This Vegan Shawarma transforms boring tofu into a chewy, crispy, flavorful meatless main dish! It's perfect for adding to a pita wrap, a salad, or just on its own. With 30 minutes of active cooking time, it's also weeknight friendly!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Budget friendly: This vegan shawarma comes out to less than $1.50 per serving for an affordable and delicious plant-based protein.
- Easy to make: Simply press the tofu, coat it in spices and bake until crispy and chewy! It comes together in just a few simple steps and uses mostly pantry ingredients.
- So much flavor: Our shawarma spice blend includes spices like paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic, oregano, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon. With the addition of olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, this vegan shawarma is certainly not lacking in flavor!
- Crispy tofu perfection: Getting tofu to be crispy can be tricky, but it forms a nice crust in the oven in this recipe – no frying required.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this vegan shawarma:
Ingredient Notes
- Tofu: Be sure to use extra firm tofu in this vegan shawarma recipe. Extra firm contains less moisture, which will help it get extra crispy and chewy when cooking. Firm tofu will work in a pinch, but don't use medium or silken tofu.
- It's important to press the tofu before baking to remove as much moisture as possible. If you skip this step, your tofu will not end up getting crisp and chewy.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is always best – trust us!
- Salt: We use Diamond brand kosher salt. If you choose to use fine grain sea salt or table salt, note that they are a finer grain so you will most likely want to start with a little less salt and then taste and adjust the recipe if needed.
- Olive oil: Olive oil pairs well with the spices in this recipe but you can also sub with another oil of choice like avocado, sunflower or vegetable oil. You don't need to use high quality extra virgin olive oil here. Just something basic will do.
- Spices: The fresher, the better. If you haven't cleaned out your spice cabinet in a while (ahem...a few years), make sure to check the dates. If your spices are past their expiration date, they are typically still safe to use, but they will not be as flavorful or fresh tasting. It's a good reminder to check every once in a while!
Instructions
PREP: Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain tofu and pat dry. Place the tofu in between several sheets of paper towel (or a clean dish towel) and set something heavy on top (like a skillet). Let it sit for 30 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible.
Slice the tofu into ½-inch thick cubes or into sticks about 2-inches long.
(1) In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and all of the spices.
(2) Add in the tofu and toss gently to coat.
(3) Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cook time.
Tips and FAQs
- Storage: Although this vegan shawarma is best served right away (before the tofu loses its crispiness), you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- How to serve:
- Pita sandwich: Top pita with a bed of hummus, fresh vegetables like cucumber, red onion and tomatoes, a drizzle of tahini sauce (or tzatziki sauce), and the vegan shawarma.
- Mediterranean plate: Serve with rice pilaf and grilled veggies of choice with hummus and tahini.
- Salad: This vegan shawarma also tastes great on top of a crisp salad, like our chickpea fattoush salad or our quinoa tabbouleh salad.
- Don't skip pressing the tofu: Tofu retains a lot of moisture, so it's essential to remove as much of that moisture as possible in order to make it super crispy. 15-30 minutes should do the trick, but you can press it for up to an hour.
More Tofu Recipes to Enjoy
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Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Shawarma
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Shawarma transforms boring tofu into a chewy, crispy, flavorful meatless main dish! It's perfect for adding to a pita wrap, a salad, or just on its own. With 30 minutes of active cooking time, it's also weeknight friendly!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain tofu and pat dry. Place the tofu in between several sheets of paper towel (or a clean dish towel) and set something heavy on top (like a skillet). Let it sit for 30 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Slice the tofu into ½-inch thick cubes or into sticks about 2-inches long.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and all of the spices. Add in the tofu and toss gently to coat.
- Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cook time.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
- Pita sandwich: Top pita with a bed of hummus, fresh vegetables like cucumber, red onion and tomatoes, a drizzle of tahini sauce (or tzatziki sauce), and the vegan shawarma.
- Mediterranean plate: Serve with rice pilaf and grilled veggies of choice with hummus and tahini.
- Salad: It also tastes great on top of a crisp salad, like our chickpea fattoush salad or our quinoa tabbouleh salad.
Don't skip pressing the tofu: Tofu retains a lot of moisture, so it's essential to remove as much of that moisture as possible in order to make it super crispy. 15-30 minutes should do the trick, but you can press it for up to an hour.
Storage: Although this vegan shawarma is best served right away (before the tofu loses its crispiness), you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Tofu
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 0.7 g
- Sodium: 316.9 mg
- Fat: 15.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10.5 g
Scarlett says
Hi 👋
I had a question but can I put chicken instead of tofu?
Lexi says
Sure!