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Meet your new Sunday routine: juicy shawarma-spiced chicken, oven-crisped sweet potato fries, and a cool, herby yogurt sauce. Build the bowls once, enjoy happy lunches all week.
Everything gets prepped on a couple of pans, then layered with greens and grains for color, crunch, and staying power. Cozy flavors, simple steps, very make-ahead friendly.
Watch the How To Video Here:
They have texture, layers of flavor, and SO much color. A few months ago when I was writing the HBH cookbook manuscript, there was day after day of non-stop writing. No joke, non-stop writing. Typically, my days are filled with cooking and writing at night, so this was a bit of an adjustment for me, since I was basically doing zero cooking all week-long. This is when I turned to Sunday meal prep. That way, come lunch and dinner, I actually had food other than avocado toast and eggs to eat…not that there’s anything wrong with avocado toast and eggs, but you know, variety is occasionally needed in one’s diet.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to do something like this, but honestly, I am so excited about it! I love the idea of making a healthy delicious meal that can be enjoyed throughout the week.
OK, here’s how this whole meal prep thing works…or at least here’s how I do it. First, I highly recommend investing in some pretty glass storage containers. Not only are these convenient, but for me, they make the process a little more fun. And yes, I am so weird, but I like pretty things! I just ordered these Rubbermaid Glass Storage Containers on Amazon. I think they would be great for this recipe, and they clean up really nicely, which is always a huge bonus.
Second task, grocery shop! Look carefully at your recipe, read the ingredients closely, and then make your list! Once at the grocery store, try to physically cross off all of your items as you go. Most of us at one time or another, have gotten home only to realize that we forgot the most important ingredient! That is the worst…like the worst.
Once home, put everything away, get organized and then it is GO time. To prep for this recipe, you’ll need a couple of baking sheets and a pot for the couscous (or quinoa if that’s more your thing). Pretty simple.
The first step is to marinate the chicken for half an hour or so. If you’re short on time, you can definitely skip marinating, but I find it really tenderizes the chicken, making it much more moist and juicy. <–sounds really weird saying that out loud, but it’s true. I always start with the chicken, then while it’s marinating, I prep all the veggies.
The next step is to arrange the marinated chicken on one sheet pan and the sweet potatoes fries and asparagus on another. Then throw them all in the oven and roast. While those are cooking, I like to make the couscous. Sometimes I’ll use quinoa, but couscous is very middle eastern, so it fits more with the this recipe and its middle eastern roots. During this time I’ll also make the garlic tahini yogurt and then gather all the toppings, storing each in their own little container for easy access. When everything is done cooking, I let it all cool, then store everything in separate glass containers. I prefer to store ingredients separately so I can easily assemble my bowls when getting ready to serve. However, if you’re planning on taking these to work as lunch or you need your dinner completely assembled (maybe to take to a potluck), you can assemble the bowls like you see in the photos, just leave the avocado and lettuce off, as those are best to add right before eating.
Once everything is packed up, throw it in the fridge and DONE. How easy was that? Probably about an hour of work for a weeks worth of healthy lunches or dinners.
Um, yes please!
Honestly, these bowls saved the day while I was writing the book. Now I am kind of hoping they will save yours too! And guys, if you’re not into meal prepping and you are simply in need of an easy dinner, this recipe is pretty dang good for that too.
Swaps & Variations
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Protein: Chicken thighs ↔ breasts; tofu or chickpeas for a veg version (press tofu dry; roast chickpeas until light crackle).
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Carbs: Quinoa, farro, or cauliflower rice (lighter, less starchy) in place of rice.
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Sauce: Dairy-free? Use tahini + lemon + water to thin; extra herbs for brightness.
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Add-ins: Quick pickled onions, cucumber, tomatoes, or feta for crunch/zing.
FAQ:
Can I marinate the chicken overnight?
Yes—longer marinating deepens flavor. Drain excess marinade before cooking to encourage browning rather than steaming.
Can I roast the chicken and fries on one pan?
Only if it’s a very large pan; crowding leads to pale chicken and soggy fries. Split across two pans or cook in batches for best texture.
What’s a good dairy-free sauce?
Whisk tahini with lemon, garlic, water, and salt until creamy; add chopped herbs. It’s bright and nutty without the yogurt.
Chicken Shawarma and Sweet Potato Fry Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt and pepper
- juice of 2 lemons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
- 4 cups cooked couscous or quinoa
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives and oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- crumbled goat cheese, shredded lettuce, avocado, sliced cucumbers, pickled red onions, pine nuts, lemons, mint, and or cilantro, for serving
Garlic Tahini Yogurt
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- 1. In a large gallon size zip-top bag, combine the chicken, honey, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, toss to combine. Seal and chill for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.3. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more.4. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. 5. Place the marinated chicken on a large baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 6. Divide the couscous among 4-6 storage containers and arrange the chicken, sweet potatoes, asparagus, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes on top. Alternately, you can store the couscous, chicken, and veggies in separate containers and assemble when ready. Food will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. 7. Before serving, warm each bowl if desired and top with garlic yogurt (see below) and your desired toppings.
Garlic Tahini Yogurt
- 1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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.
AND it’s healthy too. You see, the bestest!
ps. while naan is not pictured, I highly, highly recommend it along side these bowls.
One of the best recipes I’ve tried on HBH! Loved it- so many flavors and pretty easy to make!
Thank you Ginerva! xTieghan
I really love this recipe…!!
Let me share this with my wife…!!
I really love this recipe…!!
Let me try this on this weekend..!!!
Thank you! xTieghan
This bowl was so good! I added on cucumber, lettuce, red onion, and some feta cheese with the yogurt sauce and everything else. I also used short grain brown rice instead of quinoa or couscous (I was out of quinoa and am celiac). I also used smoked paprika on the chicken instead of regular paprika since it turns out I was out of that as well… but it was super yummy! Cut up everything for meal prep but will just cook one night at a time so things don’t get mushy or soggy. Thanks for such a good recipe!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Anya! Thank you so much for trying it out! xTieghan
Very good for a healthy recipe. I added flour tortillas and cheese and zucchini and squash and they made great meals as leftovers.
I love to hear that! Thank you so much Mary! xTieghan
What is your favorite method of reheating these make ahead bowls? I sometimes feel like the microwave dries out cooked chicken. Thanks!
HI! I like to use the oven if you have access. I recommend 325 for 15-20 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hey there!
I made your dish as a meal prep for myself and my reluctant boyfriend (he was cautious of chicken shawarma).
I LOVED it, and best of all…so did my boyfriend!!
Just wanted to drop in here and say thanks, this made for a great sunday meal prep.
I am so happy you both loved this Hannah! Thank you so much!
Hey,
Thank you for shawarma recipe, I really really like the way you explained it, Me and my family like shawarma when we ate it in asian restaurant so i’m going to try this one in upcoming weekend where we set together once in a week so this will be amazing can you please tell me if i use persian saffron in it ? this will be perfect or not give me some suggestion
Thanks
Debra
Hi! I don’t use saffron in this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Your recipe looks delicious, much praise to you! However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could include the nutritional value for this recipe, just the basic carbs protien & fats would be wonderful. Thank you for your time. Looking forward to hearing your response.
Hi Kathleen! I am so glad you like this recipe! As for now, I do not calculate the nutritional information for my recipes. The best I can do is put the ingredients into an online calculator. I am so sorry about this. I hope you love this recipe and many more on my blog!
This is a fantastic recipe. The chicken in particular (taste but especially technique!!) was a total game-changer for me. When I make the full recipe, I generally serve it with farro, chopped lettuce, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta. However, I’ve also taken to just making the chicken when I’ve got time and freezing it in portions. I’ll take it out to throw on a salad with just lettuce, tomatoes, and feta when I’m looking to spice up my mid-week meals. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Allie! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Ive made this 5 times already! I make a very lazy version with just chicken, asparagus and sweet potato, cooking the couscous with the juices from the chicken! When we make it not for meal prep we also add roast broccoli and brussels sprouts for more veggies. yum! but too lazy to do yogurt, olive etc. will certainly make as intended one of these days!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe, Stevie!
Omgggg. Yet again you come through with the goods! I’m low-FODMAP so subbed the asparagus for green beans. Added kalamata olives and sundried tomato on top, drizzled with that heavenly dressing (slightly less garlicky for me) and I had the best meal prep I’ve made in absolutely years. This will be on repeat for me and my partner (he loved it too!)
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you so much Claire!
I made this last night and it was so delicious! That sauce is amazing!!
Thank you so much Melanie!
What are the nutrition facts on this dish?
Hi Nina!
I do not provide the nutritional information for my recipes because I truly try to use whole ingredients as much as possible. I am so sorry for this. There are many calorie counting apps and websites where you can put in the information and divid by the serving size to find out the calories, fat etc. If you have any other questions please let me know! I hope you love this recipe!
I loved this recipe!!! blew me away. I looked forward to lunch all week 🙂
Thank you Caroline!