Shawarma Pizza
Published Sep 03, 2025
Shawarma pizza is an easy dinner idea full of juicy marinated chicken shawarma and loaded with vegetables and a creamy tahini sauce over pita!
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My Shawarma Pizza is so good!
I love making shawarma pizza when I’ve got leftover chicken shawarma in the fridge. It’s a simple way to turn leftovers into something fun, just a pita, some veggies, and a drizzle of tahini sauce.
This chicken shawarma pizza has got everything I want in a quick meal. No dough-making, no fuss, just a Lebanese-style pizza that hits the spot for me every time.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Shawarma Pizza Ingredients
- Chicken Shawarma: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make my shawarma, but you can swap in beef or even chickpeas. Here’s a quick chicken shawarma recipe if you don’t have leftovers to use.
- Pita Bread: You can use any type of pita bread you want. I’ve got a great recipe for homemade pita bread, or you can pick some up at your local grocery store! Just try to look for Arabic bread that’s thinner in style than Greek pita bread for more authentic flavor.
- Cheese: I like to buy shredded mozzarella because it’s easy to work with. For a more authentic flavor, you can use shredded akawai flavor.
- Vegetables: I use red onion, plumb tomatoes, and sliced pickled banana peppers (or traditional pickles). Add in any other veggie toppings you like!
- Sauce: I usually use Tahini because complements chicken shawarma so well! Try my authentic tahini sauce recipe or grab whatever brand your grocery store has in stock. This also goes really well with my garlic sauce.
How to Make Pita Pizza
Chicken Shawarma Pita Pizza
Ingredients
For the chicken shawarma
For assembly
- 4 pita breads
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 roma tomatoes sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 ounces pickled sliced banana peppers
- ½ cup tahini sauce
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the marinade ingredients in a large bowl: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, paprika, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and crushed red pepper; and whisk to blend.
- Add the chicken into the large bowl with the marinade and stir with a spoon to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add the marinated chicken to it. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two pitas on each baking sheet and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken shawarma on top of the mozzarella cheese. Top with the tomatoes, red onions and banana peppers, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
- Cut each pita pizza into fourth and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Recipe Tips
- Thinly slice your toppings. Because Arabic pita bread is on the thinner side, try not to overload it with heavy and large toppings. That way, it won’t break apart when you try to pick up a slice!
- Be careful not to burn your pita. The pita bread may brown even before your cheese melts! That’s because it only takes a few minutes to crisp it up, and it can actually burn pretty quickly if left unattended, especially since every oven is different.
- Give the chicken time to marinate. If you’re able to marinate your chicken for 24 hours, great! If not, try to marinate it for at least one hour. This is key to getting the most flavor into your shawarma.
- Use good quality tahini sauce. This is the sauce that really pulls all the flavors together, so don’t skimp on it. Check out my recipe for authentic tahini sauce and give it a try. You may never go back to store-bought again!
Serving Ideas
- Serve with fattoush. This is one of my absolute favorite salads! And the flavors of this Middle Eastern-style dish will pair perfectly with this pita pizza, whether you serve it on the side, or directly on top.
- Top with tzatziki. If you’re looking to add a little tart, brightness to your pita pizza, it’ll taste great with a little tzatziki. Whether as a dipping sauce, or drizzled on top, I’ve got an easy go-to tzatziki recipe!
- Pair with a cucumber salad. For a little crunch (and some extra greens) with this pita pizza, my kids love a little bit of creamy cucumber salad! It’s got the same Mediterranean kick but with some added freshness.
FAQs
Pita pizzas are best eaten fresh and warm right out of the oven! But, if you DO have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After a day or two, the pita will start to get soggy, so eat ’em as soon as possible! To reheat, place your pizza on a baking sheet and warm in a 350˚F oven until heated through. It should take about 10 minutes!
You can! Just try to hold off on adding any sauces, as they’ll change in texture when you thaw them. In an airtight container, this pizza should keep well for up to a month in the freezer. To reheat, place it in the oven directly from the freezer at 375F for 10-15 minutes.
Yes! If you can’t find thin pita bread, you can use a tortilla instead. Just keep in mind: you may need to adjust the cooking times and amount of toppings to avoid burning the tortilla.
Yes, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time! Just shred the meat and toss it in the marinade.
