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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.
Such an easy dish with tons of flavor!
Hey Ashley,
Fantastic! I appreciate your feedback, thanks for trying the recipe! So glad it was enjoyed!
Not too intense to make, and tasted nice at the end. I used chicken breast instead of ground chicken and it turned out well. Not sure why the other comments here are so negative.
Hey Hannah,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it and taking the time to comment!
I followed this recipe exactly and it just didn’t work for me. The chicken stayed dry no matter how carefully I cooked it, the spice blend tasted flat, and the sweet potatoes never crisped despite giving them extra time. The sauce was overly tangy and actually clashed with the rest of the bowl. Really unfortunate dish.
Thanks for the feedback, Rita. Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Have a great day!
The flavors just didn’t deliver for me with this.
I was pretty underwhelmed. The sweet potatoes never got as crispy as the photos, and the spice mix just didn’t pop the way I expected — it kind of tasted bland and muddled instead of bold. The yogurt‑feta sauce was too tangy for my taste and didn’t balance the dish well. For all the components and effort, it just didn’t come together for me.
Hi Morgan,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your notes, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed.
Don’t skimp on the yogurt sauce! Very good!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad to hear it was a winner!
Good quick weeknight meal… loved the feta yogurt sauce!
Hey Megan,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it and taking the time to comment!
Made this using ground turkey. Came out great! I especially love the yogurt feta sauce!
Hey Cathy,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, so glad it turned out well!
Have a great weekend!
Also, I have been learning to cook Indian food lately and might try cooking the spices in oil first before adding the chicken or turkey. I like the way spices bloom with this method. I can’t wait to make this!
Great idea!
I have not made this yet but can already tell that it will be awesome and super easy. I might go with the broccoli instead of sweet potatoes as mentioned in one of the comments.
Also I would like to thank you for this blog. Whenever I am not feeling inspired, coming here always brings on a wave of inspiration. 💕
Thanks so much for your kind message, Susan:) I appreciate you trying so many recipes. Thanks for being here!
I hope you love these bowls. Have a great weekend!
This wasn’t very good.
Hi Janelle,
Sorry to hear this. Was there something specific that went wrong or something that I can help with? Please let me know!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight with a few adaptions. I omitted the naan and added broccoli (cauliflower would have been good too). The meat was flavorful and the pickled onions gave it zip. The sauce was key because it would have been dry without it. I don’t usually like leftovers, but I’m looking forward to eating this again tomorrow.
Thanks so much, Dana! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you. Thanks for making it!
This sounds delicious! Can I sub chicken breast for ground chicken and bake with the spices instead? Love ALL your recipes and have every book. Huge fan.
Thanks so much, Lynn:) Totally, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe!
This was definitely not a quick meal for me!
Thanks for your feedback, Rich. Sorry to hear this was not quick. I hope it tasted great!
I wanted us to work, but the recipe just doesn’t come together for me. There are too many components competing instead of complementing each other, and for the amount of prep involved, the payoff is pretty underwhelming. Looks great — eats flat.
Thanks for your comment, Dale. Sorry to hear this dish was not enjoyed. Have a great evening!
I noticed that you used both chicken and pork in your recipe today. How much would we use of each if we are wanting to use both?
Hi Tina,
You can do half and half, it’s really up to you, the recipe is pretty versatile.
Please let me know if you give it a try!