Shawarma bowls are a delicious and versatile dish that brings the flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine to your home. This recipe guides you through crafting your own shawarma bowls, complete with marinated meat, fresh vegetables, and tasty add-ins. Perfect for a family dinner or a meal prep option, these bowls can be customized to suit your taste preferences. I loved ordering these from Naf Naf Grill, but the only location near us closed, so I committed to making them at home! The ingredient list is large, and prep is time consuming (about 1 hour), but the cooking time can be as little as 20 minutes, making this an easy weeknight meal if you’ve prepped ahead of time.
Ingredients Needed
To prepare scrumptious shawarma bowls, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 lb protein of choice; steak, chicken, or 2 cans of chickpeas (roasted if preferred)
- 2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
- 1 small red cabbage
- 4-6 jalapeno peppers
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 lemons
- 2 heads of fresh garlic, or about 20 cloves
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Vinegar; 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Spices; salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cardamom, onion powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, oregano, cayenne pepper.
Steps to Prepare Shawarma Bowls
Prepare the Marinade – Combine the following ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed or chopped
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoons oregano
- 3/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
- salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste level
Once combined, marinate meat for at least 30 minutes before cooking. If using chickpeas, toss roasted chickpeas in this marinade right before serving.
Prepare the Toppings – Pickled cabbage, Garlic Sauce, Green (s’khug) sauce, chopped tomato/cucumber. These can be prepared the day before your meal.
- Pickled Cabbage: Mix first 5 ingredients into a jar and shake well, add cabbage (keep pressing down!), cover and refrigerate until mealtime.
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1-2 cloves chopped garlic
- salt & pepper
- Chop or shred 1/4 to 1/2 of a head of red cabbage
- Garlic Sauce: To begin, blend the following for 1 minute:
- 1 head of fresh garlic – peel 10+ cloves and add to blender
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup water
- After blending, add 1/2 cup mayonnaise and a few sprigs of fresh parsley. Blend again and refrigerate until mealtime.
- Green sauce – Blend the following ingredients, transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4-6 jalapeno peppers, seeds in or out depending on spice level desired
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Chopped tomato and cucumber
- Pick your favorite varieties and dice. I usually do this while the rice or meat is cooking.
Cook Protein & Prepare Rice
Cook your protein the way you like! We usually grill steak, air fry chicken, or oven roast chickpeas. If grilling, beware the oil in the marinade may cause flaring and charring, so keep a close watch on your grill. Allow the meat to rest while the rice cooks.
Soak and Rinse 2 cups of basmati or jasmine rice, set aside. In a saucepan (dark or stainless), bring the following ingredients to a boil:
- 4 cups of water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Once boiling, add the rice. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. The turmeric will stain any light color utensils, so I stick to metal here.
Assemble the Bowls
A big scoop of rice, protein, a spoonful or two of the toppings, drizzle with garlic sauce and your meal is done! Once we sit down we mix all of the ingredients together and enjoy with a naan bread.
I know these look intimidating, but YOU can create delightful shawarma bowls that are flavorful and satisfying. This is one of my family’s FAVORITE meals, making all of that prep work worth it when you see them clear their plate. Happy cooking! Want to get back to meal planning?
Prep work taking too long? These kitchen accessories help speed up this recipe for me. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
