If you know me at all, you know that I love food – especially easy food. Between work schedules and a very curious baby, I need recipes that come together without much effort and can be prepped ahead of time. This chicken shawarma-inspired recipe checks all those boxes – it’s easy to prep, freezer-friendly, and best of all, delicious! The marinated chicken is tender and flavorful, and the dinner bowl toppings make this recipe totally customizable!
Chicken Shawarma Dinner Bowls: Ingredients
For the Marinade
Note: I don’t love recipes that involve lots of measuring, and this recipe is very forgiving, so I just eyeball the spices.
- 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 white or red onion, cut into slices
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, but highly recommended)
For the Dinner Bowls – Topping Ideas
You can customize the toppings based on your likes and what you have on hand. A great tip from Kendra at the Lazy Genius Collective is to stick with this dinner bowl formula: a base (greens or a grain), a sauce (hummus), and 2 other toppings (veggies, cheese, etc.). For this meal, we went with lettuce, hummus, and feta cheese (since we had all these on hand!), with some pita bread on the side. Here are a few ideas for toppings that would work well in this dinner bowl:
- Hummus (any kind! but I do think this ingredient is a must)
- Rice
- Bulgur
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Olives
- Feta Cheese
- Pita Bread
These are just ideas – remember that it’s ok to keep it simple! (Bonus points if you can use something already in your fridge or pantry.) For more inspiration, you can check out The Flavor Bible, which lists complementary flavors and ingredients used for different types of cuisine!
Chicken Shawarma Dinner Bowls: Instructions
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Once the chicken is cooked through, assemble your chicken shawarma hummus bowls! For the bowls pictured here, I started with a good amount of iceberg lettuce, then added a large scoop of roasted red pepper hummus on top. I added some of the cooked chicken and onions, then topped the whole thing with some feta cheese! I served this meal with some whole-wheat pita bread, and it was delicious.
To Prep Ahead
Chicken can be marinated ahead of time, up to about 24 hours before eating. You can freeze the chicken and marinade together in a ziplock bag and thaw in the fridge the day before cooking. You can also chop and prep any of the toppings ahead of time!
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For more meal inspiration, check out my other recipe posts here. You can also read about my meal planning and grocery shopping process!