LockedHeart HealthyDash DietHigh Protein

Middle Eastern Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Bowl with Tahini-Lemon Sauce

Name: Middle Eastern Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Bowl with Tahini-Lemon Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breast; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 0.25 tsp cinnamon; 2 cups cooked brown rice or bulgur; 2 cups romaine; 1 cucumber; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 3 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 3 tbsp water; 1 small clove garlic

Cumin-and-coriander spiced chicken over grains and crisp vegetables, drizzled with a light tahini-lemon sauce.

Servings

4 servings

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Shawarma's warm spice blend—cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon—doesn't need a rotisserie or deep-frying to taste right; this version pan-sears thin-sliced chicken breast in the same spices and builds a full bowl around it with grains, crisp romaine, cucumber, and tomatoes. A tahini-lemon sauce ties it all together.

Lean chicken breast keeps saturated fat low while still delivering plenty of protein, and the spice rub is built entirely from warm spices rather than salt, so the sodium in this bowl stays modest. Tahini contributes healthy unsaturated fats along with a bit of calcium, and thinning it with lemon juice and water rather than more oil keeps the sauce light. Whole grains underneath and a pile of fresh vegetables round the bowl out with fiber and potassium.

This one is easy to customize—swap in whichever grain you have on hand, or add extra vegetables for more volume.

Ingredients

For the bowl

1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breast — sliced thin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
0.5 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp smoked paprika
0.25 tsp cinnamon
2 cups cooked brown rice or bulgur
2 cups romaine — chopped
1 cucumber — diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes — halved

For the tahini sauce

3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp water — or more as needed
1 small clove garlic — minced

Get your 30-day plan to see this recipe

📍

Where to find these ingredients

These ingredients are common at Middle Eastern grocers; a well-stocked international supermarket usually carries them too.

Instructions & nutrition unlock with your 30-day plan

One payment unlocks the full step-by-step method, nutrition facts, and a printable/PDF version — for this recipe and every other one.

Get my 30-day plan — $19.99