These Chicken Shawarma Bowls are packed with grilled shawarma-spiced chicken, fluffy turmeric rice, crisp vegetables, feta, and a cool creamy sauce. They have all the bold flavor of your favorite Mediterranean takeout bowl, but they're easy enough to make at home for a weeknight dinner.
The chicken is seasoned with warm spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and allspice, then grilled until juicy with lightly charred edges. Pile it over rice with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, feta, parsley, and a spoonful of homemade tzatziki or garlic yogurt sauce.
I love this recipe because everyone can build their own bowl, making it great for family dinners, meal-prep lunches, or casual entertaining.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- What is a Chicken Shawarma Bowl?
- Why this Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Expert Tips
- No Grill? Try These Cooking Options
- What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Recipe Variations
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Meal Prep Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Mediterranean Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- You May Also Like
Quick Look
- Flavor: Warm shawarma spices, lemon, garlic, turmeric rice, fresh vegetables
- Key ingredients: Chicken thighs, shawarma seasoning, rice, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, tzatziki
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Cooking method: Grill, grill pan, or skillet
- Best served with: Tzatziki, garlic yogurt sauce, hummus, pita, or Greek salad
What is a Chicken Shawarma Bowl?
A chicken shawarma bowl takes the flavors of chicken shawarma and serves them in a rice or grain bowl instead of a pita wrap. It usually includes shawarma-spiced chicken, rice or greens, fresh vegetables, herbs, and a creamy sauce like tzatziki, garlic yogurt sauce, tahini, or toum.
Traditional shawarma is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, but this homemade version uses grilled chicken kebabs for a weeknight-friendly approach with similar warm spices and charred edges.
Why this Recipe Works
- Big shawarma flavor at home - Cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and allspice give the chicken warm, savory Middle Eastern-inspired flavor without needing a vertical rotisserie.
- Great for meal prep - The chicken, rice, and toppings can be prepped ahead and stored separately for easy lunches or quick dinners.
- Build-your-own bowls - Everyone can choose their own base, toppings, and sauce, which makes this a family-friendly dinner.
- Fresh and filling - Turmeric rice, grilled chicken, crisp cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and herbs make the bowls hearty but still fresh.
- Flexible cooking options - Grill the chicken outside, cook it on a grill pan, or use a skillet when the weather does not cooperate.
For another classic Mediterranean street food, check out my chicken souvlaki recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs stay juicy and are more forgiving on the grill than chicken breast. Chicken breast works too, but watch the cook time closely.
- Shawarma spices: Cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and allspice give the chicken its warm shawarma-style flavor. The cinnamon and allspice should be subtle.
- Turmeric rice: Turmeric gives the rice a golden color and mild earthy flavor. Basmati or jasmine rice both work well.
- Fresh vegetables: Cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion add crunch and freshness to balance the warm spices.
- Feta: Feta adds salty, tangy flavor. You can skip it for a dairy-free bowl.
- Sauce: Homemade tzatziki is a great option, but garlic yogurt sauce, tahini sauce, hummus, or toum also work well.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then toss it with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and the shawarma spices until evenly coated. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- While the chicken marinates, chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and any other toppings you want to use.
- Thread the chicken onto wide, flat skewers, folding the meat back and forth over itself onto the skewer. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- To prepare the rice, heat chicken broth over medium heat until it comes to a boil. While the broth heats, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. When the broth begins to boil, stir in the rice, olive oil, turmeric, cumin, and salt.
- Cover and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, around 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pot sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork.
- While the rice cooks, clean and oil your grill grates, then heat to medium-high, around 400-450°F.
- Grill the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can also cook the chicken in a grill pan or skillet.
- To build the bowls, start with turmeric rice, then add the grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, feta, parsley, lemon wedges, and a generous spoonful of tzatziki or garlic yogurt sauce.
Expert Tips
- You can trim any large pockets of fat from the chicken thighs, but do not trim all of the fat. The fat adds tons of flavor and helps to keep the chicken moist and juicy on the hot grill.
- If the chicken thighs are large, cut them in half so they are easier to skewer.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight to absorb the flavors of the shawarma marinade.
- Wide, flat metal metal skewers work best for these shawarma kebabs. If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes before grilling to prevent burning, and skewer the chicken with two skewers per kebab.
No Grill? Try These Cooking Options
- Grill pan: Cook the chicken skewers over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through.
- Skillet: Skip the skewers and cook the marinated chicken pieces in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat until browned and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Oven: Spread the chicken pieces on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake at 425°F for 16 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end for extra browning.
What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma Bowls
This chicken shawarma bowl is a complete meal, so you don't really need other sides. To complete the dish, I serve these bowls with wedges of pita bread and some of my homemade tzatziki sauce on the side.
Recipe Variations
- Make it low-carb - Swap the rice for cauliflower rice or mixed greens.
- Add a sauce - Tzatziki, garlic sauce, or tahini dressing all work great here.
- Use chicken breast - If you prefer white meat, just keep an eye on cook time to avoid drying it out.
- Swap the protein - The shawarma marinade is also great on lamb, beef, or pork.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat the chicken and rice in the microwave. The veggies are best fresh, so add those along with the feta cheese just before serving.
Meal Prep Tips
Chicken shawarma bowls are great for meal prep because most of the components can be made ahead. Store the chicken, rice, vegetables, and sauce in separate containers so everything stays fresh.
The chicken and rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Chop the vegetables 1 to 2 days ahead, and add the sauce right before serving. Reheat the chicken and rice, then top with the cold vegetables, feta, herbs, and tzatziki.
For packed lunches, use divided containers or keep the sauce in a small separate container so the bowl does not get soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Store the chicken, rice, vegetables, and sauce separately for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken and rice, then add the cold toppings and sauce before serving.
Tzatziki, garlic yogurt sauce, tahini sauce, toum, hummus, or a simple lemon yogurt sauce all work well.
Yes. Chicken breast works, but chicken thighs stay juicier and are more forgiving on the grill.
Yes. Cook the chicken in a grill pan, skillet, or oven until it reaches 165°F.
More Mediterranean Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, or cinnamon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
Yellow Rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 1 block feta cheese
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers, or 1 small English cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then toss it with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and the shawarma spices until evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Clean and oil your grill grates, then heat to medium-high, around 400°F to 450°F. While the grill heats, thread the chicken onto wide flat skewers (see note), folding the meat back and forth over itself onto the skewer. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Grill the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and the chicken reaches 165°F. You can also cook the chicken in a grill pan or skillet.
Yellow Rice
- Heat chicken broth over medium heat until boiling. While the broth heats, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. When the broth comes to a boil, stir in the rice, olive oil, turmeric, cumin, and salt.
- Cover and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, around 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pot sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork.
Assemble the Bowls
- Place a bed of yellow rice in a bowl, then top with chicken. Add sliced tomatoes and cumbers on the side and then top with crumbled feta cheese. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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