Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (2024)

Last updated . Originally posted By Jyothi Rajesh 2 Comments

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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.

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  • Chicken shawarma bowl recipe
  • Ingredients needed
  • How to make
  • Tips for making chicken shawarma bowl
  • FAQS
  • 📋Chicken Shawarma Bowl

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.

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (5)

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.

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (6)

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.

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (7)

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

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (8)

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

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (9)

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.

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (10)

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

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (11)

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

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (12)

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

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

Can I make it in advance?

Yes, chicken shawarma is great for meal prep. Cook chicken, prep veggies, cook yellow rice, and cool completely. Then store everything separately in containers refrigerated.
When ready to serve assemble a chicken shawarma bowl or make chicken shawarma wrap using warm pita bread (not pita pocket).

How long can I store chicken shawarma?

Cooked chicken will stay good for 3 to 5 days refrigerated. Store all ingredients separately so they don’t turn soggy.
When ready to serve, simply assemble the bowl or make a wrap with all ingredients and enjoy.

Can I freeze chicken shawarma?

Yes, you can.
You can either freeze the marinated chicken in freezer containers for up to 3 months.
Or you can cook marinated chicken on a grill or oven, let it cool then store it in freezer-safe zip-lock bags. Cooked chicken can be frozen and used for 3 months.

How to reheat frozen chicken shawarma?

Frozen marinated chicken can be reheated in the microwave or oven or on a skillet. Thaw chicken overnight in the refrigerator, then cook chicken in the oven, skillet, or on a grill.
To reheat cooked chicken shawarma, thaw to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet until warmed.

Serving options for chicken shawarma

After cooking chicken shawarma, you can use it to make a wrap with pita bread. Lightly warm pita bread on a skillet, place sliced chicken, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce leaves (and or any other vegetables of your choice), and drizzle with hummus dressing tahini dressing, or cilantro yogurt dressing. Fold the wrap and serve.
To make chicken shawarma bowls – layer the bowl with yellow rice or quinoa, chicken shawarma, vegetables like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, sliced red onions, and iceberg lettuce.
Drizzle with hummus dressing cilantro yogurt sauce tahini dressing or tzatziki. Enjoy immediately.

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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5 from 2 votes

📋Chicken Shawarma Bowl

Jyothi Rajesh

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

Print Recipe Pin RecipeRate this Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings 5 servings

Calories 605

Ingredients

For chicken shawarma-

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken use mix of chicken breast and thighs
  • 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 ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For shawarma bowl toppings-

  • 2 cups yellow rice
  • ½ cup cucumber sliced
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced into halves
  • ½ red onion sliced thin
  • 10-15 olive pitted
  • Any salad greens like iceberg lettuce or Romaine lettuce
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro & mint leaves
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon

For dressing-

  • Use any of the following dressing
  • Hummus dressing
  • Tahini sauce
  • Cilantro yogurt sauce
  • Tzatziki sauce

Instructions

  • Making flavorful and vibrant yellow rice is easy.

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Add chicken to the bowl. Rub chicken thoroughly to spread the marinade all over evenly.

  • Cover and marinade chicken for a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum overnight in the refrigerator.

  • Cook on grill-

    If using 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).

  • Cook in the oven-

    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.

  • Transfer chicken to a wooden board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

  • Slice chicken thin.

  • 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.

  • Drizzle with hummus dressing or cilantro yogurt sauce tahini dressing or tzatziki.

  • Enjoy immediately.

Video

Notes

  1. For juicy flavorful chicken use chicken thighs or use a mix of both chicken breasts and thighs.
  2. The longer the chicken is marinated; the 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 not okay! 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!

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 45gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 886mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 669IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?Follow @CurryTrail and tag #CurryTrail to share your creation!

Created by Jyothi Rajesh

Thank you for stopping by.

I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years.Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.

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Reader Interactions

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Sam says

    Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (20)
    THE BEST! My family can’t wait for me to make this again.

    Reply

    • Jyothi Rajesh says

      Yay, I’m so glad to hear your family loved it Sam. Thank you very much for sharing your feedback! Happy cooking!

      Reply

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is shawarma traditionally made? ›

Shawarma is made by alternately stacking strips of fat and pieces of seasoned meat on a vertical spit. An onion, a tomato, or a halved lemon is sometimes placed at the top for decoration. The meat is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit rotates in front of, or over, a flame for hours.

What is the shawarma cooking technique? ›

Sear shawarma over direct heat, turning often, until sizzling and charred. Move to indirect heat, and gently roast shawarma, turning often, until center is juicy and tender. Grill marinated mushrooms over direct heat until crispy, then finish cooking over indirect heat until tender.

What is so special about shawarma? ›

Flavorful Seasonings: Shawarma is typically made with a combination of aromatic spices, including cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and garlic, which create a rich and complex flavor profile. The seasonings are what give shawarma its distinct and delicious taste.

What is the secret of shawarma? ›

The answer lies in the garnish. Shawarma is all about the delicious sauces that accompany the meat – typically garlic yoghurt or tahini and hommus – and the secret ingredient: pickles. Pickled vegetables are what take shawarma to a whole new plane: pickled cucumbers, turnips, and even carrots or mangoes are common.

What is shawarma seasoning made of? ›

A Middle Eastern staple, shawarma seasoning is made with a unique combination of spices including cumin, turmeric, and paprika. It's bold, bright, and unbelievably delicious. If you've never had it, you're in for a serious treat! All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a bowl, and they're good to go.

What is shawarma marinade made of? ›

Ingredients To Make Chicken shawarma

Oil: For marinating. I prefer to use olive oil, but a neutral oil like avocado or canola will work too. Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled for the best flavor. Seasonings: Garlic, salt, cardamom, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, cinnamon.

Can I use frying pan for shawarma? ›

Alternatively you can place the wraps in a dry frying pan with a lid and let it heat up for 5 minutes.

What is the white thing in shawarma? ›

The white sauce served with chicken shawarma is toum basically garlic sauce and beef shawarma is served with thin Tahini sauce it is a sesame seed paste. What is the "white sauce" on NYC falafel or shawarma? It's either Lebanese garlic spread or tahini sauce.

What's the difference between gyro and shawarma? ›

Gyro is savory with a hint of sweetness and garlic, while Shawarma has a smoky flavor with a hint of sweetness from the marinade. To add flavor and texture, both dishes can be topped with various sauces, pickles, and vegetables. The main difference between shawarma and gyro is the type of meat used.

What does chicken shawarma contain? ›

Chicken shawarma wraps: Fill pita bread pockets or flat pita bread with chicken shawarma pieces and onion. Then add sauce or homemade hummus and other trimmings such as shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and pink pickled turnips (lifft). Homemade Pita Bread is terrific here.

What type of people eat shawarma? ›

Shawarma is a Popular Middle Eastern Dish

You can find this delicious marinated meat, small and locally owned businesses for the most authentic experience, and other Middle Eastern restaurants.

What is shawarma called in America? ›

It came from the “Tacos Arabes” which they call the shawarmas created by these immigrants. The Greek immigrants brought their version of gyro, which uses lamb or beef as meat, to New York and Chicago in the 1970s. As expected, it made a good impression among Americans.

What makes shawarma taste like shawarma? ›

The distinctive flavor of shawarma spice comes from its main ingredients, including ground cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Other additions include cinnamon, cloves, allspice and dried mint. In some recipes, you'll also find nutmeg and cardamom.

How unhealthy is shawarma meat? ›

One of the biggest disadvantages of shawarma is that it is high in fat and calories.” “The meat used in shawarma is often very fatty, and the addition of oils and sauces can add even more calories. As a result, eating shawarma on a regular basis can lead to weight gain.”

Is shawarma Arab or Turkish? ›

Originating from the Ottoman Empire (roughly modern-day Turkey) in the 18th or 19th century, shawarma, also spelled shawurma or shawerma, meaning “turning” in Arabic, is a Levantine meat preparation, where thin cuts of lamb, chicken, beef, or mixed meats are stacked in a cone-like shape on a vertical rotisserie (it has ...

What is shawarma called in the USA? ›

When people in America hear the term shawarma, they think of gyro, and while gyro is prepared the same way as shawarma, it is not created using the same kind of meats. Gyro is made with ground meat, lamb, beef, or goat.

Why is shawarma cooked vertically? ›

The word shawarma is an adaptation of the Turkish word çevirme meaning 'turning,' a descriptive nod to the fact that it turns on its axis while roasting. The meat rotates slowly on a vertical spit, allowing it to cook evenly and develop a tantalizing, crispy outer layer.

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