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Chicken Shawarma Bowl
5 from 10 votes

Chicken Shawarma Bowl

The Chicken Shawarma Bowl features marinated chicken breasts and thighs grilled with a blend of Middle Eastern spices, accompanied by bright yellow rice and fresh vegetables like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Herbs such as mint and cilantro enhance the fresh flavor, while optional dressings like tahini or tzatziki offer creamy accompaniments, making it a balanced and vibrant meal.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 605 kcal
Course: Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Ingredients

For chicken shawarma-
  • 2 pounds chicken use mix of chicken breast and thighs, boneless
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon garlic minced (can use garlic powder)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
For shawarma bowl toppings-
  • 2 cups yellow rice
  • ½ cup cucumber sliced
  • ½ cup cherry tomato sliced into halves
  • ½ red onion sliced thin
  • 10-15 olive pitted
  • salad greens like iceberg lettuce or Romaine lettuce
  • 2 tablespoon mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro
  • lemon juice and zest of 1
For dressing-
  • Use any of the following dressing
  • hummus dressing
  • tahini sauce
  • Yogurt sauce with cilantro
  • tzatziki sauce

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Making flavorful and vibrant yellow rice is easy.
  2. Once yellow rice is ready, cover the rice with a lid and set it aside until use.
  3. 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.
  4. Chicken shawarma-For best results use a mix of both chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs. Score chicken breast and thighs with a pairing knife on both sides.
  5. In a wide 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.
  6. Add chicken to the bowl. Rub chicken thoroughly to spread the marinade all over evenly.
  7. Cover and marinade chicken for a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum overnight in the refrigerator.
  8. Cook on grill-If using grill, heat the grill to 375 to 425 degrees F.
  9. 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).
  10. Cook in the oven-Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  11. Arrange marinated chicken in a single layer on the sheet.
  12. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  13. Transfer chicken to a wooden board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  14. Slice chicken thin.
  15. Assemble chicken shawarma bowl-Layer the bowl with yellow rice or quinoa, chicken shawarma, vegetables like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, sliced red onions, and iceberg lettuce.
  16. Drizzle with hummus dressing or cilantro yogurt sauce tahini dressing or tzatziki.
  17. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

  • Use a mix of chicken breast and thighs for juicier and more flavorful shawarma chicken.
  • Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour to deeply infuse flavors; overnight marinating is ideal.
  • Check doneness with a meat thermometer to avoid undercooked or overcooked chicken.
  • Rest cooked chicken for 5 minutes before slicing to retain moisture.
  • Customize toppings with raw or roasted vegetables as desired.
  • Nutritional info varies depending on ingredient brands and quantities used.

Nutrition Information

Calories 605kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 64g (21%) Protein 45g (90%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 11g (55%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 116mg (39%) Sodium 350mg (15%) Potassium 886mg (19%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 669IU (13%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 57mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 605

% Daily Value*

Calories 605kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Protein 45g 90%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 350mg 15%
Potassium 886mg 19%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 669IU 13%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 57mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.