Chicken Shawarma

These bowls are loaded with roasted vegetables, marinated chicken, and a homemade cilantro yogurt sauce!

I adore a recipe with all the veggies and this shawarma has ALL THE VEGGIES! I opted to make mine into bowls, but this would also be great in pita bread as a wrap (sans roasted veggies with lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, and sliced red onion). I love the cilantro yogurt sauce so much. Every once in a while I get these recipes that are maybe a little more labor intensive and ingredient heavy, but they are so worth it in the end. As a side note, we used broccoli instead of cauliflower, simply because I had some crowns about to go bad in the fridge.

What You Need:

For the Chicken:

• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into thinner chicken breasts

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin

• 1 Tbsp. ground coriander

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 2 tsp. ground cardamom

• 2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. ground turmeric

• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 1/2 tsp. allspice

• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (for cooking)

For the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/3 cup cilantro

• 1/3 cup parsley

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Vegetables:

• 1 head cauliflower or broccoli, cut into florets

• 2 red bell peppers, diced

• 1 medium zucchini, diced

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• Thinly sliced or diced red onions

• Olive oil

• Curry powder

• Salt and pepper

For the Bowls:

• Pita bread or naan

• Chopped romaine lettuce

• Sliced or diced cucumbers

• Homemade or store-bought hummus

• Cooked rice

Directions:

1. For the Chicken: Combine all ingredients except for the vegetable oil in a large bowl or large zipper bag. Marinate for 8 to 24 hours. Sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.

2. For the Yogurt Sauce: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend. Add more yogurt if you want a thicker sauce. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

3. For the Vegetables: Toss cauliflower/broccoli with 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. curry powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

4. Add to a foil or silicone mat-lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.

5. Push cauliflower/broccoli to one side of the pan. In a bowl, toss bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place on baking sheet.

6. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

7. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

8. Flip chicken, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.

9. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

10. For the Bowls: Serve rice topped with lettuce, roasted vegetables, and chicken. Serve with yogurt sauce, hummus, and pita/naan.

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings