Chicken Shawarma Bowls

By Rena Awada | Updated On September 4, 2020

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.

top view of chicken shawarma bowl with fork in bowl


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.
top view close up of chicken shawarma quinoa bowl

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

ingredients to make the chicken shawarma

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.

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.
two bowls of chicken shawarma bowls

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!

top view of chicken shawarma bowl

More chicken recipes

chicken and quinoa bowl with salad

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chicken bowl with salad and quinoa

Chicken Shawarma Bowl

Easy to make Chicken shawarma made with lean chicken breast chunks, seasonings, onions, and tossed in a bowl with salad and quinoa.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 449kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

For chicken:

  • 3-4 chicken breasts boneless/skinless cut into small bite-sized cubes
  • 1 tsp. Ras El Hanout seasoning or shawarma seasoning ** see notes
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp Ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 small white onion sliced

For the bowls:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 small yellow bell pepper
  • 3 garden cucumber about 1 cup chopped
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes different colors if desired
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1-2 tbsp. fresh chopped curly parsley

Instructions

  • Season the chicken pieces with Ras El Hanout (or shawarma seasoning), paprika, salt, and pepper. (if using shawarma seasoning do not add the paprika)
  • 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. About 6-8 minutes. Set aside on a plate. (This step can be made ahead)
  • 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.
  • While the quinoa is cooking prepare the salad, chop the onion, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley. 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.
  • When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool.
  • For assembling, add quinoa to the serving bowls.
  • Top each serving with chicken shawarma. Add the salad next to it and serve.
  • OPTIONAL: drizzle a bit of lemon juice over the chicken shawarma

Notes

Substitutes:
  • Ras-el Hanout – a Middle Eastern spice used in making shawarma made of ground ginger, clove, black cardamon, and Turmeric. 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: the chicken can be replaced with boneless thighs, beef, or lamb
  • Quinoa can be replaced with cauliflower rice or brown rice.
Storage:
Place leftovers in a container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. You can freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutritional facts:
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 1117mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1347IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 4mg
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