Shawarma Masri (Egyptian-Style Beef and Lamb Shawarma)

About This Recipe

Egyptian shawarma (شاورما مصري) — shawarma masri — differs from Lebanese shawarma in both spice profile and accompaniments. Where the Lebanese version relies heavily on allspice and cinnamon, Egyptian shawarma incorporates cumin more prominently, adds nutmeg and cloves, and often includes a mixture of beef and lamb rather than chicken alone. The meat is traditionally mixed with a small amount of fat (tail fat or beef fat) which bastes the rotating spit as it turns, keeping the slices moist. In Egypt, shawarma is served in aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread) rather than Lebanese pita, and the standard accompaniments differ: the Egyptian version is typically dressed with tahini diluted with lemon juice and water, rather than the thick garlic toum of Lebanon, and served with Egypt's distinctive pink turnip and cucumber pickles (torshi), fresh parsley, and hot sauce. Cairo's shawarma shops line the streets of downtown and operate through the night, feeding the city's enormous late-night crowd. While a vertical spit is traditional, an excellent home version is produced by marinating thinly sliced beef and lamb and cooking it in a very hot cast-iron pan until caramelized.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gbeef sirloin(thinly sliced against the grain)
• 200 glamb shoulder(thinly sliced)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 3 tbspplain yogurt(for marinating)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 1/2 tspground allspice
• 1/4 tspground nutmeg
• 1/4 tspground cloves
• 1/4 tspground cinnamon
• 1/4 tspcayenne pepper
• 1 tspfine salt
• 4 piecesaish baladi or pita bread(for serving)
• 4 tbsptahini sauce(tahini thinned with lemon juice and water)
• 80 gEgyptian torshi pickles(or any mixed pickles)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the meat overnight

   Combine olive oil, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and all spices. Toss with the thinly sliced beef and lamb. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

   The yogurt acts as a tenderizer, breaking down the proteins in the meat for a more tender result after the brief high-heat cooking.

2. 2

   Make the tahini sauce

   Whisk 4 tbsp tahini with 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 3 tbsp cold water, plus a pinch of salt and 1 minced garlic clove, until smooth and pourable. It should be the consistency of thin cream.

3. 3

   Cook the meat

   Heat a large cast-iron pan or heavy skillet over the highest heat until smoking. Remove meat from marinade, shaking off excess. Cook in batches (do not crowd the pan) for 2–3 minutes per batch, letting the meat caramelize rather than steam.

   A very hot pan is essential. Add only a single layer of meat at a time so it sears, not steams. The caramelized edges are the closest you can get to spit-roasted flavor at home.

4. 4

   Combine and slice further

   Once all the meat is cooked, pile it together and use a knife to roughly chop into smaller, irregular pieces — this is how shawarma is traditionally served.

5. 5

   Warm the bread

   Hold flatbread over a gas flame or in a dry pan until puffed and warm.

6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Drizzle tahini sauce generously inside the warm bread. Add meat, pickles, and fresh parsley. Roll and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Chicken shawarma masri: substitute with boneless chicken thighs for a lighter version; reduce cooking time to 4 minutes per side.

• •

  Rice plate version: serve the meat over Egyptian rice with vermicelli rather than in bread, with a side of tahini sauce and tomato salad.

Storage

Cooked meat stores refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat under a hot broiler for 3 minutes. Assembled sandwiches do not keep.

Frequently Asked Questions