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This is one of those dinners I’ll be dreaming about until I make it again. Tender air fried chicken thighs with an insanely delicious chicken shawarma marinade served with fluffy yellow rice, a simple cucumber-tomato salad and a 30-second high protein white sauce. It’s surprisingly easy to make and so, so good.
I like to marinate my chicken in advance and keep it in a resealable bag in my freezer. You definitely don’t have to prep this in advance, though. One hour in the marinade is long enough for the chicken to be juicy, tender and full of flavor.
I use chicken thighs for this recipe because they have so much flavor and cook up so well in the air fryer, but chicken breast works too. If you’re using bone-in chicken, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time in the recipe below. I’ve also included 3 alternate cooking methods in the recipe card below if you don’t have an air fryer: the chicken turns out perfect in the oven, on the stovetop, or on the barbecue.
While my chicken is cooking, I make the yellow rice, and while that’s on the stovetop, I throw together my cucumber-tomato salad and my white sauce. It may seem like there’s a lot of components, but because they can all be made at the same time, it’s actually really quick and easy to make in less than an hour.
This recipe is also perfect for meal prep because it reheats really well. If you’re making this for meal prep, I recommend storing the salad and white sauce separately, then adding them once you’re ready to serve. No one likes warm salad. Or maybe you do. And that’s totally fine.
The Best Easy Loaded Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Equipment
- 1 air fryer (you can use the oven too)
- 1 small bowl,
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- 1 lb chicken thighs (or chicken breast, cut into cubes)
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (I use fat free, but full fat works great too)
- Juice of 1 medium lemon
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- Avocado oil cooking spray or 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (see Note 1)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp cayenne, (see Note 2)
- 1 tsp salt
Yellow Rice
- Avocado oil cooking spray or 1 tbsp
- ½ cup dry white rice, rinsed and drained
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste (depending how salty your chicken broth is)
Cucumber-Tomato Salad
- 1 English cucumber or 4-5 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- Juice of 1 medium lemon
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp salt or more to taste
White Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (I use fat free, but full fat works great too)
- 2 tsp honey
- Juice of ½ a medium lemon
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
Optional Toppings
- Pickles or pickled peppers
- Hummus
- Pita bread or flatbread
Instructions
Chicken Shawarma
- Combine chicken pieces, Greek yogurt, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices in a large container and mix well
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes but ideally 2 hours to overnight
- Spray an air fryer rack with cooking spray then add the chicken pieces in one layer
- Air fry at 380℉ for 8-10 minutes (see Note 3)
- Flip, then air fry for another 8-10 minutes or until cooked through (see Note 4 for other cooking methods)
Yellow Rice
- Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and spray with oil
- Add the rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, then add the spices and toast for another min
- Add the bay leaf, chicken broth and salt then bring to a boil
- Cover and reduce heat to low; let cook for 15-17 minutes or until the rice is cooked through
- Fluff rice with a fork then set aside
Cucumber-Tomato Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, parsley, mint, lemon juice and sumac
- Toss together until combined, then season with salt to taste
White Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice and garlic
- Mix well, then season with salt to taste
To Assemble
- Serve the rice then top with the chicken thighs then top with the white sauce
- Serve the cucumber-tomato salad on the side or separately
Notes
- Oven: Bake at 400℉ for 15-20 minutes then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes
- Stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; sear for 1-2 minutes on each side then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through – if your skillet is on the smaller side, cook the chicken in batches and ensure you don’t crowd the pan or the chicken will steam instead of searing
- Barbecue: Brush a grill with oil; cook the chicken over indirect heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway then move it over to direct heat for 2-3 minutes on each side to sear
Nutrition
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