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This chicken shawarma salad is easy and delicious. It’s loaded with juicy and flavorful chicken, vegetables, and a delicious yogurt sauce!
If you’ve been here for a while, you know I take pride in my shawarma recipe collection. Check out my beef shawarma, chicken shawarma and of course, my favorite shawarma sauce. Today I’m going to show you how to make chicken shawarma salad bowls, an easy way to up your salad game!
About this recipe
I’m always looking for fun and delicious salad ideas that satisfy my love for Middle Eastern flavors while staying on the healthy side. This chicken shawarma salad recipe is one to keep. It’s simple, very versatile and comes together in no time.
Tender chicken pieces are marinated with warm spices, olive oil and lemon and then cooked to perfection and assembled with vegetables to make a tasty bowl of salad topped with the most delicious yogurt tahini sauce.
Ingredients
To make a delicious chicken shawarma salad, you only need a few ingredients. These simple ingredients come together to make a delicious meal that’s packed with so much flavor. Let’s take a look at the list of ingredients:
Chicken
You can use chicken thighs or breast for this recipe. I used a combination of Open Nature® Air Chilled chicken breast and chicken thighs but either would work perfectly on their own.
Marinade
To marinate the chicken you need a homemade shawarma spice mix (more on that below), extra virgin olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.
Vegetables
Greens such as O Organics® romaine lettuce would make a nice base for the salad. Add other vegetables such as red onion, O Organics grape tomatoes and cucumber for a complete and colorful salad. I also like to add some pickled turnips for more flavor.
Yogurt tahini sauce
This delicious sauce brings the whole salad together with its zesty and fresh flavor. You need O Organics Greek yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and just a little bit of water to make this sauce. I love making a big batch of this sauce and keep it in the fridge. You can also use our Middle eastern tahini sauce instead of yogurt tahini sauce.
Albertsons exclusive brands offer a variety of products that help you stretch your budget. O Organics offers products that are high quality, non GMO and 100% USDA- certified. I got all my ingredients at Safeway, but you can also Shop these affordable high-quality products at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons. Safeway also offers Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop!
Shawarma spice mix
What makes this Middle Eastern chicken salad different from others is a unique combination of spices. It’s possible to purchase shawarma spice mix but I love making my own to make sure the ratios are up to my likings. To make homemade shawarma spice mix you need cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric. Together, this spice mix will give the chicken amazing color and flavors.
Instructions
It’s very easy to make this salad bowl at home with just a few ingredients. It’s nutritious and healthy, yet affordable and inexpensive. All you need to do is to cook the chicken shawarma, make the yogurt tahini sauce and finally, assemble your salad.
Cook the chicken shawarma
Mix all the spices, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Add in the chicken and flip it over to make sure every piece is well coated with the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour up to overnight in the fridge.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the internal temperature registers at 165ºF. Take the chicken out of the oven and cover with a piece of aluminum foil and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
Make the yogurt tahini sauce
In a jar or a bowl, mix Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt. Add one tablespoon of water to thin it out and if it’s still too thick, add more water, one teaspoon at a time. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice if needed.
Assemble the salad
Chop the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Slice the red onions as well and set it aside. To assemble the salad bowls, arrange a layer of chopped lettuce in the bowl then top it with sliced chicken shawarma, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers. Finish by drizzling some yogurt tahini sauce on top and serve.
Frequently asked questions
If you haven’t added all the chicken to the salad, store the chicken separately in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. However, if you have all the chicken on the salad and you have leftovers, you can still refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
You can use chicken thighs. It’s best to use boneless skinless chicken. Cooking time may vary.
Yes, you can sear the chicken in a hot cast iron skillet or grill it on an outdoor gas or charcoal grill. Cooking time would change depending on which method you choose to cook.
Notes and tips
- As mentioned above, you can use any parts of chicken including boneless skinless thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast. Cooking time may vary depending on different pieces.
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice to make shawarma marinade or yogurt tahini dressing. Fresh lemon juice adds so much brightness and flavor to the dish.
- Instead of baking the chicken in the oven, you can sear it in a cast iron skillets over medium heat until fully cooked.
- You can add other toppings such as pita bread, pita chips, and hummus to the salad if desired.
- If you’re planning to use this recipe for a weekly meal prep, it’s best to store the chicken and vegetables in separate containers in the refrigerator and assemble fresh for each meal.
More Salad Recipes
Persian Recipes
Salad Shirazi (Persian Cucumber Tomato Salad)
Mediterranean recipes
Fattoush Salad Recipe
Mediterranean recipes
Easy Mediterranean Potato Salad
Turkish Recipes
Turkish Ezme Recipe
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Easy Chicken Shawarma Salad
Ingredients
Chicken shawarma
- 1 lb chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Yogurt sauce
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/4 lemon, juice of
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp water, more if needed
Salad
- 2 romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 2 pita bread, cut into triangles
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix all the spices and add them to the chicken. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil. Combine and make sure all the chicken pieces are coated with the spices.
- Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour up to overnight in the fridge.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked and the internal temperature registers at 165°F.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and cover with a piece of aluminum foil and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
- In another bowl, mix Greek yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and water. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more water. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice of needed.
- Fill the salad bowls with lettuce and top with tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, pita bread and sliced chicken shawarma. Drizzle with yogurt tahini sauce and serve.
Notes
- As mentioned above, you can use any parts of chicken including boneless skinless thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast. Cooking time may vary depending on different pieces.
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice to make shawarma marinade or yogurt tahini dressing. Fresh lemon juice adds so much brightness and flavor to the dish.
- Instead of baking the chicken in the oven, you can sear it in a cast iron skillets over medium heat until fully cooked.
- You can add other toppings such as pita bread, pita chips and hummus to the salad as well.
- If you’re planning to use this recipe for a weekly meal prep, it’s best to store the chicken and vegetables in separate containers in the refrigerator and assemble fresh for each meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ok, this yogurt sauce is so amazing. It’s the perfect topping and we loved the flavors in the chicken too. What an easy dinner idea!
Love the idea of making shawarma into a salad! This was super tasty and love the healthier spin.