This vegan shawarma wrap is packed with juicy, deeply seasoned tofu, tangy sumac onions, creamy garlic sauce, and a smoky-spicy red sauce—all wrapped up in warm flatbread. This recipe makes two generously filled wraps and is perfect for an easy lunch, dinner, or a homemade takeout-style meal.
And if you’re looking for more meatless dupes of your favorite dishes, check out my vegan birria tacos, chik-fil-a chicken sandwich dupe, and my tacos with chimichurri!
Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Extra-firm tofu: Tofu creates the meaty, satisfying filling for this vegan shawarma wrap. Boiling it in a seasoned broth helps flavor the tofu throughout.
- Soy sauce, vegetable bouillon, and liquid smoke: These ingredients create a deeply savory boiling liquid for the tofu. The soy sauce and bouillon add saltiness and umami, while the liquid smoke gives it a subtle charred, grilled flavor.
- Vegan yogurt, tomato paste, and olive oil: These form the base of the shawarma marinade. The yogurt helps the spices cling to the tofu, tomato paste adds richness and color, and olive oil helps the exterior brown and crisp in the air fryer. If you are vegetarian, feel free to use regular yogurt!
- Sumac: This tart, citrusy spice is used in both the tofu marinade and the onion topping. It adds brightness and a slightly fruity acidity that balances the creamy garlic sauce and rich, savory tofu.
- Tortillas: Shawarma is traditionally served in thin Middle Eastern flatbreads such as pita, saj, or lavash. For this recipe, large flour tortillas are an easy, accessible substitute.
How to Make Vegan Shawarma
- Prepare the sumac onions: Add the thinly sliced red onion, sumac, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl. Toss everything together, then set the onions aside to soften and marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Boil the tofu: Bring the water, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon paste, and liquid smoke to a boil in a large pot. Add the tofu and boil until it has absorbed the savory flavor. Remove it from the liquid and allow it to cool slightly.
- Coat the tofu in the shawarma marinade: Combine the vegan yogurt, olive oil, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, paprika, sumac, salt, white pepper, coriander, cumin, and hot sauce. Add the boiled tofu and gently toss until every piece is thoroughly coated.
- Air-fry the tofu: Arrange the marinated tofu in the air-fryer basket and lightly spray it with oil. Air-fry at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, turning as needed, until browned and slightly crisp around the edges.
- Assemble the vegan shawarma wrap: Mix together the vegan mayo, garlic paste, salt, and lemon juice to make the garlic sauce. Spread the sauce over the flatbread, then add the air-fried tofu, sumac onions, and any other desired fillings. Fold or roll the wrap tightly.
- Brush and crisp the wrap: Melt the vegan butter and mix it with the hot sauce, ketchup, and smoked paprika. Brush the red sauce over the outside of the assembled wrap, then place it in a hot pan and cook until golden and crisp. For even more flavor, brush it with another layer of red sauce and crisp it once more.
My Expert Tips
Crisp the wrap seam-side down first: Place the assembled wrap seam-side down in the pan after brushing it with the red sauce. This helps seal the wrap before you turn it and crisp the remaining sides.
Don’t skip boiling the tofu: Boiling does more than season the tofu. The heat changes and firms up its soy protein structure, helping the tofu develop a denser, slightly chewier texture that holds together better during marinating and air-frying. It also encourages some moisture exchange, allowing the savory soy sauce, bouillon, and liquid smoke mixture to flavor the tofu more deeply. Let it cool slightly before adding the yogurt marinade so the coating adheres instead of becoming thin or watery.
Vegan Shawarma FAQs
Vegan shawarma can be made with tofu, seitan, soy curls, mushrooms, or another plant-based protein. This vegan shawarma wrap uses extra-firm tofu coated in a yogurt-based shawarma marinade, and air-fried until browned around the edges.
Sumac has a tart, bright, slightly fruity flavor similar to lemon. It adds acidity to both the tofu marinade and the red onion topping, helping balance the creamy garlic sauce and rich, savory filling.
Yes. Arrange the marinated tofu in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly spray it with oil, and bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Bake until the tofu is godlen brown and lightly crisp around the edges.
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Vegan Shawarma Wrap
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 14 ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
- Oil spray, as needed
For the Boiling Marinade
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
For the Yogurt Marinade
- 1/4 cup vegan yogurt, or regular yogurt if you aren't vegan!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, I used Frank’s RedHot
For the Sumac Onions
- 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of salt, or to taste
For the Garlic Sauce (double if you like lot's of sauce like me!)
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the Red Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I used Frank’s RedHot
- 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Wraps
- 2 large flour tortillas
- sliced pickles
- Additional fillings of choice, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the sumac onions: Add the sliced red onion, sumac, lemon juice, and salt to a small bowl. Toss until evenly combined, then set aside to soften while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Boil the tofu: Add the water, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon paste, and liquid smoke to a large pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Carefully add the tofu and boil for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Cool the tofu: Remove the tofu from the boiling liquid with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate or clean kitchen towel. Allow it to cool slightly so the yogurt marinade does not become thin or watery.
- Prepare the yogurt marinade: Add the vegan yogurt, olive oil, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic paste, ginger paste, paprika, sumac, salt, white pepper, coriander, cumin, and hot sauce to a mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and evenly combined.
- Coat the tofu: Add the boiled tofu to the yogurt marinade and gently toss until every piece is evenly coated.
- Air-fry the tofu: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, if required by your model. Arrange the marinated tofu in a single layer in the air-fryer basket and lightly spray it with oil. Air-fry for 12 to 15 minutes, turning or shaking the basket halfway through, until the coating is set and the edges are browned.
- Make the garlic sauce: Stir together the vegan mayonnaise, garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt. Taste and adjust the lemon or salt as needed.
- Make the red sauce: Combine the melted vegan butter, hot sauce, ketchup, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Assemble the wraps: Warm the tortillas briefly so they are soft and pliable. Spread the garlic sauce over each tortilla, then divide the air-fried tofu and sumac onions between them. Add any optional fillings, then fold in the sides and roll each tortilla tightly.
- Brush and crisp: Brush a thin layer of red sauce over the outside of each assembled wrap. Place the wraps seam-side down in a heated skillet and cook over medium heat until sealed, golden, and crisp. Turn and crisp the remaining sides.
- Add another coating, if desired: For a stronger smoky-spicy flavor, brush the wraps with another thin layer of red sauce and return them to the pan briefly. Serve warm with extra garlic sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
