Take your weeknight meals to a new level with this Chicken Shawarma Recipe. The chicken is simple to make and works great in rice bowls with your favorite toppings. Basmati rice is topped with chicken shawarma, tabbouleh, red onion, hummus, yogurt and lettuce to make the perfect, weeknight meal. 

CHICKEN SHAWARMA RECIPE

Let’s celebrate rice month with rice bowls.

There is no better way to celebrate, right?

Rice bowls are one of my favorite go-to lunches or dinners in my house.

I love that they are easy to put together and how versatile they are.

Today’s Chicken Shawarma Recipe is simple to make and has delicious flavor. It is a favorite middle eastern dish of mine. 

The chicken shawarma works great as part of a rice bowl, in chicken shawarma wraps or in a chicken shawarma hummus plate with hot sauce, tzatziki sauce, garlic yogurt sauce or plain yogurt on the side.

I love a recipe that includes your protein and creates a full meal like this Chicken Souvlaki Salad or these Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders.

I also really like creating a bowl using greens, hummus or rice like in this Mediterranean Salmon Bowl, Easy Mediterranean Hummus Bowl, or this Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Hummus Bowls.

This rice bowl uses aromatic basmati rice paired with juicy, flavorful chicken shawarma and is topped with hummus, yogurt, a tabbouleh inspired salad, cucumbers, red onions and served with pita wedges.

The best part about a meal like this is that I can set out all of the ingredients for my family and they can create their favorite bowl based on their tastes.

The sky is the limit with things you can add to this bowl including chickpeas, feta cheese, a drizzle of tahini or even pine nuts. Get creative!

The base of these Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls is the Royal Basmati Rice .

I have to tell you a little about the Royal story and their Basmati & Jasmine rice products.

Their Royal® Basmati Rice grows in the foothills of the Himalayas, which is the only place authentic Basmati Rice can come from.

Exceptionally fragrant, with a delicate taste and fluffy texture, it is deservedly the best-selling Basmati in America. We love rice in our house and this is a favorite.

WHAT IS A SHAWARMA?

Shawarma is a classic Arabic dish of meat (chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, or other mixed meats) seasoned and placed vertically on a spit and slow roasted.

Typically the meat is thinly sliced and served with fattoush, tabbouleh, in pita pockets, tomato, and cucumber and sauces like a Tahini Sauce.

The word “shawarma” is an Arabic rendering of Turkish çevirme ‘turning’, in reference to the rotisserie cooking of the meat, which turns around an axis.

Though considered a Turkish dish by origin, it’s enjoyed through the Middle East and Mediterranean region in various forms {source}.

WHAT INGREDIENTS GO IN A CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE BOWL?

CHICKEN SHAWARMA: The star of the show is the chicken. The marinade creates a flavorful and tender piece of meat. To create the shawarma spice blend you can follow this recipe here. You will love the warm spices. 

You can use chicken breasts, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders for this recipe. 

RICE: Rice is the main base of your rice bowl. You can use white, basmati or brown rice. 

FRESH VEGETABLES: Load up the vegetables a large bowl to make a chicken shawarma style hummus bowl. I like red onion, chopped romaine, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers.

You can also make these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables or Turmeric Cauliflower to add to your bowl.

TABBOULEH: The tabbouleh is one of my favorite parts of a Mediterranean rice bowl.

Try my recipe for classic tabbouleh, cauliflower tabbouleh or Greek tabbouleh.

HUMMUS: Hummus is also the star of these bowls. I love making homemade hummus like this classic hummus, roasted red pepper or lemon hummus. 

TIPS AND MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS EASY CHICKEN SHAWARMA RECIPE

CITRUS: Add lemon juice to your chicken along with the spices to add extra flavor and help tenderize the chicken. 

SPICE: Add some heat to the chicken by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or diced chili peppers.

SLICE THIN: If you want the more traditional shawarma that you might see on a vertical rotisserie you will want thin slices of meat when it is finished cooking. I suggest using a very sharp knife to thinly slice it. 

OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

HEALTHY CHICKEN FINGERS

MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS

YOGURT MARINATED CHICKEN 

SUN-DRIED TOMATO GOAT CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS 

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Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Take your weeknight meals to a new level with this Chicken Shawarma Recipe. The chicken is simple to make and works great in rice bowls with your favorite toppings. Basmati rice is topped with chicken shawarma, tabbouleh, red onion, hummus, yogurt and lettuce to make the perfect, weeknight meal. 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup Royal Basmati Rice, cooked

For the chicken shawarma:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoons coriander
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons cardamom
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper {optional}
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the tabbouleh:

• 2 Cups curly parsley, chopped
• 1 cup tomato, diced {about 3 large tomatoes}
• 8-10 thinly sliced green onion, green parts chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Additional rice bowl toppings:

• Hummus
• Yogurt
• Red onion, chopped
• Lettuce, chopped
• Lemon slices

Instructions

1. In a large ziplock bag add the minced garlic, olive oil, coriander, cumin, cardamom, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Add the chicken thighs and close the ziplock. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours.
2. When read to make the rice bowls remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Grill chicken thighs over medium-high heat, about 6 to 8 minutes per side, until done and there is no hint of pink in the meat and an internal temperature of 165°F.
3. While the chicken is grilling cook the rice according to the package and prepare the tabbouleh by placing all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently stirring to combine.
4. To assemble the rice bowls place a scoop of basmati rice in each bowl and top with chicken, tabbouleh, hummus, yogurt, red onion and serve with pita bread and lemon wedges.