Description
Let me tell you about my obsession with chicken shawarma bowls. After trying to recreate that perfect street food flavor at home for YEARS, I finally cracked the code. This isn’t some bland, boring “healthy” bowl – this is a flavor explosion that happens to be good for you. The marinade is the secret weapon here – loads of warm spices that transform regular chicken into something magical. Then we’re piling it onto fluffy rice with all the Mediterranean fixings. This is my go-to meal prep recipe because it actually tastes BETTER after a day in the fridge when all the flavors get friendly with each other.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (don’t use breast meat if you can help it – thighs are WAY more flavorful)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (the good stuff if you’ve got it)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon yogurt (helps tenderize the meat like magic)
- 2 teaspoons cumin (the backbone of shawarma flavor)
- 2 teaspoons paprika (smoked if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (hello, gorgeous color)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (the secret ingredient)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your spice tolerance)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cardamom if you’re feeling fancy
For the Garlic Sauce:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (full-fat tastes best)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane (this method makes it super smooth)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tablespoon tahini for extra richness
For the Bowls:
- 2 cups basmati rice (jasmine works too)
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Handful of fresh parsley and/or mint, roughly chopped
- Pickled turnips if you can find them (or quick-pickle some red onions)
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Warm pita bread on the side