Chicken Shawarma Bowl

I’m bringing this Middle Eastern street food classic into a bowl—grilled chicken shawarma served over turmeric rice with homemade tzatziki, a fresh tomato-cucumber salad, toum, pickled turnips and peppers, feta, and chickpeas. And yes, we’re making the chicken shawarma from scratch—on the grill or grill pan!

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Arabic, Middle Eastern

Keyword Chicken Shawarma Bowl

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 632kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

For the turmeric rice

2 tablespoons ghee or butter, coconut oil, or margarine
½ medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric powder
1 ½ cups basmati rice or any long grain rice, washed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups chicken broth

For the simple cucumber, cherry tomato salad

5 ounces cherry tomatoes quartered
½ pound persian cucumbers or English cucumbers with the skin removed, cut into ¼” cubes
1 tablespoon mint minced
1 tablespoon parsley minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

To assemble

1 ½ pounds pre-cooked Chicken Shawarma sliced and reheated or cold
1 ½ cups tzatziki sauce
store bought toum or garlic spread
pink pickled turnips
pickled yellow peppers
8 ounces feta cheese crumbled
7 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed (I used half of the 15 oz can of chickpeas)
lemon wedges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Plan ahead: Make chicken shawarma and tzatziki sauce

This recipe uses my homemade shawarma chicken and homemade tzatziki sauce. You can find both recipes here. The chicken needs to marinate for at least 1-2 hours (or overnight in the fridge) and then grilled. Plan accordingly. You can pre-cook the chicken up to 1 day in advance or marinate it, and cook it along with the rest of this recipe. It's up to you.

Make turmeric salad

In a medium pot, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until translucent, but not browned.
Add the garlic and saute for another minute, until fragrant.
Add the turmeric powder and salt. Saute for 1 minute.
Pour in the basmati rice, toasting and coating the rice with the spices for about 1-2 minutes.
Put in the bay leaf and pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes undisturbed.
Remove from the heat, and let sit covered for another 5-10 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the bay leaf and fluff with a fork.

Make cucumber tomato salad

Combine the cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, mint, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Adjust the seasoning and set aside.

Assemble

Scoop the rice into bowls, and layer the chicken shawarma, tzatziki sauce, toum, pink pickled turnips, pickled yellow peppers, feta, chickpeas, and a scoop of the cucumber tomato salad. Serve lemon wedges on the side

Notes

Can I eat this hot or cold? Eating this at room temperature or cold are great ways to enjoy this dish! I do prefer my rice and chicken to be warm, so I just quickly warm them up in the microwave.
Don’t lift the lid or disturb the rice while cooking. This will release the steam from the pot and can undercook the rice.
Because this recipe is incredibly versatile, feel free to use this as a base and add in your favorite toppings!
If you want to add some spices to your turmeric rice, feel free! I recommend cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and/or coriander.
Storage Tips: Store the assembled chicken shawarma bowls (minus tzatziki) in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing—this dish is best enjoyed fresh.
For meal prep, I like using mason jars—layering from bottom to top: sauce, salad, veggies, chicken, then rice on top. This keeps everything fresh and prevents soggy rice. Just flip into a bowl when ready to eat!
I provide helpful tips on the ingredients and substitutions above this recipe card - scroll up. I also provide step-by-step photos.

Endless Bowl Options: Mix & Match Ideas

Proteins: Ground chicken or turkey, lamb, shrimp, steak—or even rotisserie chicken—all work well here instead of my shawarma chicken.
Other Veggie Ingredients: You can also use pitted kalamata olives, roasted chickpeas, cilantro, sliced radishes, sauteed kale, fresh arugula, chopped romaine lettuce, or raw spinach! Or, use my Greek salad.
Cheese: Haloumi fresh or grilled is a great substitute for feta!
Grains: Swap turmeric rice with white rice, couscous, bulgur, brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice. Or, make my cilantro-lime black bean rice.
Sauces: Try hummus, tahini, garlic yogurt, harissa yogurt, or chimichurri instead of tzatziki. Anything creamy, tangy, or herb-packed works beautifully!

You will need these supplies:

knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
measuring cups
medium pot with lid
mixing bowl

Nutrition