Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Craving worthy!
We love these bowls. Basically a deconstructed Chicken Shawarma with marinated chicken, spiced rice and loaded with veggies and sauces.
This bowl tastes as good as it looks and helps you feel a bit healthier than you do on the tail end of a big chicken shawarma loaded with pita. You’ll be impressed by the flavour combination and won’t be able to stop making these once you start. Adapted from the original recipe by Moribyan. This recipe will yield about 4 bowls.
Let’s go shopping.
Chicken (give yourself as much marinating time as possible, at least 30 minutes)
2 lbs chicken breast, diced small
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1.5-2 lemons)
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional - depends if you want spice)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sumac (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Rice
2 cups jasmine rice
2 tbsp ghee (or butter)
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
White Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp garlic sauce/spread
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp white sugar
2-3 tbsp water, to thin
Toppings
1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded finely
1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
1/2 english cucumber, diced
4 small radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Sriracha (or hot sauce of your choosing)
Pita or Naan bread for serving (if desired)
Marinate (at least 30 minutes, up to over night) and cook the chicken
The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavourful. If you’ve only got 30 minutes don’t fret, it’ll still be delicious - just make sure this is your first step to get optimal marinating time. Combine all ingredients and mix well to combine, ensuring the chicken is coated evenly once you toss it. Put it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Once the chicken has been marinated, heat a medium skillet on medium high and add the chicken and the marinade from the bowl. Cook well under the chicken is done and the marinade has thickened up in the pan.
Delicious marinade!
Here is the saucy cooked chicken
Cook the rice.
To clean your rice, rinse it until warm water in a fine mesh strainer for about 2 minutes or until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan increase the heat to medium high. Add the ghee or butter and once melted, add the rice. Toast the rice until fragrant, then add the broth, spices and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cover and cook for 13 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave lid on until ready to serve.
Perfectly cooked and seasoned rice every time.
Make the white sauce.
In a medium jar, whisk together all the ingredients adding the amount of water that helps to reach your desired consistency, 1 tbsp at a time. Set to the side until ready to serve.
Assemble the bowls
Add your shredded lettuce to the bowl and top with rice, chicken and the rest of the veggies and parsley. Drizzle with the white sauce and sriracha (or other hot sauce). If desired, feel free to serve with a pita bread or some naan bread to scoop up the goodness.
