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.
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.
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Notes
For juicy flavorful chicken use chicken thighs or use a mix of both chicken breasts and thighs.
The longer the chicken is marinated; the chicken will absorb bags of flavors resulting in more flavorful chicken shawarma.
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.
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.
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.Â