Chicken Shawarma and Veggies Sheet Pan

My go to quick take-out guilty pleasure is a shawarma.  I love the spices, the taste, the soft chicken, the veggies… I love everything about it. I don’t always have it in a pita as I love the flavour combination of just the chicken and veggies with hummus. Oh, and a garlic sauce! So good!

This shawarma chicken and veggies is a sheet pan wonder! The spiced chicken, warm roasted veggies combined with the fresh cool veggies is so delicious. Just look at the ingredient list and see all the amazing spices the chicken marinates in.  The longer you let the chicken marinade, the better and more flavourful the end result is. If in a hurry, 30 minutes is the minimum. If you can prep in the morning or the night before, so much more the better.  Plus, it makes dinner time that much easier and quicker!

The spices in this recipe are very healthful – antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal.

The veggies are a good combination of flavour and nutrients:

Fresh garlic contains an amino acid protein called ‘alliin’. When the garlic clove is chopped, minced or crushed, a heat sensitive enzyme, ‘alliinase’, is released. Cooking cut garlic before alliinase is released stops the nutritional magic from happening. Together alliin + alliinase form allicin, which is an antioxidant, an antibiotic and has been found to reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that allicin can help promote a healthy heart by lowering bad cholesterol and the antioxidants in garlic may help protect against dementia.

Sweet Potato is an excellent source of the antioxidant beta carotene, which converts into VitA in our bodies which is beneficial in supporting eye health. They are a rich source of fiber to aid in digestion, contain VitC to support immune health, a range of B vitamins, contain choline to support the nervous system, are a good source of plant-based calcium.

Bell Peppers are an antioxidant, are low in calories, rich in vitamin C, especially the red ones, VitE, VitA, folate, and potassium.

Lemons are a good source of VitC which protects your heart from disease and stroke, good against the formation of kidney stones as it increases pH making a less hospitable environment for the formation of kidney stones, the citric acid in lemons help absorb iron better in the body, and studies have shown that citrus fruits help to fight certain cancers.

Greek Yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt, is a good source of calcium, VitB12, Riboflavin (VitB2) and selenium as well as VitA, zinc and potassium.  Plain Greek yogurt is low in carbs and has little sugar – the flavoured varieties have more sugar so eat them in moderation.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Chicken Shawarma and Veggies Sheet Pan goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 30 minutes – 24 hours marinating time, 10 minutes prep / Bake Time: 35-40 minutes total / Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

  • 10 Medium Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs

  • 4 Garlic Cloves - minced

  • 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder

  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

  • 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander 

  • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric

  • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder

  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger

  • A Generous Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt or Plain Sea Salt

  • A Few Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

  • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil – divided

  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

  • 2 Sweet Potatoes - peeled and diced

  • ½ Medium Red Onion – sliced thinly

  • 1 Red Bell Pepper – sliced

  • 1 Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper - sliced

  • 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes

  • 1 Seedless Cucumber – sliced and halved

  • 1 Avocado – sliced

  • Hummus – homemade or store-bought in a pinch

Lemon Garlic Yogurt Dressing: (store-bought tzatziki works in a pinch)

  • 2 Cloves Garlic – minced

  • ½ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

  • 1½ teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice (or lime juice)

  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

  • A Generous Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt or Plain Sea Salt

  • A Few Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

How It’s Made

  • Mince the garlic for both the marinade and the dressing and set aside so the garlic can work its nutritional magic.

  • Marinade: In a medium sized bowl, combine the garlic, cumin, onion powder, paprika, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, ground ginger, the herbed seasoned sea salt and grinds of fresh black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the lemon juice and stir to combine evenly.

  • Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat each piece with the spiced marinade mixture. Cover and put the chicken in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes - if you can marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning so much more the better and more flavourful.

  • Dinner time prep! Preheat your oven to 375°F

  • Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. (I prefer foil for this recipe – as in the photos – easier cleanup as the parchment paper can leak.)

  • Remove the marinating chicken from the fridge. 

  • Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and toss them in a tablespoon of the olive oil to coat. Put them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer to one side of the baking sheet. The chicken will go on the other side.

  • Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the other side of the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

  • While the chicken and sweet potatoes are baking, slice the onion and the peppers. Toss the onion and then the peppers separately in a bit of olive oil to coat.

  • After the 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Move the chicken and the sweet potatoes over a bit to make room and then add the peppers and onions to the middle of the baking sheet. Sprinkle the pan with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. (You don’t need to add more salt.)  

  • Back into the oven goes the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes and then check to see if the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are soft. An instant read thermometer should read 165°F for the chicken to be done. A sharp knife into the sweet potato should easily poke through when they are done.

  • While the chicken and all the veggies are baking, make the dressing:  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk or a fork.  Set aside.

  • Prep the other veggies you will serve with your shawarma and roasted veggies – grape tomatoes, cucumber, avocado. Get out your homemade hummus (or store bought in a pinch). 

  • When the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven. Serve the chicken along side some roasted sweet potatoes, peppers and onions and top with the grape tomatoes, cucumber and avocado.

  • Dollop some hummus over the chicken and drizzle the dressing over everything.  Sprinkle with some additional parsley if you wish.

Enjoy!

Variations

  • Peel and cube fresh beets to roast along with the sweet potato and chicken, or add pickled beets when serving.

  • Cut up some romaine lettuce and put some on the plate first then lay the chicken and veggies on top when serving.

  • Serve with Baba Ghanoush.

  • Serve in a pita or a wrap.

Budget Friendly, Dinner, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Healthy eating, LunchRenata RichardsonChicken Shawarma and Veggies Sheet Pan, Shawarma, Chicken Dinner, Fiber, Gut Health, Eye Health, Heart Health, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, Kidney Health, Calcium, VitA, Brain Health, VitCComment