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Beef Shawarma with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

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Yogurt, lemon and warm spices tenderize the beef to create a delicious and succulent Middle Eastern dish. 

Beef Shawarma with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

In my Middle Eastern family, we are no strangers to adding spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to savory meat dishes.  One of my all time favorite examples of this unique flavor combination is green beans and beef simmered in a cinnamon, tomato broth served over rice.

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Today I’m sharing my version of the street-side classic: beef shawarma.  Lean sirloin gets a major flavor boost from a marinade full of various warm spices, plenty of lemon and garlic and of course plain yogurt to ensure a tender, delicious result.  Busy week ahead? Throw this together a few days in advance and let the meat soak up the marinade. The longer, the better.

Your fork is waiting.

Beef Shawarma with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Beef Shawarma with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Yogurt, lemon and warm spices tenderize the beef to create a delicious and succulent Middle Eastern dish. 
4.43 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Lebanese, middle eastern, syrian
Keyword: shawarma
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Liz DellaCroce

Ingredients

  • 20 oz sirloin cut in thin strips
  • 2 c plain yogurt
  • 2 Juice of lemons
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 4 cloves garlic grated
  • 1/2 tbs salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Place sirloin strips in a glass bowl or resealable plastic bag.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients (yogurt through pepper) and pour over the beef strips.
  • Marinade 2 hours or overnight if possible.
  • Grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
  • Serve with cucumber mint yogurt sauce.

Notes

Good source calcium, iron and Vitamin C. Please note: a good amount of the marinade will remain in the bag or bowl so these numbers aren't 100% accurate (in a good way!)
Nutrition Facts
Beef Shawarma with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 244 Calories from Fat 60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6.7g 10%
Saturated Fat 2.7g 14%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 983mg 41%
Total Carbohydrates 9.9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5%
Protein 35g 70%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @thelemonbowl

Want more Lebanese recipes? Check out my Pinterest board!

 

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Comments

  1. Hey,

    Thank you for shawarma recipe, I really really like the way you explained it, Me and my family like shawarma when we ate it in asian restaurant so i’m going to try this one in upcoming weekend where we set together once in a week so this will be amazing can you please tell me if i use persian saffron in it ? Because i have purchased saffron in good saffron price that is why thinking to make a twist in it, this will be perfect or not give me some suggestion

    Thanks
    Debra

    Reply

  2. Hello, I tried making this beef shawarma recipe and it turned out very bitter and dry, almost like bitter beef jerky. Could you tell me what you think I did wrong? I feel like it might have been the lemon juice and yogurt in the marinade that made it so bitter and I may have definitely overcooked it on the grill adding to the beef jerky consistency. I am wondering what will happen if I omit the lemon juice and/or the yogurt in the marinade. What would that do to the flavor of the beef? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Angela,

      Thanks so much for writing in! I just made this last week and my boys and husband devoured it so I’d love to help you troubleshoot where you may have gone wrong. To be clear, the lemon and yogurt acts as tenderizers breaking down the muscle tissue which is why it always turns out super tender. Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? Perhaps the type of meat or amount or type of ingredients? Let me know and we can go from there! xo Liz

      Reply

  5. Too much cinnamon, I would cut it back by at least half a tablespoon if not more, you don’t want your shawarma meat to smell like a cinnamon bun. Didn’t work out for my family and I, search continues.

    Reply

    • Hi AJ,

      I’m so sorry this didn’t work out for your family! We make this all the time and my kids love it. Did you make any other changes to the recipe? For example, did you use two cups of yogurt? Would love to make this a win for you!

      Reply

  6. Lots of times I eat beef shawarma with different kind of sauces. 3 weeks ago I tried beef shawarma with cucumber yogurt sauce which gives a unique taste to the dish. From that day I only eat beef shawarma with this sauce. Thanks for telling this sauce combination.

    Reply

  7. Crazy question. But do you wash off the yogurt mernera before grilling or just grill with all of the yogurt on it?

    Reply

  10. Hi.. I’m from Indonesia. I like this food very much when I lived in Manchester for a year. I’m very surprised when i find this recipe from you. I really do wanna try it but there’s one thing that I would like to ask you, what the meaning of all spice. Pls let me know. Thank you

    Reply

  12. My husband was so happy when I found this recipe….he LOVES shawarma! And it’s so easy and he is so happy when I get this together….. This is so yummy…. Thanks you!!!!

    Reply

  14. Thank you for this recipe, we just had it for dinner & it was perfect.i didn’t have enough yoghurt for sauce so served it with homemade hummus & tabouli.will check out your recipes if this is anything to go by.thanks again

    Reply

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