Life has been hectic lately! Between school starting, after school activities, jobs, testing recipes, etc… it has been a challenge for me to always have healthy meals prepared everyday! I need dinners that require minimal effort and can be enjoyed a couple days without compromising quality.
These shawarma bowls came on the heel of my roasted garlic hummus, which I am obsessed with eating. I wanted to incorporate it into some healthy, delicious meals!
Roasted chicken shawarma uses a simple marinade to inject a lot of flavor into chicken thighs (my favorite part of the chicken.) And this recipe makes a big batch which I am able to stretch into at least 2 meals!
Here’s what you need to make the shawarma:
To make this recipe more efficient, I make a triple, or even quadruple batch of the spice blend and keep it tucked away in my pantry. Each time I need it for shawarma, I simply measure out a quarter cup.
And for the bowls:
The bowls are completely customizable. These are just the ingredients I love. I recommend having a variety of colors and textures. I always have a grain such as quinoa or farro. You could even use brown rice. I found I don’t need a dressing for this, I just prefer some grilled lemon or fresh lemon and olive oil. But you could do a simple vinaigrette if you would rather have an actual dressing.
I also prep enough of the veggies for multiple meals. That way I only have to do all the chopping and dicing once.
For best results, marinate overnight.
Or give it at least 4 hours. Simply toss the chicken with the onion, spice blend, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Cover it and keep it refrigerated until time to cook.
Roast the Chicken.
Since the chicken is sliced thinly, it only takes about 15 minutes to roast. Arrange the chicken and onion on 1 or 2 sheet pans. Make sure each piece has room to brown and they are not all crowded together. Pop it into a hot oven. While it’s roasting, prep your veggies for the bowls.
Make the bowls.
Arrange the greens, veggies, chicken, etc, into a bowl with a big scoop of roasted garlic hummus. Top with fresh herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro!
Other recipes to try:
Roasted Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Ingredients
For the chicken shawarma
- 2 pounds chicken thighs thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 half medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
For the shawarma bowls:
- roasted garlic hummus
- greens such as spinach, arugula or kale
- diced cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- thinly sliced red onion
- thinly sliced bell pepper
- crumbled feta cheese
- chopped fresh parsley
- cooked grains such as quinoa, farro or brown rice
- olive oil and lemon halves
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt and spices. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic and sliced chicken thighs. Marinate at least 4 hours, if not overnight.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the marinated chicken and onion in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Use two pans if it is too crowded. Roast the chicken for 15 to 18 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees.
Assemble the bowls.
- Add your favorite fresh ingredients to a bowl and top with the roasted chicken shawarma and roasted garlic hummus. Drizzle olive oil and squeeze on fresh lemon juice.