L3 — Lebanese Shawarma Chicken Fillet & Bulgur Bowl
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Chicken & Marinade
- Chicken breast fillets, sliced into long strips ~2cm1.2 kg
- Baharat Spice Blend2½ tbsp
- Lemon juice + zest2 lemons + 1 zest
- Garlic, minced4 cloves
- Olive oil4 tbsp
- Ground turmeric1 tsp
Bowl & Sauce
- Coarse bulgur wheat300 g
- Cherry tomatoes, halved1½ cups
- Cucumber, diced1 medium
- Red onion, very thinly sliced½
- Flat-leaf parsley, choppedlarge handful
- Tahini + lemon juice + water (drizzle)3 tbsp + 1 lemon + 3 tbsp
Nutrition / serving
Calories
510 kcal
Protein
48 g
Carbs
44 g
Fat
15 g
Fiber
7 g
Cost Estimate
Total Ingredients
~$26.00
CAD
Per Serving
~$4.33 / serving
Instructions
Marinate chicken
Whisk marinade ingredients. Add chicken strips, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate minimum 30 min (overnight = deeper flavour).
Cook bulgur
Place 300 g bulgur in a large bowl. Pour 540 ml just-boiled water over. Cover tightly with a plate and steam 20 min. Fluff with fork. Season with salt and olive oil drizzle.
Make tahini drizzle
Whisk tahini, lemon juice, and water until smooth and pourable. Season with salt.
Cook chicken
Heat skillet or grill pan over medium-high. Cook marinated chicken in batches — 3–4 min per side until deeply golden and cooked through (74°C). Rest 3 min.
Assemble & portion
Bulgur base → cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion alongside → chicken on top → tahini drizzle → fresh parsley → lemon wedge. Divide into 6. Freeze 2.
Freeze & Reheat
Freeze chicken strips and bulgur separately. Bulgur reheat with 2 tbsp water at 70% microwave power. Chicken at 70% power 3 min. Make fresh cucumber and tomato when serving. Freeze up to 3 months.
Chef's Cool Facts
Overnight Marinating
Traditional shawarma is cooked on a rotating spit for hours. Overnight marinating in baharat achieves similar spice depth — fat-soluble aromatic compounds need time to penetrate.
What is Bulgur?
Bulgur is par-cooked, dried, and cracked wheat — one of the fastest whole grains to prepare (no boiling, just steam). Lower glycaemic index than white rice and roughly 3× the fibre.
Complete Amino Acids
Tahini provides all essential amino acids and is particularly rich in methionine — an amino acid that plant proteins are often deficient in.