Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Bowls

A new season of life brings a new way of getting dinner on the table! As a new mom, our evenings with our 8-month-old are quite chaotic. That’s why I started focusing on dinners that support more “Effortless Evenings.” And nothing is more effortless than these Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Bowls. 

My Effortless Evenings series is all about finding a small sliver of time earlier in the day when a little dinner prep makes a huge difference in the evening. For so many of these recipes, my Crock-Pot has been my saving grace postpartum. The chicken shawarma simmers in a bunch of bold Middle Eastern spices all day while I’m working and mom-ing, then it’s ready to build into a bowl with, honestly, whatever I have on hand. I love it with rice, a simple salad of fresh veggies and greens, and a super quick homemade tzatziki (which you can also make earlier in the day during baby’s nap time!)

This recipe is endlessly and effortlessly customizable with different meat, topping, and sauce combinations. So get out your slow cooker and start making these shawarma bowls on repeat.

Table of Contents

What is Shawarma?
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Build the Bowls
How to Make It
Storing and Reheating
Tips
Reasons to Love It
Variations
Chicken Shawarma Recipe

What is Shawarma?

Shawarma is a super popular street food from the Middle East — stacks of meat marinated in a flavorful blend of spices and slow roasted on a vertical rotisserie. As the meat cooks, the crispy outer bits are shaved off and served with a sauce that pairs well with whichever protein is being cooked. Shawarma is most commonly lamb or chicken, but can also be beef or turkey. It’s also usually served with fresh toppings like cucumber, tomato, and something pickled. Shawarma is endlesslessly customizable, but the irresistible Middle Eastern flavors are consistent every time.

Chicken Shawarma Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken

I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for my shawarma, but you could use chicken breasts instead. Shawarma is often made with lamb and sometimes beef (ie. chuck roast) or turkey breast, so try one of those next!

Greek Yogurt

Because the chicken will produce juices as it cooks, the yogurt will thin out into a sauce, so it’s important to get the thicker Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. I use whole milk yogurt, but you could use low-fat or fat-free if you want.

Garlic and Spices

The spices are what make shawarma, shawarma. I consider all of these spices to be pantry staples, but if you have to stock up, I promise you’ll use them again! In addition to paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, I use grated or minced fresh garlic, but garlic powder works in a pinch.

Tzatziki Ingredients and Substitutions

I recommend making your own tzatziki, but you can also get store-bought to save on time.

Cucumber

For the tzatziki, we’re grating and squeezing the liquid out of the cucumbers, so you can use one small Persian cucumber or half of a regular cucumber. The regular cucumber will just have a higher water content for you to squeeze out.

Greek Yogurt

Same thing here with the Greek yogurt as with the chicken shawarma—you’ll want a thicker yogurt so the tzatziki doesn’t get too loose and watery when the cucumbers are added.

Garlic, Herbs, and Spices

I keep it simple with grated fresh garlic, lemon juice, fresh dill, and salt. You can use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Mint or parsley are good substitutes for dill here.

Building the Chicken Shawarma Bowls

These chicken Shawarma bowls can really include whatever you want, and they make a great clean-out-the-fridge meal. Here’s what I recommend:

• Steamed rice (white or brown), but you could use any grain. Farro, barley, lentils, couscous, or quinoa would be great!
• Top with a simple side salad, or essentially just a mix of greens and one or two more toppings. I used this dressing on some little gem lettuce with feta and pistachios. You could add halved cherry or grape tomatoes and/or fresh chopped cucumber. You can use a different nut or skip the nuts altogether. I like adding feta or goat cheese for even more salty creaminess, but it’s not critical.
• Something pickled, like pickled red onion, is very common with shawarma. 
• Top with fresh herbs like dill or mint.
• Fresh lemon wedges add a little acidity to brighten everything up at the end.

Storing and Reheating Chicken Shawarma Bowls

The chicken shawarma can be stored in the Crock-Pot dish with the lid, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The tzatziki can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be made ahead of time.

If you stored the shawarma in the Crock-Pot dish, pop it back in the Crock-Pot on the warm setting until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat your shawarma in the microwave in 30-second intervals.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Shawarma Bowls

• Don’t own a slow cooker? Don’t stress! Throw all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag or airtight container to let marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight). Then:
  • Oven: Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes until cooked through.
  • Stovetop: Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
  • Grill pan or grill: Cook over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through.
• A majority of these spices should already be pantry staples, but if you need to stock up, I promise you will make this recipe again and again. Whatever you buy will definitely be used for future easy dinners.
• Depending on the size of your slow cooker, you can make a big batch of chicken shawarma on Sunday before the week begins. It makes great leftovers!
• Make sure to squeeze all the liquid out of the grated cucumber so your sauce doesn’t get watery.
• Make the tzatziki ahead of time, too! It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Why You’ll Love These Chicken Shawarma Bowls

• Slow cooker chicken shawarma is the epitome of an effortless evening. Just 10 minutes of prep gives you a satisfying dinner at the end of a long day.
• Slow cooker recipes are perfect for summertime when you don’t want to heat up your house with the oven or spend your evening sweating over a hot stove.
• Shawarma is a flavor bomb! All the warm spices impart their flavors on the meat as it cooks all day, and then the tzatziki balances it all out with its bright, tangy creaminess.

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Variations

• Instead of making this as a bowl, make it a pita wrap. Swap the rice for pita bread and fill them with your chicken shawarma, tzatziki, and a simple salad.
• Shawarma can be made with almost any meat. Try it next time with beef (I recommend a chuck roast), turkey breast, or lamb.
• There are tons of other sauces you can make (or buy) to go with your shawarma. Try it with hummus or tahini.

More Dinner Recipes