When you want a healthy, flavorful, and easy-to-make recipe, these chicken shawarma bowls check all the boxes.
Why Chicken Shawarma Bowls Are a Family Favorite
- I use tender, juicy chicken pieces, loaded with Mediterranean spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander, and a pinch of cayenne for a spicy kick!
- Easy to adapt to my family’s personal preferences.
- Perfect for busy weeknights because it’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Shawarma Bowls!
I’m no stranger to authentic shawarma. It’s a traditional Middle Eastern street food from the Levant region, which is where my husband’s family is from.
In our house, creating modern twists on traditional shawarma is pretty common. I have seven different shawarma recipes on this website, including grilled shawarma on a spit and this shawarma bowl recipe. I even created my own homemade shawarma spice blend. In a Mediterranean household, we take our shawarma seriously!
Traditional shawarma is made from either chicken, beef, veal, lamb, or a mixture of meats. The seasoned meat is alternated with strips of fat on a vertical spit for juicy, tender slices of meat. However, you don’t need special equipment for my shawarma bowl recipe.
I keep it pretty simple by adapting my chicken shawarma recipe, skipping the pita bread and making it more like a Mediterranean salad. There is something about throwing fresh, delicious, and flavorful ingredients into a bowl that makes the meal feel so comforting and satisfying. The result is a low-carb, gluten-free, high-protein, and fiber-rich shawarma bowl perfect for busy weeknights and healthy grab-and-go meal prep lunches.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Bowls
For this easy shawarma bowls recipe, there are two simple components: preparing and cooking the chicken and assembling the salad. Here is how:
- Mix the spices: In a small bowl, combine 3/4 tablespoon each of cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of cloves and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Pat 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry, season with salt on both sides, and thinly slice into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and add the shawarma spices, 1 large thinly sliced onion, juice from 1 lemon, and 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare the salad. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight.
- Prepare the salad. Place 8 ounces of arugula, 2 to 3 diced Roma tomatoes, 1 diced English cucumber, and 1/4 of a medium red onion thinnly sliced in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and sumac. Mix well. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Cook the chicken: Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken, cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, then toss and cook another 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. (I like a bit of color on my chicken, so I tend to go a bit longer until the chicken is browned and crusted in some parts.)
- When ready, divide the salad into serving bowls. Top with chicken shawarma and add a dollop of hummus, tzatziki, or baba ganoush to the bowl to give you even more flavor, texture, and volume. These creamy extras give your shawarma bowl a little more pizzazz.
How to Meal Prep Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Make the chicken the same way as the regular recipe.
- Make the salad according to the recipe instructions, but do not add the dressing. Keep dressing on the side in a little container to add right before you eat the salad.
- Divide salad and chicken evenly between airtight containers. The salad is best eaten within 2-4 days after assembled and kept in the fridge.
- Put extras like hummus, tzatziki, and baba ganoush in small containers as well to avoid eating a soggy salad.
More Shawarma Recipes
Once you’ve made my chicken shawarma bowls, try your hand at some of my other favorite recipes (I wasn’t kidding when I said I take my shawarma seriously!):
- Easy Homemade Chicken Shawarma (The chicken is baked and served in a pita.)
- Grilled Chicken Shawarma on a Spit
- Spicy Cauliflower Shawarma
- Beef Shawarma
- Vegan Mushroom Shawarma with Tahini
- Shawarma Spiced Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma
- 3/4 tbsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tbsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 tbsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tbsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more if you prefer
- salt
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large lemon, juice of
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, Private Reserve Greek EVOO
For the Salad
- 8 oz baby arugula
- 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- extra virgin olive oil Private Reserve or Early Harvest Greek EVOO
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
To Serve
- A side of hummus tzatziki, tahini, or baba ganoush
Instructions
- Prepare the spice mix: In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
- Dry the slice the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
- Season the chicken: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shawarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss to combine. Set aside for now, while you prepare the salad (and if you have time, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight.)
- Prepare the salad: Place the arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in one large mixing bowl. In a small bowl make the dressing combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and sumac. Mix well. When ready, pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Cook the chicken: Put a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken, cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, then toss and cook another 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (I like a bit of color on my chicken, so I tend to go a bit longer until chicken is browned and crusted in some parts.)
- Assemble: When ready, divide the salad into serving bowls. Add chicken shawarma. If you like, add a side of hummus, tzatziki or tahini. Add warm pita wedges if needed. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Leftovers? Let leftover cooked chicken shawarma cool fully. Store in tight-lid glass containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Visit Our Online shop to browse all-natural and organic spices and quality extra virgin olive oils to make this recipe!
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How much oil should we use for the salad dressing? I’m missing the exact amount in the recipe. I’ll figure it out but am wondering how much you used please.
Hi, Camille! I typically start with 1/4 cup here, taste, and add more if needed.
I’ve made SO many recipes on this website and all of them have been good. That being said to future cooks; if you make this and don’t like something, either omit it or add something you like. I don’t like cumin personally, so I use garam Masala instead! I promise, the food police won’t come knocking lol.
Thanks for the tip, Kristi! We agree :).
I agree, I’ve made a few recipes from the site and they have all been flavor bombs! Just made this chicken tonight and OMG delicious with tzatziki and fresh cucumbers, kalamata olives and toasted pita. I didn’t even have the cloves in my pantry but had everything else and still turned out AH-mazing. Thank you, Suzy!! Delish.
Awww! Thank you so much, Marlene!
Thanks for your suggestion of garam masala as a substitute for cumin. Most of my family doesn’t care for cumin. I’m making this recipe as our dinner tonight. Can’t wait to taste.
Can you use chicken tenders or chicken breasts instead of thighs with this recipe? Thanks!
PS Love watching your show online.
Sure! Enjoy!
This dish was so flavorful and amazing! So, I do not like to cook but do ok with recipes. THIS IS A GREAT RECIPE. I wanted to cook for my family since my husband is the house chef and has been cooking nonstop since Thanksgiving. I served this was homemade tzatziki and homemade avocado hummus on lavish flatbread. Yum!!
Will chicken breast work well with this recipe? I find very small boneless chicken thighs here in France and I was wondering about how many grams 8 would be. I want to make for guests I’m having for a casual lunch. Thanks 😊
Hi, Dottie. You can definitely use chicken breast here. I’d recommend 1.5 lbs. which is about 680 grams. Enjoy!
My entire family loved this dish! I will definitely make it many times. I noticed you didn’t give an amount of oil for the dressing though.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa! Regarding the oil, I typically start with 1/4 cup here, taste, and add more if needed.
Hi Suzy,
Made your chicken shawarma for the first time 2 days ago and it was so flavorful and easy! Loved it! In fact, my husband and I have eaten it for two days as we had leftovers. Today I’m prepping dried chickpeas to try your falafel recipe. Can’t wait to try that too. Thanks for great, easy to follow recipes.
Christine
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Christine!
I’ve made these bowls so many times and never get bored with them. The flavor of the spice mix is just delicious. And I love the crispy bits from the cast iron heat. So good! I always make a few extra batches and with the leftovers I pack myself salad bowls for lunch and put the chicken in pita for my husband’s lunch.
I’ve used chicken breasts and they also come out very good (although I prefer the thighs!)
Thanks for sharing!
I just ordered your cookbook…so excited to try your recipes
Thanks so much for your support! Hope you love the book!!
Delicious, but do you recommend draining the chicken before browning?
Yes, Michelle. I typically do.
How much oil for the dressing? Thank you.
Hi, Sharon. I typically start with 1/4 cup here, taste, and add more if needed.
I made this, and love it. But, how much olive oil is used for the dressing? I don’t see it in the recipe, or for some reason, maybe I am just missing it. I just guessed how much, but would like to know if there is a suggested amount. Thank you, Sharon
Hi, Sharon. I typically start with 1/4 cup here, taste, and add more if needed.
I’m excited to try this, but am wondering why it is so high in sodium. I know the recipe calls for some salt, but it doesn’t seem like it would be over 600 mg per serving. Thanks!
Hi, Ann. At the moment, we use a very basic nutritional calculator. It really just gives us a best estimate for each recipe’s nutritional information based on the general ingredient list.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner. Since it’s so hot out, I left the thighs whole and grilled them outside on the BBQ. Once the chicken was done, I cut it up and put it on top of a salad. The meat was so flavorful! This recipe will be made again and again!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Kris!
Dear Suzy,
What is the bone broth recipe with glycine and collagen (liquid gold)?
With regards,
Jane C. Muhonen
Hi, Jane. I don’t have a specific recipe for bone broth. Are you referring to the sauce used in the Cilantro Lime Chicken? That one is so yummy, we often refer to it as “liquid gold” :).
I cooked this recipe twice now and both times it was delicious! Your website made me use more spices in my cooking and I love it. Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks, Irina!
Hi Suzy, this is always a hit in our house! The spice mix is just amazing. The chicken is so tender and has a lovely char to it, along with the onions. We added some extras to our salad just because we had them to hand : olives, feta and avocado. We finally got our hands on some tahini and put this to the side as shown in your photo. We are in love! Tahini is so yummy. Thank you for this wonderful recipe 🤗
Thank you for sharing, Lee!!