Middle Eastern Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Bowl with Tahini-Lemon Sauce
Cumin-and-coriander spiced chicken over grains and crisp vegetables, drizzled with a light tahini-lemon sauce.
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
These ingredients are common at Middle Eastern grocers; a well-stocked international supermarket usually carries them too.
Instructions
- 1Toss chicken with olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, and cinnamon.
- 2Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- 3Whisk tahini, lemon juice, water, and garlic until smooth and pourable, adding more water as needed.
- 4Divide brown rice or bulgur among bowls; top with romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, and spiced chicken.
- 5Drizzle generously with tahini-lemon sauce and serve.