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Chicken shawarma bowls with lemon garlic yogurt in a cream ceramic bowl
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Chicken Shawarma Bowls Recipe

Oven-roasted spiced chicken thighs over basmati rice with cucumber, tomato and lemon garlic yogurt sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 521
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 680 g; excess fat trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 27 g
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice 45 g; divided
  • 4 cloves garlic 12 g; minced, divided
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin 3 g
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 g
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 2.3 g
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric 1.5 g
  • 0.125 teaspoon ground cinnamon 0.3 g
  • 0.75 teaspoon fine salt 4.5 g; divided
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper 0.6 g
  • 1 cup dry white basmati rice 180 g
  • 1.5 cups water 360 ml; or package-directed quantity
  • 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 227 g
  • 1.5 cups diced cucumber 200 g
  • 1.5 cups diced tomato 225 g

Equipment

  • 1 Large rimmed sheet pan Chicken must fit in a single layer
  • 1 Saucepan with lid For rice
  • 1 Instant-read food thermometer Check chicken reaches 165°F
  • 1 Mixing bowl For chicken seasoning
  • 1 Small bowl For yogurt sauce
  • 1 Knife and cutting boards Keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat vegetables

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Use a large rimmed sheet pan and a separate clean board for the vegetables. Pat the chicken dry; do not rinse raw poultry.
  2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 minced garlic cloves, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Coat the chicken and arrange it in a single layer on the pan without overlapping.
  3. Roast for about 22–28 minutes, until a food thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each large thigh reaches at least 165°F. Timing depends on thickness. Rest 5 minutes on a clean board, then slice.
  4. While the chicken roasts, cook the rice with the water according to its package directions. If using the stated ratio, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low about 15 minutes; remove from the heat and stand covered 5 minutes before fluffing. Follow your rice package if its water or timing differs.
  5. Mix the yogurt with the remaining tablespoon lemon juice, remaining garlic clove and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Wash and dice the cucumber and tomato using clean utensils. Keep the sauce and vegetables refrigerated until needed.
  6. Divide rice, chicken, cucumber and tomato among four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the yogurt sauce. Refrigerate perishable leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Keep cold at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days; reheat chicken and rice to 165°F.

Video

Notes

Contains milk. Nutrition varies by ingredients and portion size; displayed values are estimates, not laboratory analysis. The estimate counts all oil and salt and is for one of four complete bowls. The cost is an approximate ingredient-portion budget, not a store quote.
Video credit: Feelgoodfoodie, Homemade Chicken Shawarma. The video demonstrates oven-roasted shawarma using breast and thigh, cardamom and optional skillet searing. This bowl recipe uses thighs, coriander and turmeric, and serves rice, vegetables and yogurt without the second skillet step.