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Easy chicken dinners shawarma bowls with spiced chicken, rice and garlic sauce

Easy Chicken Shawarma Bowls (20 Minutes)

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the shawarma chicken:
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the bowls:
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 2 3/4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 English cucumber diced
  • 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • lemon wedges for serving
For the creamy garlic sauce:
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 garlic cloves finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon water to thin

Method
 

  1. Rinse rice until water runs mostly clear. Combine rice, water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce to lowest simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Rest covered 5 minutes, then fluff.
  2. Stir together cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, cinnamon, coriander, salt, and pepper. Pat chicken dry; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and spice blend until evenly coated.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken in a single layer 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden and 165°F inside. Rest 3 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
  4. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and salt; thin with water until pourable but creamy.
  5. Divide rice between four bowls; top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley. Drizzle with garlic sauce and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts; slice breasts thin if using them. Sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge and improves overnight. Store components separately up to 4 days.