Chicken Shawarma Bowls
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Chicken Shawarma Bowls are such an easy, simple way to meal prep, ensuring healthy eating throughout the week. They’re so versatile. Prepare a variety of ingredients, like protein, fresh veggies, roasted veggies, fresh herbs, pickled onions, and sauces, pack them in the fridge, and then you have delicious meals that are sure to keep you satisfied. To make Chicken Shawarma Bowls, you don’t even need a recipe, more like a set of building blocks. I included one anyway for those of you who like something more concrete.
Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food that uses marinated chicken with lots of warm spices, which is stacked on top of each other on a vertical spit that is left to roast. It’s then shaved onto warm pita bread and slathered with a garlic emulsion called toum or a tahini sauce and sliced pickles. It’s traditionally not made at home, but if you’re looking for authentic flavors, definitely follow this recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Bowls are a slightly healthier and lighter option than sandwiches. They’re also completely customizable for any dietary restrictions.
Why Bowls?
In my household, having a variety ready to go in the fridge means a higher likelihood healthy food will actually get eaten. Chicken Shawarma Bowls provide an endless array of options that the whole family will definitely enjoy. The ingredients stay in the fridge so that there’s plenty of opportunity to mix and match them to your heart’s content. It’s also my favorite way to use up leftover chicken shawarma and keep it exciting. These meal prep components should come together in less than 1.5 hours, and you’ll have versatile meals throughout the week.
Ingredients
There isn’t so much a concrete list of ingredients but more like ingredient categories that you can choose from.
Protein
To make a bowl, you first need to start off with a protein. My Easy Oven Chicken Shawarma is such a great recipe. It’s so flavorful and comes together in 20-30 minutes. I love to make a big batch in the beginning of the week, serve it as a chicken shawarma pita the first day, and then as a protein topper in bulgur or rice bowls.
All you need is boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, chicken shawarma seasoning (which I list out in the recipe), lemon juice, garlic, onion, and olive oil. Let it marinade if you have the time, or don’t. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet in a single layer, and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes or so and cut into thin slices on a cutting board.
Grain
Coarse bulgur is one of my favorite grains to serve in bowls. It’s full of fiber and keeps you full for much longer than plain white rice. I cook it in 2:1 water to bulgur ratio with a bit of salt. Bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed. If you’re gluten free, feel free to use quinoa, jasmine rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice if you’re low carb.
Fresh Veggies
Fresh vegetables provide a crunch, color, nutrition, and flavor. My favorites include shredded kale, shredded cabbage, avocado, and bell pepper. You can also use cauliflower, broccoli, or shredded carrots. Pick 2-3 for the week, wash, and prep them. Store them in paper towel-lined gallon bags or airtight containers (except for the avocado, which you should prepare right before or a couple hours before serving).
Cooked Veggies
Cooked vegetables provide a really nice flavor, color, and texture contrast. Roast butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or broccoli at a high temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt on a sheet pan to draw out their natural sweetness and flavors.
Another favorite: cherry tomatoes with a sprinkle of za’atar and a generous pinch of salt. It’s the best way to inject some flavor from some otherwise lackluster tomatoes in the wintertime. They also cook much faster than the other more fibrous vegetables.
Acidic Components
It’s a great idea to have acidic or briny ingredients handy to brighten up the dish. This could simply be a squeeze of lemon or sliced olives. For an added punch of color, thinly slice red onion and let it soak in apple cider vinegar for about 30 minutes. This is one of my favorite ways to make quick pickled onions for sandwiches or tacos as well. Drain and store it in the fridge up to a week.
Sauce
The sauce is one of the best parts and really ties everything together. For a simple tahini sauce, in a small bowl, combine equal parts tahini and lemon juice. Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until it’s runny. Add salt and adjust seasoning. I use 5 tbsp tahini, 5 tbsp lemon juice, and 6-7 tbsp of water, but the water varies depending on your tahini.
For a lemon vinaigrette, combine 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice with a teaspoon of dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small jar. Shake to combine.
Or, go the extra mile and make my Tahini Herb Dressing. Just throw all the ingredients together in the blender and you have a delicious and flavorful dressing for the week.
Dairy
Having a dairy is completely optional. You can add a dollop of Greek yogurt, crumble feta cheese, or pan-fry halloumi, like I did here. A simple way to pan-fry halloumi is to slice it, toss in a bit of flour, and heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and cook the halloumi about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
Fresh Herbs
Herbs like fresh mint, chopped parsley. or dill add beautiful color and freshness. To prepare ahead of time, wash, pick off the leaves, and dry completely. Chop and store in a paper-towel lined airtight container.
Method
Start by preparing and marinating the chicken shawarma. You can choose to leave it for a bit at room temperature, put it in the fridge overnight, or roast it right away. While it roasts, put the bulgur or rice on the stove, chop the fresh veggies, prepare the pickled red onion, choose your dairy, and mix the sauce. You can also chop the cooked veggie options to prepare to roast them and mince the fresh herbs.
When everything is ready, mix and match to your heart’s content!
Special Equipment
Baking Sheets - My favorites are by Nordic Ware because they’re super heavy duty and are sure to last you a long time. You can find a 3 size set on Amazon.
Mixing Bowls - Various sizes of mixing bowls allows you to keep all the ingredients organized and handy. I love these from Amazon.
3 Qt Saucepan - 3 qt saucepans come in really handy when making grains. This one from Cuisinart is a winner.
How to Meal Prep
I love to use the same ingredients in various forms. Add more greens for salad, and swap the tahini sauce for a lemon vinaigrette. Add them on top of tortillas for delicious tacos. The options, just like these bowls, are honestly endless! They’re sure to keep everyone in your family happy and satisfied.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
I know you get bogged down with what to feed your family every week because believe it or not, I do too. That’s why I created my monthly meal prep guide. I map out the month with a calendar, recipes, and weekly grocery lists to make cooking super streamlined for you. Be sure to sign up to get the next one to your inbox.
I’ll catch you next time!
Other recipes you’ll love:
Stewed Spinach with Ground Meat and Rice (Sabanekh ou Ruz)
Aleppo Pepper and Citrus Marinated Salmon
Sujuk Sandwiches
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 recipe of 20 Min Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
- 1 c bulgur
- 1/2 head purple cabbage, washed and shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsps olive oil, divided
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp za'atar
- 225 g/8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- Salt
- 5 tbsp tahini
- 5 tbsp lemon juice
- 4-7 tbsp water
- Salt
Instructions
- First, prepare the 20 Min Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma. While it's roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a 3 qt or medium-sized pot, add the bulgur, about 2 c of water, and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to the lowest setting until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Check if the bulgur is cooked through. If it is set aside. If not, add another 1/2 c of water and cook for another 5 mins.
- Chop and prepare the veggies.
- Turn the heat up to 450°F/230°C. Toss the sweet potatoes, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 tsp of salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Slide into the hot oven and roast until tender and browned, about 35-45 minutes.
- Continue chopping and preparing veggies and fresh herbs.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the cherry tomatoes and another tsp of salt. Cook until beginning to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in za'atar and cook for another minute. Set aside.
- Mix the tahini and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time until it drizzles off a spoon easily. Add salt and set aside.
- You can divide the ingredients evenly amongst 4-6 bowls, or keep them separate for people to mix and match on their own! The option are endless.