Chicken Shawarma Salad
Updated Mar 16, 2026
Chicken Shawarma Salad made with marinated chicken shawarma, romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled peppers, and tahini sauce.
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chicken shawarma salad is soo good!
Chicken shawarma salad is one of the ways I like to turn chicken shawarma into a full meal without needing pita or wraps. I still make the same chicken shawarma with all the usual spices, but instead of serving it in a sandwich, I pile it over a big bowl of chopped vegetables.
This chicken shawarma salad is pretty simple to put together. The chicken cooks quickly in a skillet after marinating, and then it goes straight over romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. I usually add a few pickled peppers and finish everything with tahini sauce, which pulls the whole bowl together.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Chicken Shawarma Salad Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Slice them thinly so they absorb the marinade really well. Chicken thighs most closely resemble the chicken cooked on a vertical spit in traditional shawarma recipes. They have more fat, keeping the chicken extra juicy. You can use chicken breasts if you prefer, but they might not turn out as flavorful as chicken thighs.
- For the shawarma marinade: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and shawarma seasoning. You can find a shawarma blend at the store, but I like to make my own using salt, paprika, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and crushed red pepper.
- Vegetables: For the salad itself, I use chopped romaine lettuce, chopped Roma tomatoes, chopped Persian cucumbers, sliced red onions, and pickled banana peppers. You can also top it with chopped fresh parsley. Feel free to switch out the vegetables and adjust quantities based on your preference!
- Tahini sauce: My authentic tahini sauce recipe makes a great salad dressing for this chicken shawarma salad. If you don’t have tahini, you can make the sauce with any other type of nut or seed butter. Or, you can skip it and make Lebanese garlic sauce, cucumber yogurt sauce, or even a simple vinaigrette instead.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Salad
Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe
Chicken Shawarma Salad bowl with skillet-cooked shawarma chicken, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and creamy tahini sauce.
Video
Ingredients
For the chicken shawarma
For the salad bowl
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 Persian cucumbers chopped
- ½ red onion sliced
- 2 ounces pickled sliced banana peppers
- ½ cup tahini sauce
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the marinade ingredients in a large bowl: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, paprika, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and crushed red pepper. Whisk to blend.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and stir with a spoon to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the marinated chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Divide the salad ingredients into four bowls. Add the cooked chicken shawarma on top, drizzle with tahini sauce, and serve with fresh parsley.
Notes
My Top Tip: Let the chicken marinate at least 1 hour. The spices and garlic need a little time to flavor the chicken. If you have more time, marinating overnight works even better.
Storage: Store any leftover chicken shawarma in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a little water or in the microwave until heated through.
Freezing: You can freeze the cooked chicken shawarma separately from the salad. Store it in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 704mg, Potassium: 844mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1470IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Variations
- Serve the chicken shawarma on top of a Lebanese fattoush salad.
- Have fun with add-ins. Homemade pita chips, roasted chickpeas, or marinated olives are great additions.
- Make grain bowls: It’s not necessarily traditional, but you could add a grain base of bulgur pilaf, farro, or turmeric rice for a chicken shawarma bowl.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken. The goal is to cook the chicken until it’s just cooked through so it stays juicy. It can be tempting to cook it for just a few extra minutes, but resist the urge! When in doubt, use a meat thermometer.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in a single layer if possible. If the pan is too crowded, the chicken will steam instead of getting those browned edges.
Serving Ideas
- Bread: Easy Flatbread Recipe, Homemade Pita Bread, Olive Bread
- Hummus: Classic Hummus, White Bean Hummus, Beet Hummus
- Grilled veggies: Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Eggplant, Grilled Asparagus
FAQs
Can I use a different type of meat?
Yes! You can use lamb or beef in place of the chicken thighs. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Comments
Chicken Shawarma is one of my faves, so when I saw you post this, I had to try it. It was DELICIOUS!! I don’t cook often just for myself, but I’ve made this more than once already. Thank you!!
Yay! So glad you love the recipe, Jess!! Thank you so much!
So good! Marinated the chicken overnight and the tahini dressing was the perfect touch to this dish. Thanks for another great recipe! Trying your beef shawarma recipe tomorrow to use up the yummy dressing!
Love that!! So happy you liked the recipe, Amira! Thank you!!
I did this with pork because I did not have chicken and OMG it’s a keeper!
Thanks, Angie! So happy you liked it!
Yumna, I have a question. Due to time constraints, I marinaded the chicken in the freezer 5 days ahead of time. Should I cook it before the 5 days? I have made this before and it is great on a salad. Or on rice.
For best results, I would cook the chicken the day of. But you can cook a day or two before if needed!
One of the best! Super delicious.
Thank you! Glad you like it!
Very good – thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Very good – thank you! Makes a great summer lunch.
At first I was a little skeptical using cinnamon as part of the spice marinade. However, it was perfect! This was a first trying Sharma and it was so good. I am going through all your salads this season and I am ready to tackle new recipes. Thank you for always making our dinners simple and easy for weeknights.
Thank you so much for making them, Sheila! I can’t wait to see what you have to say about my other salad recipes!
Hi, I just found your recipe. Is the tahini sauce store bought or did you make it? I don’t know what that is? Sorry:(
I do make it. You can find a recipe for it here. Let me know what you think when you make it!
So good! We never had chicken shawarma salad and tahini sauce before. We’re going to add it to our salad rotation.
So glad you liked it, Cynthia!
This was an exceptional dish. I followed the very clear instructions to the letter. My family loved it. Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try your other dishes
Thank you so much! That’s perfect. You’re so welcome! Hope you enjoy the other recipes too!
Made this in Ramadan; it was the best. I let it marinate overnight; you tasted the spices in the chicken; most important, it was a complete meal. After consuming a small bowl of chicken shawarma, we did not require more food. Love it and will make it again.
That makes me so happy to hear! That’s perfect. I love that!
Love your recipes! Thank you! Wish you had a page to follow
Aww, thank you so much! You can check out my Instagram page (@feelgoodfoodie) or Facebook page (Feelgoodfoodie).
By cardamom, do you mean cardamom powder or green cardamom pods and the inside? Sorry I’m new to cooking 🙄
Thanks
Cardamom powder!
This was SO GOOD!! Better than the shawarma places 😍😍😍 can’t wait to make the shish tawook next. You’re amazing!!
That is incredible! Excited to hear what you think about that one too. Thank you!
Huge hit at our house! Going to put this in the monthly meal rotation for the summer. Yum!
Thank you! I love that!
Chicken Shawarma anything is my favorite. I make it often and I always look forward to it. Since no one I know doesn’t know about Shawarma, I get the pleasure to introduce them to it and they love it. I made 3 times this week for different guests and I have an event next month I will be making it for 45 guests which I’ll making it. Every time I serve it, they tell me they never tasted anything so good. LOL
That’s amazing! 45 guests definitely sounds challenging, but you’ve got this!
This was delicious! I used sesame oil instead of olive oil and spinach instead of romaine lettuce and I added avocado. I also used chicken breast instead of thigh. I didn’t add banana pepper because I don’t like them. The salad was good with these substitutions and changes.
Thank you so much! So glad you were able to make it work with the substitutions!
Fantastic! The recipe was beyond our expectations!!! So flavorful and paired great with your pita recipe!!
Thank you! I love that!
What a feel good fresh recipe!
First time trying and the chicken is amazing. Everything here is very simple and easy prep. Will be making more often. Thanks for the recipe feel good foodie!!
Thank you so much! So glad to hear it. You’re welcome!!
Delicious! The chicken is so flavorful, and it’s wonderful with the banana peppers and cucumbers. I didn’t think I liked tahini, but the tahini sauce on this salad changed my mind for sure 😋 Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you found a way to enjoy tahini!
Made this recipe this week and it’s so simple and easy! Also paired it with hummus and toasted garlic naan. Will definitely be making again!
That’s exactly what I was going for! Yay!!
I’ve been making Feel Good Foodie’s recipes over the years and they are the BEST! The chicken shawarma is soo good, one of the best authentic recipes we’ve had (even my Lebanese family agrees). I had frozen chicken with the shawarma seasoning already so decided to make the chicken shawarma salad. Of course we loved it! It’s so good and love the crunchy salad with the chicken and tahini dressing (can never get enough of that). I didn’t have Romain but used a arugula/kale mix which was really tasty. Definitely adding this salad to the routine. Thanks Yumna 😋
Aww, thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, especially the dressing! You’re so welcome!
Wowww!!! Love the recipe
Going to make it tonight
Thank you! Can’t wait for you to give it a go!
Chicken shawarma was always mine and my family favorite dish but making it healthy version like chicken shawarma salad from your recipe is even great. Thank you sharing great recipes and making cooking easy for us. 😊
Thank you so much! Happy to have shared this recipe!
Hello, Yumna!
I hope you don’t mind me skipping cinnamon, I used some nutmeg instead. This treat is appetizing, packable, and does not need reheating, thus ideal to take on the go! Your ideas are extraordinary yet you always abide by the original flavours.
Greetings from Central Europe!
Sanya Aliza
Not at all! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you!
I made this recipe a couple nights ago and it turned out great! The chicken part of this dish could be used in so many other meals!
That’s perfect! Yes, for sure!
Super easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! Happy to have shared!
Easy super delicious and fast to prepare , I make Shawarma salad 3 times this month. I can’t wait to see more recipes similar to this salad.
Exactly what I was going for! Stay tuned!!
I made this for my roommate and we both loved it. The marinade is great and the suggested tahini sauce was a great dressing. The banana peppers are just so good. Will be putting this one in the rotation!
That makes me so happy to hear! Love that it’ll be in the rotation!
I made this & it came out BEAUTIFUL! It’s perfect for iftar dinners since it’s filling but still somehow light at the same time. Thank you for sharing, Yumna!
Thank you! Yes, for sure! Happy to have shared.
This is my favourite food Lebanese food ❤️ I tried this two days ago and we lucked out the entire tray!!! Such good shawarma ❤️
That’s incredible! Thank you!!
Chicken shawarma salad is going to be my favourite salad from today onwards..the taste was mindblowing…i just love the combination of shawarma in salad..😍😍
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m with you on that!
Best food! I love shawarma, specially your healthy version.
Thank you!!
It was delicious. Flavourful. and juicy tender chicken with a yummy dressing. Cold also nice for lunch!
That sounds perfect! Yay!!
Love, love your recipes. So easy to follow. This recipe was a keeper. My whole family loved the salad.. especially the dressing.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
I’m a vegetarian who sometimes cooks meat for my family. This was a very easy recipe to follow and simple to adapt for vegans too. Everyone loved eating it!
I love that this was easy to follow and that everyone enjoyed! Yay!!
I made April cooking challenge last night, Chicken Shawarma Salad. I love Yumna recipe they are always so simple and easy to follow and always so flavorful.
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much!!
I made April cooking challenge last night, Chicken Shawarma Salad. I love Yumma recipes they are always simple and easy to follow and tastes so good!
I made this recipe for lunches this week and it was so tasty! Very easy to make and so flavorful. Definitely planning on making this one again! Thank you!
I love that! Hope you continue to enjoy the recipe. You’re so welcome!
One of the easiest and yet delicious and flavorful shawarma recipes I’ve ever made. I was always intimidated to make shawarma because I thought it would be too difficult or that I would need special tools to stack them on top of each other but this recipe is nothing like that. I made mine in the oven and it tuned put really juicy & flavorful. It made a perfect Iftar and is the best weeknight dinner.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found this recipe easy to make and that it turned out that way. It makes me so happy to hear!
I make this recipe every week and is also my guest’s favor.
Delicious and flavorful salad. Easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time. Great for meal prep! It tastes refreshing during spring/summertime. I used chicken breast meat and added avocado. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much! Yes, for sure. Happy to have shared this recipe!
Such an amazing recipe! Because of this I’m hooked to your easy tahini sauce and put it on everything!! Above all the salad was perfect my family loved the flavor combinations~~ Thank you!
Thank you so much! I love that!!
My husband and I loved this recipe! I marinated the chicken for around two hours and followed everything exactly as is. (Except we used spinach and not romaine.) The tahini drizzled on top as a dressing worked and tasted SO GOOD. The banana peppers add a delightful flavor burst and bit of heat as well. Going to toss this into our meal rotation for sure. Thanks for another hit recipe!
That’s amazing! So glad you enjoyed every component of this recipe. Yay!!
Made this today for the April cooking challenge. Loved the tahini dressing, and the shawarma chicken was delicious. Will definitely make again!
That’s amazing! Hope you continue to enjoy this recipe!!
I’ve made this Sharma recipe a couple times & it’s always perfect. I made a couple days ago for Iftar & it did not disappoint. The spices just compliment each other in a way that’s unmatched. As walys a five star must make
That makes me so happy to hear! That’s perfect. Thank you!!
Another great recipe! Made it with out the banana peppers and swapped out the tahini dressing for fattoush dressing. Also tossed in some cooked bulgur to fill out the salads with some whole grain for work 🥗🥗🥗Paired it with the oatmeal bake to round out quick and easy food prep for the week. Thank you so much! ❤️❤️❤️
Forgot to leave the 5 stars it deserves ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much! Love the idea with the bulgur. You’re welcome!!
I made this tonight and it is so good! I thought I didn’t like banana peppers but decided to try them anyway. They were delicious! They added a nice tang to the salad. The dressing is tangy and nutty and the chicken is so yummy! So very good! I will definitely make this again.
I love that! So glad you gave it a try. Yay!!
What a unique and fresh alternative for a chicken salad. The chicken shawarma had a really authentic flavour and was very juicy. I had to swap chicken breast for thighs and jalapeños for banana peppers but it was still delicious! Definitely a recipe my husband wants to use for grilled chicken on the BBQ! Would you suggest any changes to the marinade if it were grilled?
Thank you so much! I love that. It should be just as good grilled!
This is undoubtedly the best shawarma I’ve ever had ( and I’m Lebanese so I know what I’m saying!) Will be using this recipe for years and years ! Thank you !
That’s amazing! That makes me so happy to hear!
I made Yumma version of this chicken shawarma salad last night for Iftar dinner, and it was delicious. I will definitely make it again!
That’s perfect! Ramadan Mubarak 💛
I tried this recipe to enter the challenge, and it turned out to be so good. Thanks
That makes me so happy! You’re so welcome!
Made this recipe. It was delish!!
Thank you so much!
This is DELICIOUS! My little helper enjoyed assisting in the kitchen and loved the chicken so much!
Thank you! I love when they help out and enjoy the recipe too!
I switched out the thighs for breast as it is a more healthy option. However, the recipe still tasted amazing and i will for sure make this again in the near future 🙂
Happy to hear you enjoyed!
Hi there, I love the chicken Shawarma salad’s recipe. I definitively will prepare this recipe with all the authentic ingredients and I will try to keep all the tips that you gave to us. Thank you 🥰
Thank you so much! I can’t wait for you to give it a go!
Fun and easy to make! Will definitely make this a regular dish, and with the tahini sauce it was fantastic!
I love that! Thank you!
So easy to make, used chicken breast instead and still came out juicy. Definitely doing it again!
That’s perfect! Yay!!
I made this delicious chicken shawarma marinade and fattoush salad for dinner tonight and it came out perfect. Loved the flavor of the chicken and it was great with the tahini sauce. I will definitely be making this again.
That’s amazing! Hope you continue to enjoy!
By cardamom, do you mean cardamom powder or green cardamom pods and the inside? Sorry I’m new to cooking 🙄
Thanks!
Cardamom powder!
OMG!! First of all, thank you for this recipe. And secondly, thank you for making it so flavourful with the simplest of ingredients that are always available at home. I made this salad for dinner today. It was soooo delicious. So quick and soooo good!! This is my go-to salad from now on!
You’re so welcome! That makes me happy to hear! Yay!!
Just made it for iftar today Super easy tasty and healthy at the same! It summarizes everything about feel good!!
That’s perfect! I love that!
I just made this receipe and it is SO GOOD! Highly recommend. The marinade for the chicken really helps bring out lots of flavor and compliments the salad very well. Do not pass up on the tahini sauce – it’s another level of yum! I appreciate that most of these ingredients can be meal prepped since college can be very busy.
That makes me so happy to hear! The sauce is definitely a must.
Recipe looks delicious. Can’t wait to try. Everything I have made from your recipes has turned out amazing !
Thank you! Aww, I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! The homemade spice mix marinade is just amazing, a perfect balance of flavours!
I can see this being a regular in our house.
That’s perfect! Exactly what I was going for!
Love it
Yay!!
I love the pickled veggies (turnips, beets, pickles, carrots etc) do you have a video or recipe for making them?
I have a “How to Pickle Onions” tutorial on my website!
I love this recipe and I’ve made it many times. I wanted to write tonight because my baby just ate the chicken for his 1st birthday dinner. He loved it and kept asking for more.
Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear!
Hey Yumna! Am I crazy or is this a new version? I love it, but it didn’t seem familiar.
I am revising it, so I’ll be sure to share once it’s complete!
This looks great!! how is it different than the shawarma recipe?
I uses different spices and an oven roasted technique
Wonderfully easy and absolutely delicious. A firm favourite in our household.
So glad to hear it. Thank you!!
So, so good. Flavor on this chicken is great (marinated about 9 hours). Made a variation of this bowl with turmeric/cumin rice and hummus (and veggies). Prepped some of your Lebanese tahini dressing for a topper.
Love that made this into a bowl with your own spin and that you added tahini sauce on top! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂