Description
This Crockpot Chicken Shawarma Bowl is the ultimate high-protein dump dinner! With an incredibly tender yogurt marinade, warm Middle-Eastern spices, and virtually zero hands-on cooking time, you can enjoy an authentic, 49g protein restaurant-style bowl while staying under 500 calories.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Shawarma:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 fresh lemon (juiced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice (or 7-spice)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Bowl Assembly:
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice (or cauliflower rice for low-carb)
- 1 large English cucumber (diced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
- 1/2 cup pickled red onions
- 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Mix the marinade: In the bottom of your slow cooker insert, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and black pepper.
- Coat the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Toss them thoroughly until they are completely coated in the spiced yogurt marinade. (Optional: For the absolute best flavor, cover and let marinate in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours before cooking).
- Slow cook: Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is incredibly tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Shred the meat: Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Toss the shredded meat in the warm cooking juices to ensure it stays maximally juicy and flavorful.
- Crisp the edges (Highly Recommended): To achieve a restaurant-quality finish, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny drizzle of oil. Transfer the shredded chicken (using a slotted spoon) to the hot skillet and press down lightly. Sear for 3 to 5 minutes undisturbed to create deeply caramelized, crispy edges.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the cooked rice among four shallow bowls. Top generously with the warm shawarma chicken. Arrange the cold, crisp cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and pickled red onions around the chicken. Finish with a heavy drizzle of cool tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Prevent dry leftovers: If you are packing this meal for lunch prep, always spoon a little extra cooking liquid from the slow cooker over the shredded chicken before storing it in the fridge.
- Keep toppings separated: To preserve the perfect texture contrast, never mix your hot chicken and cold, wet vegetables in the same storage container. Keep the tzatziki and fresh salad items isolated until you are ready to eat.
- Lower the carbs: To instantly drop the carbohydrate count, simply swap the basmati rice for a bed of fresh chopped romaine lettuce or lightly steamed cauliflower rice.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Hours
- Category: Dinner / Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooker / Crockpot
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 complete bowl
- Calories: 485 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg