Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls (Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free)

Spice up your life - or at least your lunch or dinner - with these healthy, flavor-packed Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls! Similar to a Greek gyro, shawarma is a heavily-spiced Levantine street food dish of marinated chicken, lamb, or other meat. The meat is traditionally roasted on a vertical rotisserie or spit and served in a wrap, pita, or sandwich. This low FODMAP shawarma version is made with chicken grilled on a barbecue or grill pan, served along with crunchy veggies over nutritious quinoa, and topped with cooling tzatziki. It's packed with protein and other nutrients while being low FODMAP and gluten-free. If you omit the feta cheese garnish, these low FODMAP chicken shawarma quinoa bowls are also lactose-free.

Jump to:

• Shawarma + Quinoa = Love
• Would Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma work in the Instant Pot?
• Necessary Equipment
• Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls: Ingredients & Tips for Success
• Low FODMAP Grilled Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls (Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free)
• Related Recipes

Shawarma + Quinoa = Love

I originally discovered shawarma on Pinterest, and my mouth started watering just looking at it. It looked so juicy and flavor packed, so I tried a few recipes. I discovered that it's as good as it looks, if not better. Shawarma is great as part of a salad, but as I'm currently trying to eat more quinoa, I thought shawarma might go well with quinoa instead. As it turns out, it does. Served on quinoa and topped with tzatziki, this low FODMAP version of shawarma a bit of a Greek - Levantine fusion thing going on. It's pretty magical.

Would Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma work in the Instant Pot?

As with a lot of my recipes, I started this low FODMAP shawarma recipe in the Instant Pot. Shawarma turns out okay in the Instant Pot, but in my opinion, it was just screaming for the barbecue. SCREAMING! The char that the barbecue brings combined with the acidity from the lemon juice in the marinate just gives the most delicious bite. This delicious type of bite is also found in my Low FODMAP Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad and Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage recipes. As much as I love the Instant Pot, this low FODMAP shawarma is made just as easily on the barbecue and tastes a ton better. Sorry, Instant Pot.

That being said, I do make the quinoa portion of this recipe in the Instant Pot and have a recipe on the blog with instructions as to how to do this easily. If you don't have an Instant Pot or don't want to make it that way, you can always just follow the instructions on your package of quinoa for how to make it on the stove.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make these Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls includes:

• Barbecue (I use an outdoor natural gas grill) or grill pan
• Grill tongs
• Large Ziplock bag
• Measuring cup or small bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Small whisk or fork
• Citrus juicer
• Refrigerator
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Plates x 2
• Basting brush
• Instant read thermometer or iGrill thermometer

Equipment necessary for the quinoa depends on how you decide to make it. If making it in the Instant Pot, a list of equipment is included in this post. For the low FODMAP tzatziki, a list of equipment is included in this post.

Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls: Ingredients & Tips for Success

Chicken Thighs

For this low FODMAP grilled chicken shawarma recipe, I use 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I find these offer the best flavor for the shawarma.

Low FODMAP Chicken Shawarma Marinade

I start the recipe by marinating the chicken thighs the night before cooking so that they can marinate overnight. First, I place them in a large Ziplock bag. Then, in a measuring cup or small bowl, I whisk together the low FODMAP chicken shawarma marinade ingredients, which include:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic-infused olive oil
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Lemon zest
• Sweet paprika
• Smoked paprika
• Ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom and cayenne
• Salt and ground black pepper

If you're thinking that's a lot of spices, you're absolutely correct. As mentioned above, shawarma is heavily spiced, and I found using all of these spices bring the absolute best flavor for the shawarma. It may be more spices than you're used to adding to a marinade, but I assure you, it is worth it.

I pour the shawarma marinade over the chicken thighs in the Ziplock bag, seal the bag, and shift the bag around with my hands to ensure the thighs are completely coated in marinade. I place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

Low FODMAP Tzatziki

Then, either the night before or the day of cooking, I make my Low FODMAP Tzatziki recipe, the ingredients and instructions for which can be found on that post. For this recipe, I'm using the low FODMAP tzatziki as a dressing, so I add up to 4 tablespoons of almond milk (or another lactose-free milk) to it to thin it out. To use the tzatziki as a veggie dip, I would only use 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Due to the cucumber in the tzatziki, even if you thin it out, it will still go on rather thick.

Once completed, I cover the tzatziki and place it in the refrigerator until everything is ready to serve. Make sure you stir the tzatziki before serving.

Produce

Either the night before or the day of cooking, I chop the produce that will accompany the low FODMAP shawarma in the bowl:

• Red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, sliced then halved
• English cucumber, sliced then halved - I use one half of a large English cucumber in the tzatziki, and the other half in the bowl, which works out nicely.
• Scallions, green tops only, chopped - also known as green onions. The green tops of scallions are FODMAP free, while the white bulb portion is high in FODMAPs.

Quinoa

Then, either the night before or the day of cooking, I cook the quinoa, either by using my Easy Low FODMAP Instant Pot Quinoa recipe or by following the package instructions. If you cook the quinoa ahead of time, put in an air tight container once cooled and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then, simply reheat it in the microwave or eat it cold, if that's to your liking.

Grill the Chicken

Once the chicken has marinated overnight and I'm ready to cook, I preheat my outdoor grill or grill pan on medium heat. While the grill is heating up, using tongs, I remove the chicken thighs from the bag, gently shaking off the excess marinade into the bag before placing the chicken on a plate. This may seem like an extra step, but this helps to mitigate the risk of flare ups.

I place the chicken top side down onto the grill grate. If there are any parts of the bottom side of the chicken that didn't get marinated, use a basting brush to add marinade to the bare spots. Sometimes the chicken thighs remain folded in the bag and marinade doesn't get inside the fold. I discard the remaining marinade.

I grill the chicken on medium heat for 5-6 minutes per side, remove it to a fresh plate and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing it into ½-inch strips. This helps the chicken retain its moisture.

Assemble the Low FODMAP Grilled Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls

To assemble the shawarma bowls, I add ¾ cup of quinoa into each bowl. Then, I place a quarter of the shawarma, red bell pepper, cucumbers and scallions on top of the quinoa. Finally, I top with tzatziki and optionally garnish with crumbled feta and parsley. Omit the feta to keep this recipe lactose-free.

Print

Related Recipes