Healthy Chicken Shawarma Bowl

When I started putting together healthy meals with chicken breast, I wanted something that was light, flavorful, and reminded me of home. I’m Lebanese, so naturally, I leaned toward something inspired by shawarma, but made it work for a simple weeknight meal. That’s how this chicken shawarma rice bowl came together.

The chicken shawarma marinade is super easy to make and the ingredients are pretty easy to find, then I bake the chicken using my easy method for BBQ-style chicken in the oven (you can check out how I do that here). Then I build the bowl with rice, my creamy homemade tarator sauce, and a bright Mediterranean sumac salad.

It’s one of my favorite healthy chicken breast recipes, perfect for lunch or dinner, meal prep, or when you’re craving something flavorful and still balanced. This chicken and rice bowl has everything you need, and it comes together fast.

• Start with the chicken. No matter what marinade you’re using, let it sit for at least 30 minutes so it soaks up the flavor. I baked mine using my go-to method, placing the chicken on a rack for even cooking (in the oven at 500F for 30 minutes on broil). You can find the full instructions in my BBQ-style chicken in the oven recipe.
• Cook the rice according to the type you’re using:
  • White basmati rice: rinse well, then cook with a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 12–15 minutes.
  • Brown rice: rinse, then cook with a 1:2.5 ratio, simmer for about 35–40 minutes until tender.
  • Jasmine rice: rinse, then cook with a 1:1.5 ratio, simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
    Once done, fluff with a fork and set aside.

• To make the Mediterranean sumac salad, just wash everything, chop, and mix everything together. You will need:
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  •  1/2 English cucumber
  •  1/2 cup fresh parsley
  •  1/4 red onion
  •  1/2 tsp salt
  •  1 tsp sumac
  •  2 tsp olive oil

• I also added a quick lettuce mix:
  Wash and chop romaine or iceberg lettuce, then season with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of lemon juice, and a splash of olive oil. Toss well until coated. (the measurements I used are 2 Tbsp Olive oil, 2 Tbsp Lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt for 1 Romain lettuce).

• To make the Tarator (the Tahini sauce), just combine all the ingredients in a jar and blend everything together until smooth; you will need:
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 small garlic cloves (or 1 big)
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt

• Now assemble your plate. Start with a base of rice, then add a handful of the seasoned lettuce and a scoop of sumac salad. Top with slices of the grilled chicken, then drizzle generously with tarator sauce. Enjoy!