Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Bowls
with Spiced Basmati Rice & Garlicky White Sauce
- Milk
We swoon for shawarma. For this veggie-centric spin, we swap the traditional spit-roasted meat for roasted chickpeas, onion, and tomatoes, but keep all the same aromatic, warming spices. It’s all served over ultra-flavorful, spiced basmati rice. If you’re anything like us, one of our favorite parts about shawarma is the sauce selection—and don’t worry, we didn’t skimp. You’ll drizzle hot sauce and a creamy, garlicky white sauce over top until you reach your ideal sauce-to-veggie ratio. That’s right, no more dry (or drowning) bowls—you’re in total sauce control.
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
¼ ounce
Cilantro
½ cup
Basmati Rice
1 unit
Chickpeas
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
1 tablespoon
Shawarma Spice Blend
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
10 ounce
Chicken Breast Strips
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
½ tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and cut onion into ½-inch-thick wedges; mince a few wedges until you have 2 TBSP (4 TBSP for 4). Peel and mince or grate garlic. Drain and rinse chickpeas; dry thoroughly with paper towels. Roughly chop cilantro. Zest and quarter lemon.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot (use a medium pot for 4 servings) over medium-high heat. Add minced onion, half the garlic, half the Shawarma Spice Blend (you’ll use the rest in the next step), and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. • Stir in rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4), stock concentrate, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to use in step 5.
• Meanwhile, toss onion wedges, tomatoes, and chickpeas on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, remaining Shawarma Spice Blend, pepper, and a few pinches of salt. (For 4 servings, divide everything between 2 baking sheets; roast on top and middle racks, tossing veggies and swapping rack positions halfway through roasting.) • Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until veggies are tender and lightly charred and chickpeas are crispy, 18-20 minutes. (It’s natural for chickpeas to pop a bit while roasting.)
Rinse shrimp under cold water; pat shrimp or chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp or chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and remaining garlic to taste. Season with salt. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in half the cilantro and ½ TBSP butter (1 TBSP for 4 servings). Season with salt and pepper. • Once veggies and chickpeas are done, remove from oven and toss with lemon zest.
• Divide rice between shallow bowls. Top with veggies and chickpeas. Drizzle with garlicky white sauce and hot sauce to taste. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Top with lemon juice to taste; serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Serve shrimp or chicken atop bowls.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the robust Middle Eastern flavors, with the shawarma spice blend and roasted vegetables earning particular praise 🍲.
- Ease of prep: While some found it quick and simple, others felt it had many steps or took longer than expected to prepare.
- Suggestions: Consider adding a protein like chicken or shrimp; some suggest more vegetables or sauce for extra moisture.
- Portions: Several mentioned the rice portion was too small; others found it perfectly filling, especially with added protein.
- Texture: Some found the roasted chickpeas too dry or crunchy; try adjusting cooking time or adding them later.
Reviews from our home cooks
My very picky eater of a husband said the Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowls was surprisingly good! I had to modify the spices a little for a milder flavor for him but can tell you this was a really good dinner and the waste of food was minimal to none! We will be eating this one again in the future!
The Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowl truly deserves its Hall of Fame status. The Spiced Basmati rice and the Garlicky White Sauce paired nicely with the vegetables and chickpeas. What's more, we felt light after eating it which isn't always the case with rice dishes. Would definitely make this again!
This is AMAZING. For the garlicky sauce, I used milk instead of water and added an extra clove of garlic and pinch of wild ramp salt. Now I'm buying more sour cream because I want to put this sauce on EVERYTHING FOREVER!!! The chickpea bowl as a whole is also delicious, and I'll definitely be making this again at home.
The taste could have been great. 1/2 a cup of rice is definitely not enough for two servings, especially being a "bowl." I had to add more from my pantry. For being a Middle Eastern dish it was definitely missing more spice flavor. I added some spices similar to the Shawarma spice pack to compensate. Overall, I would make this again with some tweaks and it could be an awesome dish!
My kid is a big fan of chickpeas, and I like them, just not as much. These middle eastern bowls are reliably tasty, and it's relatively easy to cook.
Pleasantly surprised! The roasting of the chickpeas was a nice touch. Served in combination with the Basmati rice, tomatoes, onions, and the always tasty spices, made for a delightful dish!
The rice was incredible and the sauce perfected it. I love the middle eastern style meals, they have great seasoning
One of my favorite recipes! I always feel healthier eating chickpeas, and there is so much delicious flavor in these bowls.
Lovely warm spices, crunchy chickpeas.. just a hearty dish all around. Great recipe!
Amazing. My boyfriend hates chickpeas tomatoes onions and cilantro. It had all of the above in it and he still ate the whole thing and actually really enjoyed it! Easy to make, full of middle eastern flavor.
