VoltraCalories in shawarma: chicken or meat, sandwich or meat only
A chicken shawarma sandwich, with bread, tahini and vegetables, has about 245 kcal per 100 g, and a meat shawarma sandwich about 227 kcal per 100 g, in lab analyses from Bahrain [1]. The shawarma meat on its own, without bread or sauce, measured 197 kcal per 100 g for chicken and 179 for meat in Lebanon [2].
So the sandwich's weight decides the total: 200 g of chicken shawarma sandwich is about 490 kcal (calculated).
Calories per 100 g
| Shawarma | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken sandwich (bread, tahini, vegetables) [1] | 245 | 15.8 g | 9.6 g | 24.0 g |
| Meat sandwich (bread, tahini, vegetables) [1] | 227 | 15.1 g | 8.9 g | 21.9 g |
| Chicken, meat only (no bread or sauce) [2] | 197 | 29.7 g | 8.2 g | 1.1 g |
| Meat, meat only (no bread or sauce) [2] | 179 | 17.5 g | 11.0 g | 2.6 g |
| White pita bread [3] | 275 | 9.1 g | 1.2 g | 55.7 g |
The Bahrain tables label this energy column in kilojoules, but the values are kilocalories: the protein, fat and carbohydrate add up to them. The same tables list chicken and meat shawarma elsewhere at 251 and 238 kcal per 100 g [1].
A shawarma sandwich
Sandwiches vary in size, and we found no published standard weight. These examples use the Bahraini analyses:
| Sandwich weight | Chicken | Meat |
|---|---|---|
| 150 g | ≈ 370 kcal | ≈ 340 kcal |
| 200 g | ≈ 490 kcal | ≈ 450 kcal |
| 300 g | ≈ 740 kcal | ≈ 680 kcal |
Bread and garlic sauce
Most of a sandwich's carbohydrate comes from the bread. A large white pita (about 60 g) has about 165 kcal, and a small one (about 28 g) about 77 kcal (calculated from [3]).
We found no published analysis of toum, the garlic sauce. It's an emulsion of garlic and oil, and oil has about 884 kcal per 100 g [4], so a generous amount adds up quickly. If your sandwich has a lot of it, say so in your note when you scan.
Shawarma plates
We didn't find an analysis of shawarma plates with rice or fries, or of the "Arabi" platter, so we don't give a figure. Add up the parts instead: the meat (179 to 197 kcal per 100 g), plus the bread, fries or rice, plus the sauce.
How to log it in Voltra
- On the Eat tab, tap Scan a meal and photograph your plate, or tap Describe and type it, for example "chicken shawarma sandwich, large, with garlic sauce".
- Add a note about the sauce, such as how much garlic sauce or tahini.
- Check the grams for each item, then tap Log. If you weighed your plate, use that weight.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a chicken shawarma sandwich?
About 245 kcal per 100 g with bread, tahini and vegetables, so about 490 kcal for a 200 g sandwich. Bigger sandwiches and extra garlic sauce add more.
Chicken or meat shawarma: which has fewer calories?
They're close. In Bahrain's analysis, the meat sandwich had 227 kcal per 100 g and the chicken sandwich 245. Without bread, meat shawarma measured 179 and chicken 197 in Lebanon.
How many calories are in shawarma without bread?
The meat alone measured 197 kcal per 100 g for chicken and 179 for meat, without bread or sauce.
How many calories does garlic sauce add?
We found no published analysis of toum. It's made with oil, which has about 884 kcal per 100 g, so it adds up quickly.
Sources
- Musaiger AO (2011). Food Composition Tables for Kingdom of Bahrain. Arab Center for Nutrition
- Hoteit M, Zoghbi E, Rady A, Shankiti I, Al-Jawaldeh A (2021). Development of a Lebanese food exchange system. F1000Research 10:12
- USDA FoodData Central. Bread, pita, white, enriched (FDC 174915)
- USDA FoodData Central. Oil, canola (FDC 172336)
Sources checked on 29 September 2026. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
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