Chicken Shawarma Bowls
| Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min |
| Servings: 4 | Skill Level: medium |
With smoky seasonings, these chicken shawarma bowls are as flavorful as they are easy to whip up. Served over a bowl of dill rice and topped with fresh veggies and pickled onions, this is sure to become a regular dinner staple!
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma:
- 2½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch cubes or strips
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
Quick Pickled Red Onions:
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
Lemon Tahini Yogurt:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 small cloves garlic, pressed, minced, or grated
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons water
The Rest:
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
- 3/4 cup Pearls Kalamata Olives, halved
- 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 small head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup feta, crumbled
Cooking Instructions
- Toss the chicken thighs with yogurt, olive oil, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Mix the spices together in a small bowl then add them mixing bowl with the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Start cooking the brown rice, if you haven’t already. When the rice is done, toss it with the fresh dill.
- Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. To make the quick pickled red onions, pour the hot water over the sugar and salt in a medium jar and stir to dissolve. Add the vinegar then nestle in the red onion slices. Let sit until ready to serve. The pickles will get even stronger as they sit and will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until smooth. Add water as needed until it’s thin enough to drizzle.
- Cook the chicken either on the grill, grill pan on the stove, or in the oven. To cook the chicken on the grill, skewer the chicken tightly onto soaked bamboo or metal skewers. Preheat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the grill pan with oil and cook the chicken, turning the skewers often, for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. To cook the chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to 425°F and spread the chicken out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. When the chicken is done baking, squeeze lemon juice over the top.
- Assemble your bowls. Divide the rice into bowls and top with chicken, kalamata olives, romaine, cucumber slices, quick pickled onions, a drizzle of tahini yogurt, and feta.
