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These tasty chicken shawarma bowls are packed with flavor and are perfect for make-ahead lunches for school or work. With chicken tossed in spices, lemons, sweet potato fries, vegetables and couscous topped with a delicious lemon tahini dressing... what could be better?
One of my favorite type of dishes is a bowl where you can throw a bunch of different ingredients and either eat them separately or just mix them all up and enjoy it all in one bite. My vegetarian burrito bowls are a great example.
Lately however, I've been on a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean kick. So I figured why not combine the two and get the best of both worlds with these chicken shawarma bowls.
You get some many different flavors, whether it is the juicy marinated chicken or the fries or the pesto couscous. And the lemon tahini dressing just brings it all together. Best of all, you can make this for dinner or for lunch the next day.
I know for my wife and I, this is a go-to meal prep dish. Just makes for the perfect healthy lunch. Hope you give it a try!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breasts - can also use chicken thighs.
- Honey - adds a slight sweetness.
- Paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper - gives you that chicken shawarma flavor you expect.
- Garlic, lemons, olive oil - used for the marinade for the shawarma.
- Sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, olives - all produce to add a variety of flavors to the bowl. Can substitute if needed.
- Sweet potato fries - can use regular fries. Just buy pre-made.
- Couscous - a Mediterranean dish needs Mediterranean pasta.
- Pesto - homemade or store-bought works.
- Pistachios - adds some crunch.
- Goat cheese - gives a little tang.
- Tahini - used as the base for the dressing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag or bowl, combine chicken, spices, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Now make the lemon tahini dressing. Pour all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk together until smooth. A 1 tbsp of water at a time if the dressing needs to be thinned out. Adjust for seasoning.
- Preheat oven to what the bag says for the french fries and bake according to package directions. Remove and set aside. If the oven has room, just bake the fries, chicken and broccoli at the same time.
- Prepare the couscous according to package instructions. Stir in the pesto once it is cooked and set aside.
- Heat oven to 425°F. Dump the entire bag of chicken onto a baking sheet. On another sheet, toss the broccoli with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place both sheets in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove broccoli and turn broiler on for 2-3 minutes to get chicken charred. To assemble the bowls, place some of the couscous on the bottom. Add the chicken and all the mix-ins. Top with lemon tahini dressing.
What is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish of garlicky meat or poultry that is usually served on pitas and topped with a savory yogurt sauce. These bowls take the original and add a Mediterranean twist.
How Long Will It Last?
If you are doing make ahead lunches, you can have them for 4 days so if you are just making this for one person, cut the recipe in half.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use chicken breasts or thighs. Whatever tastes better to you.
- If you like more spice, use smoked paprika.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Replace the broccoli with another vegetable like asparagus, green beans or Brussels sprouts.
- Use quinoa or farro instead of couscous.
- If you want a traditional tzatziki sauce, I recommend this recipe from The Mediterranean Dish.
Similar Recipes
- Falafel Bowl
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
- Veggie Grain Bowls
- Greek Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies
If you’ve tried these Chicken Shawarma Bowls or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Ingredients
Bowls
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (20 oz bag) frozen sweet potato fries
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 5 cups cooked couscous (1 ½ cups uncooked)
- ⅓ cup pesto
- 1 (8.5 oz jar) sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- 1 cucumbers, diced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 cup roasted pistachios
- 2 oz goat cheese
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- ½ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp water
Instructions
Bowls
- In a large ziplock bag or bowl, combine chicken, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to what the bag says for the french fries and bake according to package directions. Remove and set aside.
- Heat oven to 425°F. Dump the entire bag of chicken onto a baking sheet. On another sheet, toss the broccoli with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place both sheets in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove broccoli and turn broiler on for 2-3 minutes to get chicken charred.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the couscous according to package instructions. Once cooked, stir in pesto and set aside.
- To assemble the bowls, place some of the couscous on the bottom. Add chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, pistachios and goat cheese. Top with lemon tahini dressing.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Pour all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk together until smooth. If you need to thin out the dressing, add more water 1 tbsp at a time. Taste and adjust seasoning. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
Notes
- Use chicken breasts or thighs. Whatever tastes better to you.
- If you like more spice, use smoked paprika.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Replace the broccoli with another vegetable like asparagus, green beans or Brussels sprouts.
- Use quinoa or farro instead of couscous.
- If you want a traditional tzatziki sauce, I recommend this recipe from The Mediterranean Dish.
Chris says
Yum!
Michelle says
My husband made this for our make ahead lunch for the week! It’s delicious and healthy too!
Ryan says
They are great as a make-ahead lunch!