Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad
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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:
- Best Ever Hummus
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
- Moroccan Style Roast Chicken and Potatoes
- Baba Ghanoush
- Baklava
- Moroccan Spice Blend
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Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr
Serves: 6
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.
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- 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
Tabbouleh Salad
- 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
Other Optional Ingredients
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- pita bread
- hummus
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
For Chicken Shawarma
- In a 8x8 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 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.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Tabbouleh Salad
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the tabbouleh salad. 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.
- Add the bulgur to a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Toss well.
- 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.
Recipe Notes
- In the previous recipe for the chicken shawarma I mentioned adding the onion after the chicken marinated, but I have changed it here and added everything all at once.
- If you have an Instant Pot at home, try my IP Chicken Shawarma recipe for this salad.
- You can use quinoa in place of the bulgur wheat for a gluten free version.
- Use a larger baking dish if you're making 3 or 4 chicken breasts.
- You can find the recipe for the homemade hummus here.
- My favorite way to serve this is to make pita wraps by adding a bit of everything from the plate. It's to die for!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 548kcal (27%)Carbohydrates: 34g (11%)Protein: 23g (46%)Fat: 38g (58%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 54mg (18%)Sodium: 854mg (37%)Potassium: 1029mg (29%)Fiber: 10g (42%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 3057IU (61%)Vitamin C: 54mg (65%)Calcium: 126mg (13%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Victoria Odine says
Absolutely delicious!
This will be one of my go-to chicken recipes moving forward. The meat came out tender, juicy and an absolute explosion of flavor, which is generally not something I say about chicken. I did have to take it out about 10-15 minutes sooner, so I really recommend working with a meat thermometer here.
I can also attest to the fact that the addition of olives, avocado and feta is absolutely mandatory. I got my hands on some goat feta and the acidity took the entire meal up a notch.
I rarely comment on recipes but boy, this one’s absolutely worth it.
jo says
Thanks, Victoria! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, and I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Martha Turek says
Can you make this ahead of time ? Would like to make it for a work lunch. Also, can you make the chicken in the crock pot ? A little hot here to turn the oven on ! Thanks !
Nicole Beaulieu says
You can, but keep in mind your crock pot will create a lot more moisture and you won’t get the exact same results with crisp edges on the chicken.
jan says
Hi Jo . This recipe says it serves 6 people but only 1 lb of chicken, which is 1 xl or two small breasts – is that correct?
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes, because it’s in a salad. Anyway feel free to change the servings as you like.
MAHIN KAMRAN says
Your recipes are to die for jo!
Joanna Cismaru says
Thank you!
Jo Bredwell says
This is a fabulous recipe. All the flavors meld together perfectly. Just served this to a dinner party and had to give away my copy of the recipe. Love it!
jvl says
I love the entire recipe, chicken, tabouleh and hummus. My entire family raves about it.
Sabrina says
love all of these ingredients, they basically cover all of the food types required by my diet on a daily basis and with flavor! Love the flavor with this chicken, thank you
Kat says
Do the onions get discarded after baking or added to the salad??
Nicole Beaulieu says
That’s totally up to you. I personally love the onions once they’re cooked down.
Janice says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was quite possibly the most delicious chicken EVER! I didn’t have any breasts so I substituted boneless skinless thighs and they were delish.
company search says
The salad looks so amazing! I don’t eat much salad but I will definitely try this. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah says
This was DELICIOUS!!!
Joanna Cismaru says
Yay!
Aimee Mars says
I just can’t do boring salads either and this one looks delightful, truly a symphony in a salad. All the flavors you used too are my current cravings so I’m thinking I need to place this in the salad rotation soon.
Joanna Cismaru says
Hope you try it, it was amazing.
Sherree says
Hi Jo, I just made this tonight (all the way in New Zealand!!) and my family absolutely loved it!! So fresh and delicious!! Thank you!!
Joanna Cismaru says
Hi New Zealand! So glad you liked it!
Claudia Phillips says
I made this for company last night and it was a big hit! I mean, they couldn’t stop raving and saying that I could make this again for them anytime! I doubled the recipe for the chicken and lightly covered it with foil while baking. I made a similar Tabouleh, but used quinoa instead of bulgur wheat because some of my guests are gluten free. I served it with all the optional ingredients you listed. Absolutely delicious. I’ll be making this often. Thanks for a great recipe!
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure, so glad you guys liked it!
Phyllis Mata says
The recipe doesn’t actually say to remove the chicken from the marinade, but I’m sure that’s what should be done, right?
I had this last night for supper and it was delicious.
Joanna Cismaru says
You don’t need to Phyllis, that’s why I prepared everything in the baking dish directly, there isn’t a lot of marinade, mostly enough to coat the chicken. It’s easier if you just prepare everything in the baking dish then bake it like that, less dishes to wash. Glad you liked it!
Phyllis Mata says
Oh good, because I didn’t remove the chicken from the marinade. When I thought about it later, I wondered if I should’ve. So happy to just throw the whole thing in the oven. The tabouleh was fantastic. I used a local Lebanese recipe for the hummus, and bought fresh feta from our farmer’s market. A really nice supper! Thank you,
Phyllis Belanger Mata
New Iberia, Louisiana
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you liked it!!
Adina says
Now that is a serious looking salad, I love it! The chicken is already on the list.
j says
Tried this for dinner tonight. Absolutely fabulous! Made the easy hummus as well. Great flavors together. Gorgeous colors on the plate. Everything is easy to prepare. Made everything just as Jo posted with the exception of changing to chicken thighs. It was a hit with the whole family and everyone went back for seconds. Thanks for another great recipe Jo!
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you liked this!!
Scott says
Jo –
This Chicken Shawarma and Tabbouleh Salad dinner combo looks amazing. The photos have me salivating and imagining the exotic smell of the roasting chicken. I will be making this same dinner very soon (probably next weekend).
I subscribed to your daily email only a few months ago, but have already tried and saved a couple dozen great recipes. Cooking and eating delicious food would be so much easier, were it not for work, grad school and other pressing responsibilities! Thank you so much!
Fenne Kieken says
Great to have you as part of Jo Cooks and thanks for subscribing! You will love this recipe when you make it!
Sara | Last Night's Feast says
I love this recipe. I was just talking about making shawarma the other day =)