Chicken Shawarma Meatball Bowls
Flavorful chicken shawarma meatball bowls with fluffy rice, fresh salad, and a creamy tahini sauce. These protein and veggie-packed bowls are easy to prep ahead of time for a delicious, nourishing weeknight dinner. Dip and scoop warm pita bread, and jazz them up with your favorite hummus!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 530cal
Ingredients
- Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh grated turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (such as basmati), well-rinsed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups water or chicken broth
- Meatballs
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salad
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 persian cucumbers, quartered and sliced
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Tahini Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tahini (I like Soom)
- 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Optional serving
- Warm pita bread for scooping/dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Cook the rice: Place a medium pot over medium heat and add in olive oil. Once oil is warm add in onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and turmeric and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add in the rice, kosher salt and stir until rice is evenly coated, 30 seconds. Add in the water and bring the rice to a gentle boil over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then immediately cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes until rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, then replace the cover and allow rice to steam for 5 more minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.
- While the rice cooks, shred the zucchini and prepare the meatballs: Use a box grater to shred the zucchini. Place a paper towel or clean dish towel/cheese cloth over a large bowl and squeeze ALL of the moisture out of the zucchini. Discard the liquid, then place the zucchini back in the large bowl. It should equal about ½ cup.
- Form the meatballs: To the same large bowl, add the ground chicken, panko, egg, salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Use clean hands to mix until well combined; avoiding overmixing, otherwise meatballs will become tough. Form into 20 golf-ball sized meatballs, placing on the prepared baking sheet, at least 1-inch apart.
- Bake the meatballs: Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatball reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 18 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, prepare the salad and make the sauce: In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until well-combined, then set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to come together.
- Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, water, garlic, maple syrup, and salt until well combined and smooth. Add more taste to taste, if needed.
- Assemble the bowls: Add a scoop of the rice to one side of a shallow bowl, then add the 5 meatballs next to it and about 1/4th of the salad next to that. Drizzle sauce on wherever you’d like. Serve with warm pita bread for dipping and scooping, if desired.
Notes
Save time: Feel free to make the rice and/or meatballs in advance, then just reheat. This is also great served with microwaveable rice if you are in a pinch.
Add extra veggies: Julienne 1 large red bell pepper, then toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then place on the sheet pan in between the meatballs and bake as directed in step 5.
Make these bowls go further or make them heartier by serving this with hummus. See the full post for more delicious hummus recipes!
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free plain Greek yogurt in the tahini sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (without pita) | Calories: 530cal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g