Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (2024)

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Chicken shawarma bowl is a Middle Eastern-inspired chicken shawarma recipe that is easy to make at home and packs big flavors. It can be used in shawarma wraps or shawarma bowls that is served with yellow rice for make-ahead lunches for work.

Chicken shawarma bowl recipe

1. Usually, chicken shawarma is made on is rotating spit. You can achieve amazing flavorful and charred chicken at home on a grill or in the oven.
2. Chicken is juicy and packs big flavors from lemon juice and a wonderful mix of spices.
3. Use chicken shawarma in shawarma wrap with pita bread/flatbread or turn it into a bowl with loads of your favorite veggies and grains like rice or quinoa.
4. This is a fantastic make-ahead lunch for work or school. Great for meal preps.
5. Busy weekday dinner is only 40 minutes away with this amazing chicken shawarma bowl

Ingredients needed

For chicken shawarma-

For shawarma bowl toppings-

All the ingredients exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.

Ingredients additions & substitutions

1. Substitute fresh garlic with garlic powder.
2. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder to the marinade for bright color.
3. Use any vegetables raw or roasted to assemble the shawarma bowl.
   • Raw vegetables like cucumber, tomato, onion, and lettuce can be used.
   • Add roasted vegetables – bell peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower (seasoned with salt, pepper, and curry powder mix) in a sheet pan in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Use roasted veggies to assemble shawarma bowls.
4. Use any grain of your choice for the bowl. Yellow rice, lentils, and quinoa are some of the best choices for grains.
5. Feel free to add crumbled or cubed feta cheese and sliced almonds for enhanced taste and texture.

How to make

Making flavorful and vibrant yellow rice is easy. Just follow this fail-proof recipe.

Once yellow rice is ready, cover rice with lid and set it aside until use.

Prep toppings/vegetables-

Slice cucumbers, half cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion. Toss vegetables in 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Keep aside.

Adding lemon juice and zest is optional. You can use vegetables as it is.

Step 1: In a bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

Step 2: Add chicken to the bowl.

For best results use a mix of both chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs. Score chicken breasts and thighs with a pairing knife before marinating.

Step 3: Rub chicken thoroughly to spread the marinade all over evenly.

Step 4: Cover and marinate the chicken for a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 5: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange marinated chicken in a single layer on the sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Step 6: Transfer chicken to a wooden board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the chicken thin.

Step 7: Layer the bowl with yellow rice or quinoa, chicken shawarma.

Step 8: Add vegetables like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, sliced red onions, and iceberg lettuce.

Step 9: Drizzle with hummus dressing cilantro yogurt sauce tahini dressing or tzatziki. Serve immediately.

See Also

Easy Asian Slaw Recipe (Asian Cabbage Salad) - The Kitchen GirlEasy and Delicious Vegan Burrito Bowls RecipeMary Berry Broccoli And Stilton Soup RecipeStrawberry Tops Vinegar Recipe is slightly sweet, tart, and flavorful.

Cook on grill-

If using the grill, heat the grill to 375 to 425 degrees F.

Grease the grill with olive oil. Place marinated chicken on a hot grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165 degrees F).

Tips for making chicken shawarma bowl

1. For juicy flavorful chicken use chicken thighs or use a mix of both chicken breasts and thighs.
2. The longer chicken is marinated; chicken will absorb bags of flavors resulting in more flavorful chicken shawarma.
3. Customize the chicken shawarma bowl according to your preference. Add or swap any ingredient topping. Use raw vegetables(cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onions, iceberg lettuce, or Romaine lettuce) or roasted vegetables (bell peppers, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, zucchini), mushrooms) or a mix of both.
4. Undercooked or overcooked chicken is bad! To ensure the chicken is cooked use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
5. After the chicken is cooked, rest it on a wooden board for 5 minutes before slicing. Resting is essential for chicken to absorb all the moisture in it. You’ll lose all the moisture from the chicken if sliced immediately after cooking, hence turning the chicken dry!

FAQS

TRY THESE CHICKEN DINNER RECIPES:

• Teriyaki sheet pan chicken
• Instant pot butter chicken
• Brown sugar bacon wrapped chicken
• Baked salsa chicken
• Chinese lemon chicken
• Instant pot chicken marsala

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