High Protein Chicken Shawarma Bowls with Rice check every box for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep option. Lots of flavor, simple assembly, and leftovers that hold up well!
A yogurt-based marinade keeps the chicken breast super tender, and the spice blend ensures every bite has flavor. Simple fresh veggies and pickled red onions keep the bowls healthy and easy - a win for weeknights!
Quick Look: Chicken Shawarma Bowls
⏲️Ready In: 40 Minutes (plus marinating time)
🍽Servings: 5
🥗Nutrition: 377 Calories / 46g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, Greek yogurt, Cooked rice, Tomatoes, Pickled red onion, Green lettuce
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: High protein, meal prep friendly bowls with bold shawarma spices and a simple garlic sauce - all in under 20 minutes of active cooking!
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I started experimenting with homemade chicken shawarma on Sundays for Tjay and my lunches for the week. After dialing in the spice blend just where I wanted it, I knew I had to share!
These bowls are high protein, with over 46g protein per serving, and easy enough to make on a weeknight or prep for the week ahead. We'll double the recipe to make enough lunches for each of us for the week!
Speaking of high protein meal prep recipes that deliver on flavor, try Feta Greek Salad Meal Prep Bowls or Fajita Chicken Bowls with Bell Peppers & Onions, both of which work great for lunch or dinner prep!
Jump to:
Key Ingredients
Chicken breast:
Greek yogurt: You'll use it twice - once in the marinade to tenderize and flavor the chicken, and once to make the quick garlic sauce. Full fat or low fat both work here, although full fat yogurt will definitely have more creaminiess.
Tomato paste: Not all shawarma recipes call for tomato paste, but after picking up this tip in a cookbook (unfortunately I don't remember which one), I tried it out and found it adds depth and a little richness to the marinade. You can omit it if you don't have any on hand, but I encourage you to give it a try!
Cardamom: This is the ingredient that makes shawarma taste like shawarma. It gives the spice blend a warm, slightly floral note that sets it apart. Too little and the chicken loses that shawarma flavor. Too much and it overpowers. It's a balance!
Pickled red onion: This is the finishing touch that makes the bowls feel complete. The bright, tangy flavor cuts right through the rich spiced chicken. I have a super easy recipe for pickled red radishes - same method, just swap in red onions - that I make in batches and keep in the fridge all week.
Lettuce and Tomato: Shawarma is often served very simply with chopped fresh vegetables, so I kept it simple here, too! Chopped green lettuce and roma tomatoes add freshness without making prep too complicated.
Sumac: Optional but highly recommended. Ground sumac berries have a tart, citrusy flavor that adds a beautiful finishing note to the bowls. You may find it in the spice aisle, or find it at a Middle Eastern grocery store or online.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne, cardamom, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, and tomato paste. Stir until fully combined and no dry spices remain.
Pound the chicken breasts flat with a meat mallet and coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, adding more lemon juice as needed to thin out the sauce. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Step 3: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a plate and rest for at least 5 minutes.
Step 4: Divide rice, green lettuce, and diced tomatoes between 5 bowls. Slice the chicken into strips and divide between bowls. Top with pickled red onions and drizzle with garlic sauce. Sprinkle with ground sumac if desired.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Pound the chicken to an even thickness. This is the step people always want to skip, but it matters! Uneven chicken means one end overcooks while the other is still raw. A meat mallet takes about 30 seconds and makes a real difference.
Use an instant-read thermometer. Chicken breast is done at 165 degrees F. Don't guess - use a thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is one of the best kitchen tools you can have!
Store lettuce separately for meal prep. Everything else in these bowls reheats great together (except maybe the tomatoes depending on how picky you are). But keep the lettuce separate and add it fresh right before eating.
Double the recipe? Roast the chicken instead. If you're making a larger batch for meal prep, cut the chicken into 2-4" pieces before marinating. Then roast at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes on a lined or greased sheet pan. Way easier than cooking in batches on the stovetop.
Chicken Shawarma Bowl FAQs
The chicken, rice, tomatoes, and garlic sauce keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Store the lettuce separately and add it fresh when you're ready to eat.
Absolutely. Chicken thighs are a great swap here - they tend to be more forgiving in the pan and have a slightly richer flavor (just less protein per serving). Keep the same marinade and cook time will be similar; just check that internal temperature.
Cauliflower rice, quinoa, or even a bed of chopped romaine all work great in these bowls. My Mediterranean Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl uses a similar base if you want to keep it lower carb.
Yes! The garlic sauce actually gets better as it sits. Make it up to 3 days ahead and store it covered in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
These bowls are great as-is, but you can customize them however you like! Here are a few ideas:
- Swap rice for quinoa, cauliflower rice, or gluten free flatbread/pita
- Add cubed cucumber
- Drizzle with a little hot sauce or harissa for heat
- Add crumbled feta cheese
- Add ¼ cup chickpeas per serving for more fiber and protein
If you love chicken recipes for meal prep, these bowls fit right into your weekly rotation alongside other big-batch options.
More High Protein Chicken Bowls
Did you try thes Chicken Shawarma Bowl recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Shawarma Bowls with Rice
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Marinating Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma:
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons cardamom
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
For the bowls:
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed to thin
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice
- 3 cups chopped green lettuce
- 1 ½ cups diced roma tomatoes
- ¾ cup pickled red onion
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons ground sumac berries, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne, cardamom, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, and tomato paste. Stir until fully combined and no dry spices remain.
- Prep and marinate chicken. Place the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Alternatively, you can cut the chicken breast into 2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and stir to completely coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Make garlic sauce. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup Greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, adding more lemon juice if desired to thin out the sauce. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to make the shawarma.
- Cook chicken. Remove chicken from the fridge. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a plate and let rest for at least 5 minutes while preparing the bowls.
- Assemble bowls. Divide rice, green lettuce, and diced tomatoes between 5-6 bowls. Slice the chicken breast into strips and divide between bowls. Top with pickled red onions and drizzle with garlic sauce. If desired, sprinkle ground sumac overtop. Serve immediately.
Notes
For meal prep: Store green lettuce separately from the rest of the ingredients or omit entirely. Rice, tomatoes, chicken, and garlic sauce can be stored together and reheated in the microwave. If warm tomatoes give you the ick, store those separately and add just before eating or eat cold.
For prepping larger batches: If you double or triple this recipe for larger batches, I recommend roasting the chicken shawarma! Before marinating, cut the chicken into 2-4" pieces. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the marinated chicken to a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.
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