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Spicy Shawarma Chicken Greek Bowls

Charred shawarma chicken, lemon-herb basmati, crispy chickpeas, a feta-studded Greek salad, homemade tzatziki, olives and pepperoncini. Marinade and tzatziki happen in the afternoon; at dinner it's rice cooker, oven, salad, finish. Newborn-compatible: the fiddly part is done before chaos hour.

Tuesday dinner, with two lunches for tomorrow · serves 4 · 70 min start to table

The recipe, step by step, is Spicy Shawarma Chicken Greek Bowls.

On the table

  • Spicy charred shawarma chicken
  • Lemon-herb basmati rice
  • Crispy chickpeas
  • Greek salad with feta
  • Homemade tzatziki
  • Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, lemon wedges

Four generous bowls: dinner for you and Madeleine tonight, and lunch tomorrow packed before seconds.

Grocery list

Tap a line in the aisle to tick it off. Lines your pantry already covers are checked for you.

Protein

Produce

Dairy

Olives and pickled things

Rice and pantry

Spices — check the shelf before buying

Order of operations

This afternoon — any time 2 to 6 hours ahead

  1. 2:30 pmMix the rub, toss the thighs in it, cover, fridge.Two to six hours is the sweet spot. Not overnight — the lemon eventually softens the meat.
  2. 2:40 pmTzatziki: salt and wring half a cucumber, mix into the yogurt, taste, cover, fridge.It gets better as it sits. Wash and dry the parsley and dill while you're there.

Dinner

  1. 5:45 pmRinse 2 cups basmati. Rice cooker on with broth, oil, turmeric, cumin, salt, bay leaf, smashed garlic.No lemon yet. Acid goes in after cooking.
  2. 5:50 pmOven to 450°F. Chickpeas rinsed, towel-dried hard, oiled and spiced, spread on a pan, in.Dry until they squeak. Wet chickpeas steam. 25–35 minutes, one shake.
  3. 6:00 pmChicken out of the fridge, thighs spaced on the second pan, into the oven on the upper rack.20–25 minutes. Now rice, chicken, and chickpeas are all working: your window for everything cold.
  4. 6:05 pmGreek salad: 1½ cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley. Oil, half a lemon, oregano, salt, pepper. Feta in. Taste.If you're thinking "it's fine," it needs salt or lemon.
  5. 6:15 pmStage the toppings: olives, pepperoncini, feta, tzatziki, lemon wedges, extra parsley and dill.Two containers out for the lunches, too. This is what stops the last five minutes from scrambling.
  6. 6:20 pmCheck the chicken (165°F minimum, 175°F ideal). Then BROIL 1–3 minutes for char, eyes on it. Rest 5.Broiling goes nothing, nothing, nothing, black. Pull the chickpeas when they rattle.
  7. 6:25 pmFinish the rice: bay leaf and garlic out; lemon zest and juice, oil, parsley, dill, pepper. Take a spoonful.Salty enough? Lemony enough? Savory enough? Fix it now.
  8. 6:27 pmSlice the chicken; pan juices back over it.Concentrated chicken, lemon, garlic, and spice. Never down the drain.
  9. 6:30 pmBuild: rice, chicken and juices, salad, chickpeas, tzatziki, olives and pepperoncini, feta, herbs, lemon, a drizzle of oil.Two to the table, two into containers before seconds.

Cook Mode runs the same order one step at a time, with timers.

One upgrade

Pita. Warm a stack in foil in the oven for the last 3 minutes and put it on the table. Not necessary, but tzatziki and warm pita while you finish the bowls is the best part of cooking this.