Name: Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 2 tsp pepper (or to taste); 1 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons); 1/2 cup olive oil; 1 tsp red pepper flakes; 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless and skinless); 1 large onion (sliced); 2 cups water; 1 cup bulgur wheat (uncooked); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup lemon juice ((from 1 or 2 lemons, depends on size)); 3 cups tomatoes (chopped small); 1 English cucumber (chopped small); 1/4 cup green onions (chopped); 2 cups fresh parsley (chopped); 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped); 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste); 1/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled); 1/2 cup Kalamata olives; pita bread; hummus; 1 avocado (sliced)

This Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad is super fresh and loaded with incredible flavors. The chicken is marinated in Middle Eastern spices, super moist and delicious served over the best tabbouleh salad and a side of homemade hummus.

Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad

Today I’m sharing with you a couple of my favorite recipes put together to show you how I love to eat my salads – because a boring salad will not work for me. Not only is this salad fresh, bright, satisfying, and savory, but it’s also packed full of super foods so it’s amazing for you.

Believe me if people made salads like this all the time, we’d be eating salads all the time. Here I’ve combined my beautiful hummus, chicken shawarma, pita, and a reinterpretation of my classic tabbouleh salad. So let’s get into it!

What Is Chicken Shawarma?

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern method of preparing meat. Have you been into a Donair shop and seen the cuts of meat piled high rotating slowly on a vertical rotisserie? While I don’t exactly have one of those rotisseries lying around (and I’m sure you don’t either) we’re going to use our oven today to replicate the flavor and juicy cuts achieved more traditionally.

What Is Tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is a traditionally vegetarian salad hailing from Lebanon. It’s chock full of super fresh herbs like mint and parsley, tomatoes, bulgur (an ancient grain) and a glug of good olive oil. It’s got everything you need, fresh bright flavors, great texture and chew, as well as super tender and flavorful chicken – in this recipe’s case.

What Is Bulgur?

Middle Eastern in origin, this ancient grain is chewy, carby, and absorbs flavor like crazy. It’s high in fiber and low calorie which some of you may be into. It cooks down similarly to rice but adds great dimension to this dish.

Ingredients In Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Chicken shawarma

Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil to cook our chicken down in.
Lemon juice – Fresh is best! We’re using the juice from 2 lemons.
Spices – Smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.
Garlic – Fresh as always, if jarred is all you have on hand, keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
Onion – White or yellow, something that cooks down well.
Chicken – I used chicken breasts today, but you can definitely use chicken thighs.
Parsley – Fresh chopped up nice and fine.

Tabbouleh salad

Water – To cook down our bulgur.
Bulgur – Cooks down similarly to rice, you can use quinoa in its place.
Olive oil – A few glugs of the good stuff.
Lemon juice – Fresh is always best from 1 or 2 lemons.
Veggies – Tomatoes and cucumbers chopped up into bite sized pieces.
Herbs – Parsley, mint, and green onion.
Seasoning – Salt and pepper.

Optional ingredients

Optional but in my opinion, completely mandatory.

Feta – Crumbled up nice and fine. Optional but in my opinion totally mandatory!
Olives – Kalamata olives pitted and sliced up.
Pita bread – My recipe for some perfect pita can be found here.
Hummus – My hummus recipe is the best hands down, although store bought will work in a pinch.
Avocado – Sliced up and laid over top.

How to Make Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page

Shawarma

Marinate the chicken: In a 8×8 baking dish add the smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and whisk well. Add the chicken, sliced onion and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour, the longer the meat marinates the more flavour you’ll have.
Preheat the oven: To 425 F degrees.
Bake the chicken: Bake uncovered until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, and cooked through. It should take about 40 to 45 minutes. If you want the chicken crispier on top, turn the broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside.
Rest the chicken: Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Tabbouleh salad

Prepare the salad while the chicken bakes away.

Make the bulgur: Add the water to a small pot and bring to boil. When the water is boiling add the bulgur and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally. Let the bulgur cool before adding to the salad.
Combine the salad: Add the bulgur to a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Toss well.
Assemble the salad: To assemble the salad, spread the tabbouleh salad over the bottom of a large shallow plate. Arrange with sliced chicken, sliced avocado, Kalamata olives and sprinkle some feta cheese over the top. Serve with hummus and pita bread.

Marinating Is Crucial

The longer you let the chicken marinate for, the better it gets! It will become so intensely flavorful if given some extra time so feel free to prep the chicken the night before.

How Else Can I Make Chicken Shawarma?

Don’t want to make this in the oven? Well lucky for you this chicken shawarma cooks up beautifully in many a cooking vessel, so let’s get down to it.

Instant Pot

Lucky for you I’ve posted an instant pot recipe for Chicken Shawarma to the blog in the past! Refer to this recipe to find out exactly how to make it all happen.

Slow cooker

Create the marinade: Marinate the chicken the same as instructed above and allow to sit for at least 1 hour, although longer is ideal.
Cook the chicken: Dump the chicken and marinade in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and brown in a skillet on the oven. Follow the instructions outlined above for what to do with this chicken once it’s done cooking!

Want To Make This Dish Ahead?

Chicken

The Chicken Shawarma will last in the fridge in an air tight container for 3 – 4 days. If you’d like to freeze this dish I recommend freezing the chicken in the bag with the marinade while still raw, then when it defrosts you can pop it in the Instant Pot from there!

Tabbouleh salad

This salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing this salad as all that fresh veg and those carbs will not thaw properly once out of the freezer.

More Delicious Middle Eastern Dishes To Try:

Comments

Kristin says

May 11, 2020 at 7:29 pm

I made this salad for myself for Mother’s Day, and it didn’t disappoint. It was very delicious! I loved all the flavors and textures together. The chicken is so flavorful. I’ve made the shawarma chicken twice now–once in the oven as the recipe indicated, and one on the stove-top in a cast iron pan. I actually prefer the latter. I noticed no difference in flavor or texture, and I saved my house from getting warmed up by a hot oven for about an hour’s time. The chicken was much juicier cooked on the stovetop as well. It’s easier for me to gauge when the chicken is cooked and not overdone this way. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!

Kaylee says

May 4, 2020 at 3:03 pm

I RARELY follow recipes. They’re usually boring and bland and I have to spice them up and do my own thing. But this recipe was SO SO yummy just how it was! Thanks so much for sharing!