Chicken Shawarma Plate

Learn how to make a chicken shawarma plate at home. A delightful and healthy Middle Eastern recipe for shawarma served with hummus, tahini sauce, and tabbouleh.

Enjoy our delicious chicken shawarma plate! This meal is made with tender, flavorful chicken and served with hummus, tabbouleh, fresh vegetables, and warm pita bread.

The chicken breasts are marinated in a blend of spices that give them a mouthwatering taste. Each bite is a burst of flavor, and the plate includes crisp vegetables and a special sauce.

What is shawarma?

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food (one of the world's most popular street foods) made from seasoned, thinly sliced meat (usually beef, chicken, or lamb) cooked on a vertical rotisserie.

The cooked meat is typically served in flatbread as a sandwich or on a plate with accompaniments like rice, vegetables, and sauces.

Common toppings and garnishes include tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, tahini sauce, yogurt-based sauces, and pickles.

Shawarma is similar to the Greek gyros (often made with pork or lamb) or the Turkish döner. The seasoning sets the shawarma apart from the two; the meat used for shawarma is seasoned with spices like cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves.

What is a chicken shawarma platter?

A dish that typically includes slices of seasoned and grilled chicken served with various accompaniments. You can customize the platter to your liking, so you get exactly what you want and enjoy a tasty meal.

The plate usually consists of:

• Thin slices of chicken, usually marinated with a blend of spices, give it a flavorful and aromatic taste. 
• Carbs: Flatbread, rice, spicy potatoes, or even French fries.
• Fresh salads like tabbouleh, Fattoush, or/and fresh vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
• Hummus: You can use any of our delicious and smooth hummus recipes: Low-Calorie Hummus (the best recipe ever!), Roasted Red Pepper Dip, or Wild Garlic Hummus. For a change, add Muhammara to the platter, another amazing Middle Eastern dish.
• Sauces: Various sauces, such as tahini, garlic sour cream sauce, tzatziki sauce, or other yogurt-based sauces, like our mint yogurt sauce.

Recipe ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast: You can use pre-cut strips or slice the breasts into strips on your own.
  • Alternatively, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs; they are incredibly flavorful and juicy. 
• Spice blend: A combination of cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
• In addition to that, you will need freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil to mix with the spices before coating the meat. 

How to make chicken shawarma at home?

• Prepare the chicken: Mix the spices in a small bowl (1). Slice the meat (2) into thin strips and toss it with the lemon juice and the oil. Sprinkle the spice mixture on top and stir well to coat the chicken. 
• Marinate for 2-3 hours, but remove the bowl from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. 

• Cook the marinated strips (in batches) in a large skillet or frying pan, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes per batch or until the chicken strips are golden and cooked through but still tender and juicy. Don't overcook! Add some more of the olive oil between the batches.

Assemble the chicken shawarma plate

• Spread a portion of hummus on one side of the plate and place some tabbouleh on the opposite side. Arrange the sliced salad leaves in between and lay the chicken strips on top. Sprinkle black olives and nigella seeds over the plate and finish it off with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• If your plate has enough space, arrange the tomato and cucumber slices on it; otherwise, serve them on the side. Drizzle with a bit of sauce and serve the rest of it on the side. 

Tips

• Don't overcrowd the pan. If it's too crowded, the meat will cook in its juices instead of getting that nice golden color you want.
• The cooking time is brief because the chicken breast for shawarma is thinly sliced. These meat slices will cook quickly, usually in just 4-5 minutes per batch. Flip the chicken slices to ensure they turn golden all over.

How to eat shawarma plate?

• Start with the pita or flatbread: You can make mini sandwiches or chicken shawarma wraps if your shawarma plate comes with pita bread or flatbread. Tear off a piece of bread and place some chicken, salad, and any desired condiments inside. Fold it up and take a bite.
• Alternatively, stuff the components into pita pockets. Or make shawarma bowls with rice.
• Use utensils: If you prefer not to eat it like a sandwich, you can use a fork or spoon and scoop up a bit of chicken, rice, salad, and sauce.
• Combine flavors: Shawarma plates are all about combining flavors. Mix the chicken, grains, salad, and some hummus on your plate, and drizzle some sauce over the top. Each forkful of this popular dish should include a bit of everything for a burst of flavor.
• Don't forget about additional sides like hummus, tabbouleh, black olives, or yogurt.
• Enjoy fresh vegetables: If the plate includes tomato and cucumber slices, enjoy them as a refreshing palate cleanser between bites of the flavorful shawarma.

Remember, there's no one right way to eat a shawarma plate; enjoy it just the way you like it. Whether you prefer it as a sandwich, salad, or a mix of both, the key is to savor the blend of spices and textures that make shawarma a delicious Middle Eastern delight.

Is this dish suitable for meal prep?

• ​Yes.
• Cook the chicken, refrigerate it once cool, and reheat it before serving. 
• Make the hummus in advance; it will keep for about one week.
• The yogurt sauce can also be made 1-2 days in advance. 
• Make the tabbouleh one day in advance.
• Cut the vegetables for the chicken shawarma plate no more than 2 hours before serving. Cutting them closer to the serving time helps maintain their freshness and crispness.

How to store?

• Refrigerate leftovers separately in airtight containers. The shawarma-style chicken and the tabbouleh can be stored for 2-3 days, while homemade hummus lasts about 1 week.
• Fresh vegetables and pita bread are best when consumed fresh. 
• If you want to refrigerate leftovers on an assembled plate, cover it with plastic wrap and try to finish it by the next day, especially if the veggies are still on the plate.
• Reheat gently to prevent the chicken from drying. You can use the microwave, oven, or stovetop, depending on your preference.

What to serve with it?

More Middle Eastern-inspired dishes

Recipe

Chicken Shawarma Plate

Learn how to make a chicken shawarma plate at home, a delightful and healthy Middle Eastern recipe served with hummus and tabbouleh.

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Course: Chicken Breast

Cuisine: Middle East

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  Large skillet or pan
• ▢
  Bowls

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Ingredients 

Chicken:

• ▢ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 450 g, Note 1
• ▢ 1 lemon the juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the chicken

To serve:

• ▢ yogurt tahini sauce Note 3
• ▢ hummus
• ▢ tabbouleh
• ▢ black olives
• ▢ sliced salad leaves
• ▢ sliced tomatoes
• ▢ sliced cucumbers
• ▢ nigella seeds
• ▢ a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Chicken:

• Mix the spices in a small bowl.

  ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon cardamom + ¼ teaspoon turmeric + ½ teaspoon sea salt + ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Marinate chicken: Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and mixed spices and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.

  1 lb/ 450 g chicken breast + juice of 1 lemon + 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Cook chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or pan. Cook the chicken slices in 2 or 3 batches, adding a bit more oil between the batches (Note 2). Stir occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes per batch or until the chicken strips are golden and cooked through but still tender and juicy.

  2-3 tablespoon olive oil

Assemble the shawarma plate:

• Spread a portion of hummus on one side of the plate and place some tabbouleh on the opposite side. Arrange the sliced salad leaves in between and lay the chicken strips on top. Sprinkle black olives and nigella seeds over the plate and finish it off with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Serve: If your plate has enough space, arrange the tomato and cucumber slices on it; otherwise, serve them on the side. Drizzle with a bit of sauce and serve the rest of it on the side.

Notes

1. Chicken: The same amount of boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead.
2. Don't overcrowd the pan, or the chicken will be cooked in its released juices instead of searing.
3. Yogurt tahini dip: Mix ⅔ cup/ 150 g Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 large grated garlic clove, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. The nutrition is calculated only for the chicken. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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