Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Hen Shawarma Bowl – Contemporary & Wholesome

Hen Shawarma Bowl options heat and intensely-flavored Center-Jap seasonings in a recent and wholesome bowl meal that appears and tastes restaurant-quality. Set out as a build-your-own bar for entertaining, get pleasure from for wholesome lunches all week lengthy, or function an thrilling dinner to your loved ones tonight!

overhead photo of a chicken shawarma bowl

In the event you’re in search of a recipe to degree up lunch time, dinner, and even entertaining, my Hen Shawarma Bowl is IT.

These recent, brilliant, wholesome, attractive bowls are full of taste and really feel like one thing you’d order at a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant the place you get so as to add all of the toppings you want.

Besides you don’t have to depart the home, lay our a fortune, or accept more and more skimpy servings (inform me you’re witnessing Chipotle’s downfall on TikTok with out telling me…ack!)

chicken shawarma bowl with toppings

What’s Hen Shawarma

Hen Shawarma is a well-liked Center-Jap avenue meals that includes hen marinated in heat seasonings and spices then gradual roasted, thinly sliced or shaved, and served with pita plus a number of recent toppings and sides.

That being stated, these bowls are my Midwest, admittedly unauthentic creation based mostly on the Hen Shawarma Fries I shared a few years in the past. They pay homage to genuine Hen Shawarma, which incorporates flavors and strategies I’d like to provide the confidence to strive at house.

Hen Shawarma Bowl Components

Construct your personal Hen Shawarma Bowl any which manner you want utilizing the next components included within the recipe:

  1. Yellow rice: sautéed garlic, onions, and floor turmeric permeate lengthy grain white rice with taste and lovely coloration.
  2. Baked Hen Shawarma: marinated hen breasts are baked till juicy and tender then sliced into skinny strips.
  3. Mediterranean Salsa: gives freshness, coloration, and taste. Plus the chilled distinction to the nice and cozy components within the dish is improbable.
  4. Garlic Sauce: is an easy mixture of mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and salt – that stated, don’t blame me when you end up spoon consuming these things!
  5. Toppings: ready hummus, sliced kalamata olives, and scorching sauce are my favourite methods to pack much more taste into every bowl.
ingredients for chicken shawarma bowls

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Why You’ll Love It

  • Good for entertaining: almost all the components of this dish are make forward so it’s good for entertaining. Your visitor’s socks can be knocked off if you set out a build-your-own Hen Shawarma Bowl bar for dinner!
  • Nice for make-ahead lunches: all of the chilled components maintain properly within the fridge for a number of days, whereas the new components reheat within the microwave in seconds. Which means a wholesome and satisfying lunch might be assembled in minutes.
  • SO DELICIOUS: Actually, these bowls are so extremely scrumptious, stuffed with attention-grabbing flavors and textures, plus they really feel like they got here from a restaurant. You’ll be tickled pink that you simply made them your self.

Ideas for Success

  1. Don’t skimp on salt. I not often embrace precise measurements for salt in my savory recipes as a result of “salty” is so subjective. In the event you don’t have a medical or private purpose to restrict salt, please generously salt every element of this dish for the perfect taste.
  2. Get a garlic press. There’s a LOT of recent garlic referred to as for on this recipe – I extremely suggest utilizing a garlic press to save lots of time, plus it breaks the garlic down into items that soften proper into the dish.
  3. Make-ahead. For the perfect taste, make the home made Garlic Sauce a minimum of someday forward of time to offer the recent garlic an opportunity to meld and gentle out.
  4. Retailer-bought swap. Toom model garlic sauce is a superb swap for home made if you happen to’d like to avoid wasting time.
  5. Ingredient shock. Don’t let the size of the ingredient listing deter you from making this dish! A number of substances are used greater than as soon as and/or are kitchen staples. Plus lots of the components might be made or ready a number of days forward of time.

Alrighty – let’s cook dinner!

chicken shawarma bowl with a fork

Strive my Simple Hen Fried Rice

Make Hen Shawarma Bowl

Step 1: Make the Hen Shawarma

Begin by including the Hen Shawarma marinade substances to a gallon-size Ziplock bag then squishing the bag along with your palms to mix. You’ll want:

  • Contemporary lemon juice
  • Further virgin lemon juice
  • Cumin
  • Paprika
  • Floor turmeric
  • Floor allspice
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Smashed garlic cloves
  • Salt

I exploit McCormick model herbs and spices, that are gluten free on the time of this writing (5/25).

Chicken shawarma marinade

Subsequent slice hen breasts lengthwise into 1″ thick slices then add them to the marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour or as much as 12 hours.

chicken breast sliced into strips

When it’s time to bake, place the marinated hen strips on a half sheet pan lined with nonstick sprayed foil then bake at 400 levels for 12-14 minutes or till the hen is simply cooked by.

marinated chicken shawarma on a baking sheet

Let the hen relaxation for five minutes then switch it to a slicing board and slice lengthwise into skinny strips. Wrap the hen strips in foil then put aside.

Hen Shawarma = executed!

chopped chicken shawarma

Step 2: Make the Garlic Sauce

In a bowl mix mayonnaise, pressed or very finely minced recent garlic, recent lemon juice, and salt then stir to mix. Style then add extra lemon juice for extra tartness if desired.

The garlic sauce is greatest made AT LEAST someday forward of time as a way to give the garlic time to meld with the mayonnaise, and might be made as much as 5 days forward of time.

garlic mayonnaise

Recipe Tip

My home made Garlic Sauce recipe consists of 8 – sure, EIGHT – cloves of garlic. In case your cloves are smaller or bigger than the “average-size” cloves of garlic proven under, use roughly.

hand holding garlic cloves

Step 3: Make the Mediterranean Salsa

I really like how this salsa freshens up every Hen Shawarma Bowl!

To a mixing bowl add chopped English cucumber and vine-ripened tomatoes, minced purple onion and recent parsley, recent garlic, dried oregano, salt, and lemon juice then stir to mix.

The salsa might be made as much as 3 days forward of time, however is greatest made 1-2 days forward of time.

fresh mediterranean salsa in a bowl

Step 4: Make the Yellow Rice

Warmth additional virgin olive oil in a pot over medium warmth then add minced purple onion, season with salt, and saute till tender. Add recent garlic and floor turmeric, which supplies the rice it’s attractive golden hue, then saute till aromatic.

Add rinsed, lengthy grain white rice plus water then deliver the water to a simmer.

onions and garlic sauting in a skillet

Place a lid on high, flip the warmth all the way down to low, then simmer till the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork then put aside to chill barely.

yellow turmeric rice in a pan

Step 5: Assemble

Scoop the Yellow Rice into bowls then high with the sliced Hen Shawarma, Mediterranean Salsa, an unethical quantity of Garlic Sauce, plus optionally available additional toppings like kalamata olives, ready hummus, scorching sauce, and/or extra recent herbs and veggies.

I can not wait so that you can dive into this bowl of deliciousness!!

chicken shawarma bowl with toppings

Whether or not you’ve had Hen Shawarma earlier than, or this can be your first time tasting the mouthwatering mixture of Center-Jap seasonings highlighted on this dish – I do know you’ll love each single chunk. Take pleasure in!

fork eating a chicken shawarma bowl

Extra World-Impressed Recipes

For the Hen:

  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons additional virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon floor turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon floor allspice
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed then peeled
  • salt
  • 2 hen breasts, ~1lb complete, sliced into 1″ extensive strips

For the Garlic Sauce:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 – 4 Tablespoons recent lemon juice, ~1 – 1-1/2 lemons
  • 8 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced, ~4 teaspoons pressed garlic
  • salt

For the Mediterranean Salsa:

  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded then chopped
  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
  • 1/4 small purple onion, minced
  • small handful recent parsley, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon

For the Yellow Rice:

  • 1 Tablespoon additional virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 small purple onion, minced
  • salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon floor turmeric
  • 1 cup jasmine rice, I like Lundberg White Jasmine Rice

Optionally available Toppings:

  • ready hummus
  • kalamata olives, sliced in half
  • scorching sauce, I like Lolas

For the Hen:

  • Add all of the substances besides the hen right into a gallon-size Ziplock bag then squish to mix. Add the hen strips, squish to coat, then marinate for 1 hour or as much as 12 hours within the fridge.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 levels then line a half sheet pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Place the hen strips on the pan then bake for 12-14 minutes, or till cooked by. Let the hen cool for five minutes then switch to a slicing board and slice lengthwise into skinny strips. Cowl with foil to maintain heat.

For the Garlic Sauce:

  • Add all of the substances (begin with 3 Tablespoons lemon juice) right into a bowl then stir to mix. Style then add as much as 1 extra Tablespoon lemon juice if desired for extra tartness. In the event you’d desire a really easy sauce, add the substances right into a meals processor or blender then course of till easy. I discover this step to be pointless if utilizing a garlic press because it will get the garlic very wonderful. Garlic Sauce might be made as much as 5 days forward of time and is greatest made a minimum of 1 day forward of time.

For the Mediterranean Salsa:

For the Yellow Rice:

  • Rinse your rice: add the rice to a bowl then cowl with chilly water. Swish the rice round along with your fingertips till the water seems cloudy then pour the water out (the rice will stay within the backside of the bowl). Repeat protecting the rice with water, swishing round, then draining till the water runs clear – 5 or 6 occasions. Pour the rice right into a wonderful mesh sieve to empty fully.

  • Warmth the oil in a small saucepan over medium warmth then add the onions, season with salt, and saute till tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic then saute till very aromatic, 30 seconds. Add the turmeric then saute for 30 seconds. Add the drained rice then cook dinner whereas stirring for 1 minute. Add a scant 2 cups water then stir to mix.

  • Flip the warmth as much as deliver the water to a simmer then place a lid on high, flip the warmth all the way down to low, and simmer till the rice is tender, 10-12 minutes. Fluff with a fork then put aside to chill barely.

To Assemble:

  • Scoop the Yellow Rice into bowls then high with the sliced Hen Shawarma, Mediterranean Salsa, Garlic Sauce, plus optionally available toppings, after which serve.

  • You’ll need 3 massive lemons for this recipe.
  • I really like my garlic press for urgent all of the garlic on this recipe – it saves a lot chopping time!
  • I not often embrace measurements for salt in my savory recipes as a result of “salty” is so subjective. That stated, if you happen to don’t must keep away from salt for medical or different causes, I like to recommend generously salting every element of this meal.
  • Toom model garlic dip is a superb substitute for the home made garlic sauce if you happen to don’t need to make your personal.
  • These bowls reheat very properly – add the chilly rice and hen to a bowl then cowl with a paper towel and microwave till scorching. High with the Mediterranean Salsa, Garlic Sauce, and optionally available toppings then serve. 
  • Estimated dietary info consists of the complete Garlic Sauce recipe.

Energy: 831kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 30g, Fats: 56g, Saturated Fats: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 27g, Monounsaturated Fats: 18g, Trans Fats: 0.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 500mg, Potassium: 873mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1205IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 3mg

Dietary values are estimates solely. Please learn our full vitamin info disclaimer.

photo collage of chicken shawarma bowl

Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin

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