Chicken Shawarma Grain Bowls

Healthy Chicken Shawarma Grain Bowl Recipe

This easy-to-make chicken shawarma bowl recipe brings together the perfect combination of flavors to excite your taste buds! It’s a quick recipe for everyday dinners and stores nicely, which also makes it great for leftovers and meal prep lunches. Here’s what else I’m loving about these chicken shawarma bowls:

• They can be made with chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
• Great for meal prep and make-ahead meals. 
• Ready to eat in just 30-40 minutes!
• The tanginess and spicy kick can be adjusted to taste. 
• You can use precooked quinoa or brown rice to save even more time.
• They’re quick, easy, packed full of nutrients, and so flavorful! 

I absolutely love the healthy bowl twist on this traditional recipe! And it brings creativity and fun to your everyday dinner. Trust me, friend, this is a recipe you’ll definitely want to keep on repeat!

RELATED: 15+ BEST Protein Bowl Recipes

Ingredients/Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need for Chicken Shawarma Grain Bowls:

Chicken Thighs (Or Breasts) + Marinade

The star of the show – chicken thighs! I chose chicken thighs because I like the taste and texture of this particular recipe, but you could easily use chicken breasts. The marinade makes these chicken shawarma bowls so lively; ingredients include minced garlic, coriander, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Quick View

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Minced Garlic
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Cardamom (or Cinnamon)
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Black Pepper
• Salt
• Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combined with the marinade, the chicken thighs are savory, with peppery turmeric and tangy lemon notes. For the absolute best flavor, I recommend you marinate the chicken for at least an hour (and overnight if possible for even more flavor).

Time-saving tip: Cook the chicken the night before so it’s ready for a quick and easy dinner the next day.

Grains + Vegetables

Now it’s time to add the hearty ingredients! To maximize freshness, keep the ingredients separated in food storage containers until you’re ready to serve the bowl.

Quick View

• Quinoa or Brown Rice
• Red Onion
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce or Spinach
• Cucumber
• Whole Wheat Pita
• Parsley

Time-saving tip: chop up these ingredients ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Yogurt Sauce

For the final (tangy) touch, prepare the yogurt sauce. Gather all ingredients (greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh dill, salt, pepper, water, or white wine vinegar) and whisk until combined.

Quick view

• Greek Yogurt
• Lemon Juice
• Minced Garlic
• Fresh Dill
• Salt
• Pepper
• Water or White Wine Vinegar

Time-saving tip: make the yogurt sauce ahead of time and store it in a food storage container.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Shawarma Grain Bowls in 40 Minutes or Less!

This nutritious bowl will fill your stomach and be on the table in a flash. Here’s what you need to do to get the taste bud party started!

Do these steps the night before (or at least 30 minutes before):

1. Mix the chicken marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Marinate the chicken overnight for maximum flavor (but at least for 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Tip: don’t have time to marinate the chicken? Marinate it while you prepare and measure out the other ingredients, then add the extra marinade over the chicken before baking and broiling.

Do these steps when you’re ready to eat:

1. Place the oven rack 8-10 inches from the broiler.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Line a baking pan with foil and top with a metal, oven-safe wire rack.
4. Bake chicken for 15 minutes.
5. Turn on the broiler (500 degrees F).
6. Broil for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through and ensuring that the chicken doesn’t burn to a crisp (some crispy is good, though!)
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for about 5-7 minutes.
8. While the chicken is baking and broiling, prepare the bowls.
9. Slice the chicken into strips.
10. Add the chicken to the bowls.
11. Drizzle the sauce over the entire bowl and enjoy!

Meal Prepping/Storing For Later

If you want to make this recipe for easy weeknight dinners throughout the week or store leftovers for lunches, this healthy Chicken Shawarma Grain Bowl recipe reheats nicely and tastes amazing.

The best way to store this recipe is to keep the chicken, grains and vegetables, and yogurt sauce in separate containers until you’re ready to enjoy. You’ll want to heat up the chicken before serving leftovers, but you don’t want your cool cucumbers getting too hot. So when it’s time to enjoy your chicken shawarma grain bowl leftovers, heat the chicken and add the grains and vegetables on top, then drizzle the yogurt sauce.

Store all leftover contents in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days!

More Healthy Weeknight Dinners

• Chicken Pad Thai
• Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
• Healthy Chicken Alfredo (Cauliflower Sauce)
• Butternut Squash Gnocchi
• Spicy Chicken Ramen

More Bowl Recipes

• Roasted Beets Bowls with Turmeric Tahini Sauce
• Chimichurri Chicken Bowls
• Taco Bowl Recipe
• Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
• Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Bowls

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons!