These 30-minute shawarma chicken bowls pack in all of the delicious shawarma flavors, but made simpler with baked chicken breast. Traditional shawarma is made with slow-roasted cuts of meat like turkey, beef or chicken that get thinly shaved and served in a wrap or over rice.
I gave the traditional recipe a spin with this shawarma spiced chicken breast, and served it with some of my favorite middle eastern flavors.
The chicken is seasoned with a handful of warm, flavorful spices like smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne and allspice then baked until tender. I like to slice the chicken once its cooked and set it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.
This recipe makes for an easy weeknight meal prep served with all the fix-ins like beet hummus, tomato onion salad, and rice. Serve it as a bowl or in pita bread with a generous drizzle of tahini sauce.
What you’ll need to make chicken shawarma bowls
- Boneless chicken breast or thighs: I normally prefer chicken thighs for this recipe, but for a leaner protein during the week I love using chicken breast
- Homemade spice blend: paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, allspice
- Olive oil & lemon juice
- Tomato onion salad: a simple salad made of grape tomatoes, red onion, fresh parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper
- Sides & dips: I love serving my shawarma chicken over a bowl of rice with pickles, beet hummus, and sumac onions
- Sauces: homemade tahini sauce and amba (pickled mango sauce) are my go-to
Marinate the chicken
Start by marinating the chicken in the olive oil, lemon juice and your spice blend for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the better so preparing this ahead of time will add even more flavor
Bake the chicken
Bake the chicken breast whole for about 15 minutes, then slice each breast into thin strips and finish it under the broiler
Prepare the salads/dips
While the chicken bakes, blend together the beet hummus and chop the tomato onion salad. Prepare your rice and warm some pita bread.
Assemble the bowls
When ready to serve, assemble your shawarma chicken bowls with all your toppings
This recipe can easily double as meal prep for the week and assembled when ready to serve. It’s full of flavor and comes together in just around 30 minutes.
I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
Other easy dinner ideas:
Maple Dijon Salmon Sheet-pan
Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Baked Feta Pasta with Harissa
Shawarma Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or sub boneless thighs)
- Olive oil, about 2-3 tbsp
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp allspice
Tomato Onion Salad
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- Handful fresh parsley
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
Tahini sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Serve with
- Beet hummus
- Sumac onions
- Pickles
- Pita
- Rice
Directions
- To a large bowl or ziplock combine the chicken spices, lemon juice and olive oil, then add in your chicken breast. Toss together to coat evenly then marinate for at least 30 minutes or a few hours if preparing ahead of time.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Place the chicken onto a sheet pan with any remaining marinade. Bake the chicken for 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 F. Thicker pieces may need another 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place it onto a cutting board. Slice the chicken into strips then place it back on the sheet pan. Broil the chicken for another 2-3 minutes to brown.
- While the chicken bakes, prepare your sides. Toss the tomato onion salad ingredients together and prepare your beet hummus.
- Prepare the tahini sauce by whisking together the tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt until smooth. The sauce should be thick but spreadable, so add more tahini paste if it’s too runny, or more water if its too thick.
- Serve the chicken over rice with pita, hummus, tahini, pickles and the salad.
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