Light Chicken Shawarma Salad (Print Version)

Spiced grilled chicken and crisp veggies topped with lemon tahini for a fresh, flavorful meal.

# Components:

→ Chicken Shawarma

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
11 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Salad Bowls

14 - 4 cups mixed salad greens
15 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
18 - 1 large carrot, shredded
19 - 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
20 - 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
21 - 1 avocado, sliced

→ Lemon Tahini Drizzle

22 - 1/4 cup tahini
23 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
24 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
25 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
26 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
27 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
28 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
29 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add chicken slices and toss thoroughly to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor development.
02 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing if necessary.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, cumin, and honey or maple syrup if using. Gradually adjust water content to achieve a creamy, pourable consistency.
04 - Divide mixed salad greens evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, carrot, bell pepper, olives, and avocado slices on top of the greens in an organized pattern.
05 - Top each salad bowl with warm chicken shawarma slices. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini sauce across the entire bowl.
06 - Serve immediately while chicken is still warm. Offer additional lemon wedges on the side if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the aromatic spiced chicken satisfaction without the heaviness, so you'll actually feel energized afterward instead of needing a nap.
  • The tahini drizzle tastes indulgent and creamy but it's completely plant-based, which means no dairy guilt creeping in.
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes total, which means you can genuinely pull this together on a busy night.
02 -
  • Tahini seizes up and becomes grainy if you add lemon juice directly to it without oil present—always add oil first to keep it smooth and cooperative.
  • Letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking keeps it juicy because the residual heat finishes the cooking while the fibers relax instead of expelling moisture.
  • If your tahini sauce is too thick when it cools, don't panic—just whisk in a tablespoon more water at a time until it's pourable again.
03 -
  • Slice your chicken against the grain—look at which way the muscle fibers run and cut perpendicular to that, which makes each bite more tender instead of stringy.
  • If you're cooking for meal prep, keep the chicken and tahini sauce separate from the greens until serving time, because warm chicken will wilt the greens if they sit together for hours.
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