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Home » Recipes » Mushrooms

Easy Vegan Mushroom Shawarma

Published: Oct 28, 2019 · Modified: Aug 12, 2020 by Lexi

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This spicy and savory vegan mushroom shawarma is the perfect sheet pan dinner recipe. It's gluten free and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Served with a dairy free tzatziki, warm pita and all of your favorite fixings!

overhead view of vegan mushroom shawarma on pita with vegetarian toppings

What is Shawarma?

Traditionally, shawarma is a dish of thin slices of slow roasted meat. It's served in a fluffy pita with all sorts of toppings. The first shawarma sandwiches included lamb. Today, however, restaurants serve chicken, beef, and even veal shawarma.

If you've ever seen a giant vertical spit packed with a cone of meat at a restaurant or street vendor, you've seen shawarma. The flavors come from Middle Eastern cuisine, which means plenty of spice. Cumin, peppers, chili, garlic, and even cinnamon are common flavorings.

We brought those same delicious savory spices to the vegan mushroom shawarma recipe. Skipping meat doesn't mean you have to miss fantastic dishes like a plump and juicy shawarma sandwich! Mushrooms are a natural meatless alternative, thanks to their meaty texture.

close up view of vegan shawarma on a gluten free pita

Ingredients

One of the great parts about this vegan mushroom shawarma recipe is that you don't need any special equipment. Just a sheet pan! No spit, rotisserie or meat necessary.

The key to deeply flavorful vegetarian & gluten free homemade shawarma is the seasoning. Here's how to build a classic shawarma seasoning blend in your own kitchen:

  • Smoked paprika helps you achieve that fire-roasted flavor in your oven.
  • Cumin and cinnamon bring warming spice flavors that don't overwhelm mild mushrooms
  • Chili powder packs the heat
  • Soy sauce brings a nice salty and umami flavor
  • The shawarma mushroom glaze is sweetened with a bit of maple syrup. If you have agave or honey on hand, that works too!

This vegan mushroom shawarma recipe comes together in less than half an hour. Simply whip up the glaze, coat your portobello mushrooms, and roast them in the oven until tender and slightly caramelized.

cooked vegan mushroom shawarma with seasoning in a bowl

Serving suggestions

When your mushrooms are fully cooked and nicely caramelized, it's time to assemble your shawarma sandwiches.

The pita is very important, of course. Choose the fluffiest, freshest pita you can find. Look for gluten free options if you need to. Look for it in the store, or make your own!

We recently found a fantastic gluten free and vegan store-bought pita from this brand. It gets super fluffy, chewy and warm after just a few minutes in a hot skillet.

We found it in the frozen section at Whole Foods - I highly suggest looking for it! (It's the pita pictured in these images.)

Close up side view of two mushroom shawarma in a pita bread on a white plate

Toppings

Tzatziki sauce is a must-have to top your homemade mushroom shawarma. I like to spread a warm pita with a generous amount of tzatziki. Of course, you could also dollop it on top. Better yet, do both!

Tzatziki is the tangy, sour and bright sauce that your savory roasted mushroom shawarma needs. It's a classic yogurt sauce. We made it with a simple swap to make it vegan.

overhead view of spreading vegan tzatziki sauce onto a pita

The base is plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt. We like Forager Project, which is cashew based. Use your favorite brand, just be sure it's not flavored!

Tzatziki gets its zest from freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fresh cucumber provides crunch and lightness. And, we can't forget the garlic! Just be sure to mince it finely. No one wants to bite into a big chunk of raw garlic in their sandwich.

There are dozens of toppings to dress up your homemade mushroom shawarma dinner. That's why this recipe is great for feeding a crowd.

Everyone can pick and choose their favorite toppings. We're all about DIY meals. It's the easiest way to please everyone's tastes and dietary preferences.

Here are a few of our favorites shawarma toppings to add to your dinner spread:

  • Fresh chopped crunchy lettuce, like romaine
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Hot sauce
  • Quick-pickled red onions
  • Black olives
  • Tahini dressing
  • Plenty of fresh herbs, like cilantro and mint

More Easy Sheet Pan Dinners

If you love how quick and easy this vegetarian mushroom shawarma recipe is, give some of our other weeknight sheet pan dinners a try:

  • Portobello Fajita Sheet Pan Dinner. Swap the shawarma spices for Mexican flavors in this easy and colorful plant-based dinner.
  • Roasted Vegetable and Tofu Sheet Pan Dinner. Turn up the protein with this tofu & veggie-packed meal.
  • Rainbow Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner. The most colorful meal you can make--all on one sheet pan!
  • Potato, Asparagus and Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner via The Simple Veganista. This looks like a great way to use up some leftover veggies!
  • Crispy Tofu Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner with Thai Hummus via Full of Plants. This crispy tofu looks perfect, and I love the sound of Thai hummus!
overhead view of vegetarian mushroom shawarma with vegan tzatziki on pita

If you make this easy vegan mushroom shawarma recipe, we'd love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram - tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you've been cooking.

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Easy Vegan Mushroom Shawarma


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This spicy and savory vegan mushroom shawarma is the perfect sheet pan dinner. It's gluten free and comes together in less than 30 minutes. 


Ingredients

Scale

For the mushroom shawarma:

  • 4 large or 6 small portobello mushroom caps, sliced into ½ inch thick pieces
  • 2 red onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup, agave or honey
  • 1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tzatziki sauce:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup unsweetened plain vegan yogurt 
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

To Serve

  • 4 pitas, gluten free if necessary
  • Romaine lettuce or cabbage, chopped roughly
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Fresh cilantro or mint, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, garlic, salt, olive oil, tamari, and maple syrup.  
  2. On a baking sheet, toss the mushrooms and onions with the spice mixture to coat evenly. Spread everything into an even layer (you may need two sheet pans) and roast for 15 minutes or until browned, rotating the pan halfway through.
  3. Meanwhile, cut cucumber lengthwise into 4-6 long planks and then slice widthwise. Prepare the tzatziki by combining the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir well.
  4. Just before the mushrooms are finished, add the pitas to a rack in the oven to warm for 2-3 minutes. 
  5. When the mushrooms and onions are done, remove them from the oven and toss with 1½ tablespoon lemon juice.
  6. To serve, spread each warm pita with yogurt sauce. Top with mushroom filling, chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro and/or mint. Serve with remaining yogurt sauce and hot sauce on the side. 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 397
  • Sugar: 16.8 g
  • Sodium: 1091 mg
  • Fat: 12.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 60.5 g
  • Fiber: 8.7 g
  • Protein: 17.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 9.3 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Jason says

    May 01, 2022 at 11:59 am

    Making this for the second time tonight. The flavour is perfect, the textures..an absolute favourite!

    Reply
  2. Jason says

    March 19, 2022 at 8:29 am

    I’ve been Vegan cooking for a year now, and this is my favourite recipe! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      March 20, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  3. Courtney says

    April 24, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    so easy and delicious! I used canned coconut milk instead of greek yogurt and it was just as effective!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      April 26, 2021 at 9:06 am

      So glad to hear that!

      Reply
    • Day says

      August 18, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      Is it possiblw to use tahini instead of tatzki?

      Reply
  4. J says

    December 24, 2020 at 7:31 pm

    Fantastic!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      December 27, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  5. Lexa Talionis says

    August 15, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    Delicious! We will put this in regular rotation. Added radishes and dill that were on hand and used BeFree GF pitas. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      August 16, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Sounds fantastic! So glad you enjoyed and thank you so much for your comment 🙂

      Reply
  6. sujata says

    June 04, 2020 at 11:30 am

    Can I stir fry mushrooms instaed of baking? I am too knowledgeable. Please advice. Thank you

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      June 04, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      Sure! I would wait to add the spices until a bit later in the cooking process so they don't burn.

      Reply
Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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