Mains & Entrees
Bowls: Grilled Chicken Shawarma
Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls are loaded with flavor! Slices of marinated and grilled chicken shawarma is served on top of saffron rice with a tomato cucumber salad, chopped romaine, pickles, hummus and Lebanese garlic
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 1 hour
- Cook 8 minutes
- Total 3 hours
This is a recipe I could eat every single day.
Chicken marinates in lemon juice and yogurt seasoned with from-scratch shawarma seasoning. Once grilled, it’s sliced and added to a bowl of saffron rice, tomato cucumber salad, thinly sliced pickles, romaine and olives. A few dollops of garlic sauce and hummus and a squeeze of lemon completes this fresh and well-seasoned rice bowl.
Leftovers are only as memorable too.
To Make The Chicken Shawarma Marinade Gather:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- plain whole milk yogurt (not fat free)
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- shawarma spice
Place 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs in large resealable bag.
In a bowl, measured add 2/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt, juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup), 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning.
Stir.
Until combined.
Pour the yogurt mixture over top of the chicken thighs.
Seal the bag, working and marinade into the chicken from outside the bag. Refrigerate until wanting to grill. Remove and place on your counter 30 minutes prior to grilling.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the rest of the add-ins for the bowls.
To Build the Chicken Shawarma Bowl Gather:
- saffron rice
- tomato cucumber salad
- chopped romaine
- thinly sliced pickles (A regular here Claussen)
- toum (Lebanese garlic sauce)
- hummus
- olives
- lemon wedges for serving
Grease grill grates generously before preheating your grill to 500°.
Once hot, place the chicken on the hot grates, close the lid and grill for 4 minutes.
Loosen the chicken using tongs before turning (this chicken truly likes to stick!), close the lid and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes or until fully cooked.
Once cooked, remove from grill and transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for a few before slicing.
In a bowl add 1/2 cup of the saffron rice (more or less to your preference of course) add in some shredded romaine and a few spoonfuls of the tomato cucumber salad.
Top with thinly sliced pickles (I slice the pickles myself whenever making shawarma) and olives and a dollop of hummus and garlic sauce (toum).
Squeeze a wedge of lime over top before serving.
The juices of the tomato salad mingle with the lemon juice, toum and hummus creating a sauce of sorts for the shawarma bowl
Enjoy! And if you give this Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
The recipe
Home Kitchen Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls are loaded with flavor! Slices of marinated and grilled chicken shawarma is served on top of saffron rice with a tomato cucumber salad, chopped romaine, pickles, hummus and Lebanese garlic sauce.
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 1 hour
- Cook 8 minutes
- Total 3 hours
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2/3 cup plain whole milk greek yogurt (not fat free)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning
FOR THE BOWLS:
- 1 recipe saffron rice ((see notes))
- 1 recipe tomato cucumber salad
- 2 small heads of romaine (chopped)
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced pickles
- 6 tablespoons Lebanese garlic sauce (toum) (or more if desired)
- 6 tablespoons hummus (or more if desired)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
- naan (for serving, optional)
Method
MAKE THE CHICKEN:
- 1
Place 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs in large resealable bag.
- 2
In a bowl, measured add yogurt, lemon juice, oil and shawarma seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- 3
Pour the yogurt mixture over top of the chicken thighs. Seal the bag, working and marinade into the chicken from outside the bag. Refrigerate until wanting to grill.
- 4
While the chicken marinates, prepare the rest of the add-ins for the bowls, all of which takes about 1 hour or so. But the chicken can marinate for up to 2 to 3 hours.
- 5
WHEN READY TO GRILL:
- 6
Remove the bag of marinating chicken thighs from the fridge 20 to 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- 7
Grease your grates with extra light olive oil or avocado oil before preheating your grill to 500°.
- 8
Once hot, place the chicken on the hot grates, close the lid and grill for 4 minutes.
- 9
Loosen the chicken using tongs before turning (this chicken genuinely likes to stick!), close the lid and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes or until fully cooked.
- 10
Once cooked, transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for a few before slicing.
BUILD THE BOWLS:
- 11
In a bowl add 1/2 cup of the saffron rice (more or less to your preference of course) add in some shredded romaine and a few generous spoonfuls of the tomato cucumber salad.
- 12
Top with thinly sliced pickles (I slice the pickles myself whenever making shawarma), olives and a dollop of hummus and the garlic sauce.
- 13
Lastly squeeze a wedge of lemon over top.
From the cook
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on this site should only be used as a general guideline.
Per serving
- Calories602 kcal
- Carbohydrates40 g
- Protein60 g
- Fat32 g
- Saturated Fat5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat12 g
- Trans Fat1 g
- Cholesterol145 mg
- Sodium931 mg
- Potassium860 mg
- Fiber5 g
- Sugar5 g
- Vitamin A772 IU
- Vitamin C21 mg
- Calcium175 mg
- Iron4 mg
