Lebanese shawarma in Dearborn is a stacked spit of marinated chicken or lamb shaved into pita with garlic sauce (toum), pickles and a hot pepper if you ask.

Dearborn hosts the largest Arab-American population in the US, founded around the Ford Rouge plant from the 1910s onward. Lebanese immigration after the 1975 civil war and the 1990s Iraq wars built the West Warren Avenue corridor. Al Ameer opened 1989 and won the James Beard America's Classic in 2016, the first Michigan venue to do so. Shawarma here is closer to Beirut than to Brooklyn: thin pita, garlic sauce thick and white, no tahini in the wrap. Sahara on Michigan Avenue dates to 1968, the older sibling on the city's Lebanese strip.

Where to eat Lebanese shawarma in Detroit

3 editor picks for Lebanese shawarma in Detroit, ranked by editorial score. All Detroit signature dishes · Lebanese shawarma across every city.

Book food experiences in Detroit

See all 112 food experiences in Detroit

Make it at home

Serves 44 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 800g boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Half teaspoon allspice
  • Half teaspoon cinnamon
  • Salt
  • 4 thin pita breads
  • For toum: 1 cup raw garlic, half cup ice water, 1 cup neutral oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt
  • Pickled turnips and a hot pepper to serve

Method

  1. Mix garlic, lemon, oil and spices. Marinate chicken thighs at least 3 hours.
  2. For toum: blend garlic, salt and lemon juice in a tall blender. Drizzle in oil very slowly while running until thick and white. Add ice water in stages to emulsify.
  3. Heat a heavy skillet or grill over high heat. Sear the chicken 4 minutes a side until charred at the edges and cooked through.
  4. Rest 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips.
  5. Warm the pita. Smear with toum, fill with chicken, add pickled turnips, fold and eat.
  6. Serve with a hot pepper alongside for the canonical Dearborn finish.

Editor tip. Toum is the hardest part; the emulsion will break if you rush the oil. Use a tall, narrow blender and drizzle in dribbles, not a stream.

Common allergens: Gluten.