How many calories in chicken shawarma?
Last updated: · Prepared by: QuickCalo Team
Short answer
One sandwich of chicken shawarma (about 205 g) has about 535 kcal and 30 g of protein; 100 g has about 261 kcal. What changes the calories most is the garlic sauce, the bread and any fries. One sandwich with garlic sauce and pickles was calculated; the plate and the meat alone are listed too.
Chicken shawarma is one of the most popular street foods across the Arab world: chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon and garlic is stacked on a vertical spit, shaved into thin slices and wrapped in Arabic bread with toum garlic sauce and pickles.
The chicken itself is lean and high in protein, but toum is an emulsion of oil and garlic, so a spoonful adds a lot of fat. Many shops tuck fries inside the wrap or serve them alongside, which raises the total noticeably.
| Serving | Grams | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 sandwich | 205 | 535 | 30 | 41 | 27 |
| 100 g | 100 | 261 | 14.4 | 20.2 | 13.3 |
| Plate — 1 plate | 480 | 910 | 51 | 43 | 60 |
| Meat only — 100 g | 100 | 209 | 22.8 | 0.9 | 12.1 |
What changes the calories in Chicken shawarma?
- Garlic sauce: an extra spoon of toum adds plenty of fat.
- Bread: large saj or baguette-style bread adds carbohydrate.
- Fries: inside the wrap or on the side.
How to enjoy Chicken shawarma a little lighter
- Ask for less garlic sauce, or swap it for tahini or yogurt sauce.
- Add salad and skip the fries.
How were these values calculated?
No official record matches this dish directly, so the values come from a recipe calculation: the nutrients of each ingredient were taken from USDA FoodData Central, added up and divided by the cooked weight. Raw total 205 g, cooked weight 205 g.
One sandwich: chicken shawarma (USDA roasted thigh meat with a yogurt, lemon and garlic marinade) in Arabic bread with garlic sauce and pickles. Fries inside the wrap are not included.
| Ingredient | Grams | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chicken shawarma meat | 100 | 209 | 22.8 | calculated on this site |
| pita bread | 70 | 193 | 6.4 | USDA FDC 174915 |
| garlic sauce (toum) | 20 | 131 | 0.2 | calculated on this site |
| dill pickles | 15 | under 5 | 0.1 | USDA FDC 168558 |
Spices (under 5 g in total per recipe) are not counted.
Other rows in the table:
- Plate: Recipe calculation. Plate with fries, salad, pickles, garlic sauce and a little bread.
Ingredient Grams Calories (kcal) Protein (g) Source chicken shawarma meat 200 418 45.6 calculated on this site French fries 100 198 1.9 calculated on this site (USDA FDC 2709458) garlic sauce (toum) 30 197 0.3 calculated on this site tomato 50 9 0.4 USDA FDC 170457 cucumber 50 8 0.3 USDA FDC 168409 dill pickles 20 under 5 0.1 USDA FDC 168558 pita bread 30 83 2.7 USDA FDC 174915 Total 480 915 51.3 - Meat only: Recipe calculation.
Item Grams Calories (kcal) Protein (g) Source chicken shawarma meat 100 209 22.8 calculated on this site Total 100 209 22.8
Serving weights:
- 1 sandwich: the whole recipe
Calories per 100 g are rounded to a whole number and macros to one decimal; serving calories to the nearest 5 and protein to a whole gram.
Can you count the calories in Chicken shawarma from a photo?
Yes: in QuickCalo, snap a photo of your plate or type what you ate, and get the calories and protein in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How much does one sandwich of chicken shawarma weigh?
On this page, one sandwich of chicken shawarma is taken as about 205 g (the whole recipe). The real weight depends on the recipe, the size and how it is served.
How much protein is in chicken shawarma?
One sandwich of chicken shawarma has about 30 g of protein; 100 g has 14.4 g.
Is chicken shawarma healthier than meat shawarma?
Usually lighter, but the sauce and bread make the biggest difference to the total.
Similar foods
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018) and FNDDS 2021–2023 datasets; accessed 16 October 2026
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