Shawarma-spiced chicken is served over seasoned rice along with with fresh tomato, lettuce and pita chips for an easy, filling and delicious meal in a bowl.
Tzatziki sauce adds the finishing touch and the perfect compliment to the spiciness of the Harissa sauce.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
These street-cart-inspired chicken Shawarma bowls are packed full of flavor!
Requiring minimal cooking time, they come together quickly and make an exciting weeknight meal or can be made ahead for an epic meal-prepped lunch.
These Mediterranean-inspired bowls are as easy to make as tacos but offer brand new flavor to delight the fam.
Easy to whip up yet packed with a special layering of seasonings and sauces to make for an incredibly tasty chicken dinner bowl.
Leftover chicken can also be used in wraps, gyros, or on a salad.
More Reasons You'll Love these Bowls
Fresh flavor: Made with a Shawarma spice mix and then paired with bright, fresh vegetables, these bowls are filling and uplifting.
Meal prep: You can make these bowls the next day or use the chicken for a whole new meal the next night. It’s worth doubling the batch.
Versatile: Though the chicken and rice are basic, you can load the bowl up with any toppings you enjoy or are craving to make new bowls each time you make the recipe.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
This dish is surprisingly simple, requiring a Shawarma spice blend and spicy Harissa hot sauce. You might not have these on hand but are easy to find and these are what bring unique flavor to this recipe.
Here's a look at everything you'll need:
For the chicken:
- Chicken breasts. I but packaged dice chicken breast to save time. I pat the chicken dry, and season it right in the tray it comes in because I'm lazy and don't want to dirty an extra dish! If marinating, you can simply cover with plastic wrap and marinate right in that tray as well. If you prefer, you can use boneless chicken thighs, diced chicken tenderloin or cut up your own chicken breast.
- Shawarma seasoning. This is an earthy mix made from cumin, cinnamon, sumac, and more. If you’re feeling ambitious you can make own instead, allowing you to adjust individual spices to your liking, but I love how easy it is to just grab a ready-made mix.
- Oil. Olive oil is traditional to Mediterranean cuisines but any neutral cooking oil will work.
- Salt and pepper. Feel free to adjust these per your own personal preference. You can also use sea salt in place of table salt if you prefer.
For the rice:
- Butter. I use regular salted butter so there's no need to add salt separately. This adds creaminess to the rice and enhances the spices to maximize flavor.
- Turmeric. This adds flavor and that signature yellow color to the rice. Turmeric offers health benefits, it's supposed to be good for your gut, so that's a little bonus.
- Rice. Jasmine rice pairs the best with the flavors in this dish. It's what is traditionally served with this type of dish. However, you can substitute a different type if you prefer. Refer to the package instructions if substituting as you may need to change the amount of chicken stock used, and/or adjust the cook time.
- Chicken broth. Not only will this add flavor to the seasoned rice but give it a punch of immune-boosting properties too when you use bone broth.
For serving
- Roma tomatoes. Grape or cherry tomatoes can also be used.
- Shredded lettuce. Any greens will work but regular lettuce or romaine pair the best as they’re neutral in flavor. You can also skip the lettuce and replace with sliced green onion for more bite.
- Tzatziki sauce. This will help balance the deep flavors of the marinade and give a pop of fresh, creamy and tangy taste.
- Harissa hot sauce. Optional if you're nervous about spice, but delicious if you like a kick of heat! Add slowly to taste if you aren't sure and add a little water to thin it out as needed.
- Pita crackers. Using crackers saves time and adds crunch, however fresh pita can be used. Slice Greek pita bread into triangles, brush with butter and lightly toast.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
These delicious chicken shawarma bowls as insanely easy to prep!
Here's a look at how things come together:
- Season chicken. (Marinate - optional)
- Stir fry chicken until cooked.
- Cook rice with butter, broth and tumeric.
- Dice tomatoes.
- Assemble bowls with rice, chicken, and toppings.
- Serve!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Do I have to marinate the chicken?
No. You only need to season the chicken. However, if you want more of a flavor infusion, marinate the chicken in the fridge with the seasonings for a little as 30 minutes to overnight.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers should be stored individually in the fridge in airtight containers. The chicken will stay fresh for 3-4 days and the rice will keep for up to 5.
Reheat chicken in microwave or sautéed in a pan on low, just until warmed.
What can I do with extra leftover chicken?
If you double the batch of chicken, you can use leftovers to make wraps, gyros, or add the chicken to a salad topped with Greek dressing.
You can also add the chicken to this Greek orzo salad for a party or just to transform leftovers into a new dinner or lunch!
How can I tone down the heat?
The Harissa sauce can be pretty spicy. If you prefer less spice, add less Harissa sauce, and more Tzatziki sauce. The Tzatziki sauce layers in flavor and also tones down the spice.
If you like your chicken saucy, you can mix the Harissa sauce with a little mayonnaise to tone it down. Do this then toss your chicken with the mixture or drizzle it on top.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
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Chicken Shawarma Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 12 oz diced chicken breast (approx. 2 breasts)
- ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Shawarma spice mix
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup jasmine rice
- ¾ cup chicken broth
Bowl Toppings
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 cup shredded lettuce or sub sliced green onion
- 1 tablespoon Harissa hot sauce + 1 tablespoon warm water more or less to taste (this adds spice!)
- 8 oz Tzatziki sauce more or less to taste
- 24 pita crackers or sliced Greek pita bread triangles
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Instructions
- Cook rice. In a dutch oven or pot with lid, add butter, turmeric, rice and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Season and cook chicken. Pat chicken dry as needed. Season diced chicken with Shawarma spice mix, salt and pepper.Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles, add seasoned chicken until cooked through, stirring occasionally to evenly cook, for about 8 minutes of until internal temperature reached 165ºF.When chicken is cooked, remove from heat and toss in Harissa sauce. Add 1-2 tablespoon of water to thin out sauce if needed. Cover and let rest for a few minutes while you prepare the serving bowls.
- Assemble bowls and serve. Add cooked rice, lettuce, and tomatoes to serving bowls.Add chicken and top with Tzatziki sauce. Serve with 6 pita crackers in each bowl.
Notes
- Chicken can be marinated in the seasoning and oil for added flavor - 30 minutes to overnight.
- You can use chicken bullion + water instead of broth if that's more convenient.
- Dice chicken into small, bite-sized pieces, all consistent in size so they cook evenly.
- Pita crackers save time and add crunch. However fresh pitas can be used. Simply slice pita into triangles, brush with butter and lightly toast if desired.
- Add extra salt to your bowl as desired.
- You want to thin out the Harissa sauce a little with water so it's not overly spicy and coats the chicken nicely. Just whisk the sauce with water in a bowl before toss chicken.
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