Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe

A middle-eastern style of roasting meat, Shawarma is a blend of spices rubbed into the meat (i.e. lamb, chicken, beef) and grilled on a vertical skewer for a period of time. While no two Shawarma marinades are alike, most include cumin, paprika, and black pepper.

In true Shawarma-style grilling, the meat is shaved off vertical rotating skewers and served in a sandwich or wrapped in pita bread. While a sandwich is a quick lunch, we can easily swap out the bread for a bed of lettuce to make a Paleo salad variation.

While you may not have a vertical rotating skewer with an open flame at home, grilling on an outdoor grill will work, too. If possible, marinate the meat for roughly 2 hours. The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender it will be after grilling.

Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep: 50 min Cook: 15 min

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 4 to 5 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Shawarma Marinade Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon-Garlic Dressing Ingredients

• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.
2. Place chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill chicken on the preheated grill for 10 to 15 minutes per side or until no longer pink.
5. Remove chicken from heat and set aside.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and season to taste. Whisk until the dressing is well emulsified.
7. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
8. Assemble the salad in a big bowl, combining the romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and lemon dressing; toss gently.
9. Serve salad in platters topped with sliced chicken.

Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe

A Middle Eastern-inspired marinade for chicken, then grilled and served over a bed of greens.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 50 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 817 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
• 4 to 5 cups romaine lettuce chopped
• 1 cucumber chopped
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.
  ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. lemon juice, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. paprika, ¼ tsp. turmeric, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Place chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  4 chicken breasts
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill chicken on the preheated grill for 10 to 15 minutes per side or until no longer pink.
• Remove chicken from heat and set aside.
• Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and season to taste. Whisk until the dressing is well emulsified.
  ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, Zest of 1 lemon, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Slice the chicken into thin strips.
• Assemble the salad in a big bowl, combining the romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and lemon dressing; toss gently.
  4 to 5 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cucumber, 1 red onion, 1 cup grape tomatoes
• Serve salad in platters topped with sliced chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 817kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 56gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 141mgPotassium: 883mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5119IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 4mg

Keyword chicken, salad, shawarma

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