Chicken Shawarma Bowls

These Chicken Shawarma Bowls are the perfect weeknight meal the whole family will love! Tender and flavorful seasoned chicken chunks served in a bowl with salad and quinoa! So healthy, delicious, and filling.

Make this simple and easy chicken shawarma recipe and serve it in a bowl as a complete meal with quinoa or brown rice and a side of salad. Better and healthier than restaurant style shawarma with the same authentic flavors. This shawarma bowl is perfect for those who meal prep and stores well for a few days. Prepare and make this chicken shawarma in just 30-40 minutes tops and have dinner ready for everyone to enjoy.

Why this chicken shawarma recipe bowl is perfect

• So easy to make: you can make this chicken shawarma ahead and make the bowl later when ready to serve. Also, this recipe need only about 30 minutes or so to make!
• Healthy and nutritious: a healthy meal you will feel good about serving your family. With the right about of protein, fiber, and nutrients in each serving.
• Delicious: This authentic middle eastern chicken shawarma recipe is even tastier than what you will get at a restaurant.

Ingredients you need to make this chicken bowl

For chicken:
chicken breasts boneless/skinless, cut into small bite-sized cubes
Ras El Hanout seasoning or shawarma seasoning * see notes
smoked paprika
kosher salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil divided
small white onion, sliced
For the bowls:
dry quinoa
red onion
yellow bell pepper
garden cucumber (about 1 cup chopped)
grape or cherry tomatoes, different colors if desired
Juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
curly parsley

make your own Shawarma seasoning

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp paprika (mild 1:1 mild and smokey)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

How to make the chicken shawarma bowl

• Season the chicken: first, season the chicken pieces with Ras El Hanout seasoning, paprika, and salt. (if using homemade shawarma seasoning see notes and shawarma seasoning ingredients above)
• Cook the chicken: then, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and sliced white onion; sauté until translucent. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside on a plate. (This step can be made ahead)
• Cook quinoa: Next, Cook the quinoa. Follow package directions or feel free to use this method: Prepare quinoa, using a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold running water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hands while rinsing to remove the natural coating. At first, the water will be whiteish, but as you let it run, it will get clear.
  Drain the quinoa and place it into a pot. Add 1.5 cups of water, about 2/3 tsp of kosher salt, and set the heat to high. Boil until liquid is cooked off and ‘tails’ are visible about 12-15 minutes.
• Make the salad: While the quinoa is cooking prepare the salad, chop the onion, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley. Next, combine chopped onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes to a bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt and ground pepper; toss well to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley and set aside.
• Assemble bowl: When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool.
  For assembling, add quinoa to the serving bowls. Finally, top each serving with chicken shawarma. Add the salad next to it and serve.

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FAQ’s and tips

• Ras-el Hanout – a Middle Eastern spice mix used in making shawarma that’s made of ground ginger, clove, black cardamon, and Turmeric. Also, if you can’t find this spice near you just use shawarma seasoning.
• For shawarma seasoning, you can make your own at home. Use the following: 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
• Chicken: replace chicken with boneless chicken thighs, beef, or lamb
• Prepare and make the chicken shawarma ahead before assembling the bowl
• Quinoa: replace with cauliflower rice or brown rice.

What is chicken shawarma

Chicken shawarma is a dish found in middle eastern cuisines made of meat cuts seasoned with authentic middle eastern seasonings, then stacked up on top of each other in a cone-like manner on a vertical rotisserie or spit which in turn turns slowly as it gets roasted. Shawarma is originally made of lamb cuts, but it is now widely made using chicken, turkey, beef, or veal.

how long is shawarma good for

Whether you are using lamb, beef, or chicken, shawarma should last 3-4 days in the fridge when stored in a tightly sealed container. Also, you can freeze shawarma for up to 2 months.

Is chicken shawarma healthy

Restaurant-style shawarma is made with a fattier cut of chicken or lamb. Most will also add cuts of pure fat in between the chicken or lamb cuts to keep it juicy so to speak. It is not the healthiest meal once all the ingredients are added together to make a shawarma sandwich. A shawarma sandwich can have up to 600 calories. So, make your own healthy shawarma at home using leaner cut meat!

More chicken recipes

• Mexican Chicken Quinoa Bowl
• Instant Pot Chicken Curry
• Chicken Mango Salad
• Grilled Chicken Gyro
• How to Poach Chicken
• Balsamic Chicken Breast
• Chicken Caesar Wrap

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