making again.
laffa (flat bread) or pita bread would be what is meant by tortilla bread. Marinating it longer than the recipe won’t make the meat taste as good. I’ve done that on accident making a Mexican dish and it was so salty had to throw it all out.
Absolutely amazing. Made both this one and the chicken.
Oh my god! I saw this recipe and I immediately told my mom to make it. She did and it was absolutely delicious. Mashallah your recipes are so goood. Your recipes never fail. Y’all when in doubt making food use her recipes trust me ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sooo this is the best beef shawarma ever !!!! It rivals the best place I’ve ever had (Al-basha) it’s really tough but i think it’s even better. That being said, it’s seriously incredible, definitely make with the onions and tahini yogurt sauce or you’ll miss out… warning: we kept going back for more they are addicting !!!
How do you cook the meat? Is it grilled? Or cooked on the stove? Would love to try it! Thanks
Hi! stove top 🙂
We loved the chicken shawarma recipe and I’m about to make the meat, one question, can you grill it?
You can definitely grill it, gives it a delicious smokey flavor