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Quick Chicken Shawarma and Sweet Potato Bowls—street food inspired and so good. These bowls are made with warmly spiced ground chicken, fluffy rice, warm pitas, and all the extras that make every bite exciting. Add crispy sweet potato fries, then drizzle everything with a creamy feta yogurt sauce and finish with your favorite toppings. It’s quick, fun, and a little different for a weeknight dinner. But honestly, these are perfect any night of the week. And if you’re smart, make extra—the leftovers are amazing for lunch.
Every other week, my oldest brother Creighton asks for some kind of chicken shawarma situation. He really loves Middle Eastern–inspired flavors, and those dishes are always some of his favorites. I talk about Creighton a lot, but I just love cooking for him—he truly appreciates good food, and these bowls were completely up his alley. I couldn’t wait to share them with him.
Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern–inspired dish seasoned with warm spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, and garlic (sometimes cinnamon or allspice too). Everyone has their own spin on the spice blend. Traditionally, the chicken is marinated, cooked until deeply flavorful, and served in pitas or wraps—or over rice with toppings like herbs, pickled onions, and a creamy yogurt sauce.
For this version, I kept things simple and weeknight-friendly by using ground chicken. It cooks up fast, stays juicy, and still delivers all those bold, cozy flavors we love.
These bowls come together quickly, are colorful and satisfying, and make a great meal-prep option too. One of those dinners that feels fun but is still totally doable.
These are the details
Ingredients – for the bowls
- sweet potatoes
- olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- ground chicken
- shallots
- garlic
- sweet or smoked paprika
- ground cumin
- ground turmeric
- chili flakes or cayenne pepper
- pitas or naan
- cooked rice
Ingredients – for the Yogurt Sauce
- plain Greek yogurt
- crumbled feta
- fresh dill
- lemon juice
The Steps
Step 1: Roast the sweet potatoes
Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Spread evenly and roast until tender and crisp.
Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pan or the potatoes will steam instead of getting those crispy edges we love.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
Add the ground chicken and chopped shallots to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook, breaking the chicken up as it browns. Once it’s mostly cooked through, drizzle in a little more olive oil to help everything stay juicy.
Step 3: Add the shawarma spices
Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. The kitchen will smell amazing by now.
Pour in a splash of water and let everything simmer for a few minutes, allowing the spices to melt into the chicken while keeping it moist and flavorful.
Tip: Let the chicken sit undisturbed for a minute or two so it gets slightly golden on the pan—this adds the best flavor.
Step 4: Make the feta yogurt sauce
In a bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, feta, dill, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
Tip: Add a tiny splash of water if you want a thinner, drizzleable sauce.
Step 5: Build the bowls
Add warm pitas to each bowl, then layer in the rice, spiced chicken, and sweet potato fries. Finish with pickled red onions, lettuce, fresh herbs, and a generous spoon (or drizzle) of the feta yogurt sauce.
Bonus Tip for leftovers
Store everything separately, then build fresh bowls throughout the week. This keeps the sweet potatoes crisp and everything tasting freshly made.
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Sheet Pan Sticky Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki
Lastly, if you make these Quick Chicken Shawarma and Sweet Potato Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Quick Chicken Shawarma and Sweet Potato Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet/smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- chili flakes or cayenne pepper
- 6 fresh pitas or naan, warmed
- 2 cups cooked rice
- pickled red onion, lettuce, and herbs, for serving
Yogurt Sauce
- 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, until crisp and tender.2. In a large skillet, combine the ground meat and shallots. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, and chili flakes. Pour over 1/2 cup water. Cook for 2–5 minutes, until the water has cooked out.3. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce. Mix everything in a bowl and season with salt.4. Arrange the warm pitas in bowls. Spoon over some rice, add a couple spoonfuls of meat, and top with the roasted sweet potatoes. Add pickled red onions, lettuce, and fresh herbs. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious and nutritious recipe
Hey Justine,
Fantastic! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it!
Delicious!! Flavors were amazing. We all loved it!! Thank you so much for helping make dinners for our family so delicious.
Hey there,
Fantastic! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it!
This wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t like the honey harissa sauce at all.
Hi Penny,
Thanks for trying this dish and your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed.
People have been asking about the oven temp all day and it seems like you still have not updated the recipe. Why do you do this?
Hi Ginger,
The recipe has been updated:) 425F for the sweet potatoes. So sorry about that!
What temperature for the sweet potatoes? Thanks!
Hi Elisa,
You will want to roast the sweet potatoes at 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
This looks really good, on the other hand I’m not a big fan of ground chicken. As an alternative what would be best ground pork/beef/turkey?
Thanks
Hey Mark,
Ground beef and turkey would both be great options here! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!
Question: What temp should the oven be for roasting the sweet potatoes? (I’d guess 425)
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, 425F is correct:) Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!
What oven temperature for roasting the sweet potatoes?
Hi Deborah,
You will want to roast at 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Have a great day!
Where does the honey harissa come into play? There is no mention of it but I see it at the bottom of the recipe. Is this to drizzle over the bowls?
Hi Nancy,
Yes! The honey harissa is optional, but I do like to drizzle over the bowls, totally up to you!
I hope you love this dish!
No temp listed for the oven & honey harissa? That isn’t mentioned anywhere in the recipe, what?
Hey Glenn,
The temp for the oven is 425F, so sorry about that!
I like to use the honey harissa to drizzle over the bowls, it’s totally optional though!
Let me know if you give this dish a try!
Looks delicous! What do you mean when you say “street food inspired”? You used it to also describe the recent Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Pitas recipe you shared. Can you please share what makes these dishes “street food inspired”?
Hey Serena! Of course!
This dish feels like a bowl you’d order from a yummy food truck in New York. It’s inspired by middle eastern cuisine which I always come across in New York! So fun and delish!
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
What temp do you roast your potatoes, there isn’t one listed?
Hey Holly,
You can roast the sweet potatoes at 425F. So sorry! I hope you love this recipe!
There’s no oven temp listed…
Hi Sara,
My apologies, you will want to heat your oven to 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Tieghan you don’t have an oven temp listed, please update this. You also have a honey harissa recipe at the bottom but no mention of it in the recipe, is this an additional mistake?
Hey Colleen,
So sorry for any confusion! You will want to roast the potatoes at 425F.
The honey harissa is optional, I like to drizzle it over the bowls.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I have not made this yet, but the recipe forgot the temperature to roast the sweet potatoes. I am assuming 400F
Hi Jackie,
You’ll want to roast the potatoes at 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!