Middle Eastern · Lunch

Chicken Shawarma Bowl Recipe

This chicken shawarma bowl recipe gives you shawarma flavours without a rotisserie: chicken thighs marinated in cumin, paprika, cinnamon, garlic and lemon, roasted hot, then sliced over bulgur with a chopped salad, hummus and garlic yogurt.

It is easy to batch for lunches.

Serves

4

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Per serving

540 kcal

Ingredients

  • 600 g boneless chicken thighs
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 200 g bulgur
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • A handful of parsley
  • 160 g hummus
  • 150 g plain yogurt mixed with 1 grated garlic clove

Method

  1. 1Mix the oil, half the lemon juice, the garlic and spices. Coat the chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
  2. 2Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Roast the chicken on a lined tray for 20–25 minutes until charred at the edges and cooked through. Rest, then slice.
  3. 3Meanwhile, cover the bulgur with 400 ml boiling water and a pinch of salt, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  4. 4Toss the cucumber, tomato and parsley with the rest of the lemon juice.
  5. 5Build bowls of bulgur, chicken, salad, hummus and garlic yogurt.

Chicken shawarma bowl recipe: nutrition per serving

Calories

540 kcal

Protein

44 g · 31%

Carbs

51 g · 37%

Fat

20 g · 32%

One of 4 servings. Estimated from the ingredient weights above and per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy); brands and cooking change the real numbers.

Tips

  • Put the tray on the top shelf, or finish under the grill for 2 minutes, to get the charred shawarma edges.
  • Overnight marinating makes the biggest difference to flavour.

Swaps and variations

  • Gluten-free: use rice or quinoa instead of bulgur.
  • Vegetarian: roast cauliflower and chickpeas with the same spice mix.

Storage

Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Keep the yogurt and salad separate if packing ahead.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Recipes vary, but cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, garlic and lemon are common. Ready-made shawarma spice blends work too.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central records used