Chicken Shawarma Salad

Level up your chicken salad with this easy, delicious and healthy low-carb recipe. Juicy chicken shawarma salad with yogurt lemon dressing and crispy toasted pita bread will be your new favorite recipe for a simple lunch or light dinner.

Ingredients

Full chicken shawarma salad recipe with instructions can be found in the recipe card. 

• Chicken thighs. I used boneless thighs because they stay incredibly juicy during cooking. Chicken breasts can be used but the cooking time will need to be adjusted to avoid over-cooking.
• Olive oil.
• Garlic cloves.
• Lemon.
• Spices: Use Middle Eastern spices like cinnamon, coriander and cumin along with paprika, chilli flakes (use Aleppo pepper if you can find it), salt and black pepper.

For the salad

• Lettuce. Romaine lettuce, Iceberg, Arugula, Butter lettuce.
• Cucumber. 
• Tomatoes. I used cherry tomatoes but any variety will work.
• Kalamata olives. 
• Pita bread. Leave out the pita bread if you’d prefer to keep this recipe gluten free.
• Greek yogurt. 
• Optional extras: Feta cheese, Hummus, herbs like mint, fresh cilantro/coriander, parsley and red onion.

How to make chicken shawarma salad

1. Marinate the chicken: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, lemon juice and spices. Pour the marinade over the chicken and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but ideally overnight in the fridge to allow the flavors to have time to develop.
2. Grill the chicken: Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Cook the chicken for 7-8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Toast the pita bread: Brush the pita with olive oil and place on a baking sheet then place under a preheated broiler (grill of the oven) for a minute per side until golden and crisp.
4. Make the salad: In a large bowl, add the lettuce, sliced cucumber, tomatoes and olives. Make the dressing by stirring together the olive oil, a few tablespoons of yogurt, a half of a crushed garlic clove, lemon, a teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces then add to the salad. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine.
5. Serve: Serve the salad with the toasted pita.

Can I make this ahead?

The chicken shawarma can be marinated for up to a day ahead of cooking. Cooked chicken leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chicken salad recipes

Chicken Shawarma Salad

Chicken shawarma salad with yogurt lemon dressing and crispy toasted pita is a delicious, healthy recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword: Chicken salad, Chicken Shawarma, Chicken shawarma salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

• 500 g (1lb) boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

For the salad

• 8 cups lettuce
• 1 English cucumber sliced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cup kalamata olives
• 2 pita breads sliced into wedges

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ garlic clove crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, lemon juice and spices.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but ideally overnight in the fridge to allow the flavors to have time to develop. 
• Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Cook the chicken for 7-8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. 
• Brush the pita with olive oil and place on a baking sheet then place under a preheated broiler (grill of the oven) for a minute per side until golden and crisp.
• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, sliced cucumber, tomatoes and olives.
• Make the dressing by stirring together the olive oil, a few tablespoons of yogurt, a half of a crushed garlic clove, lemon, a teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces then add to the salad. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine. 
• Serve the salad with the toasted pita. 

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1868mg | Potassium: 1019mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1471IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg