Chicken Shawarma Chopped Salad with Toasted Pita Chips is a fresh main dish made with seasoned chicken, chopped romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, and garlic yogurt dressing.
This recipe has a lot going on in the best way without being hard to make. The chicken has shawarma-style spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon.
The salad keeps things crisp with romaine, cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes. Chickpeas add texture, and the toasted pita chips make it scoopable, which is always more fun than a plain fork salad.
The garlic yogurt dressing keeps the whole bowl creamy without making it heavy. It’s made with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
This is a solid 35-minute lunch or dinner with 35 grams of protein per serving. It works well when you want something fresh, filling, and full of real ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Shawarma Chopped Salad
It’s ready in 35 minutes
This recipe is a good choice for a weeknight dinner or a filling lunch. The chicken, pita chips, and dressing all come together without a long prep time.
It has 35 grams of protein per serving
Chicken breast, chickpeas, and Greek yogurt help make this salad more filling. It’s a strong option for healthy chicken recipes and healthy lunch recipes.
The pita chips make it scoopable
Toasted pita chips add crunch and make the salad more fun to serve. They also work well with the garlic yogurt dressing.
The dressing is creamy without being heavy
Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and olive oil make a creamy dressing that coats the salad well.
It uses pantry spices
Cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper give the chicken shawarma-style flavor using common spices.
A large skillet works well for cooking the chicken evenly. A baking sheet and mixing bowl help keep the pita chips and salad easy to prepare.
Ingredient Substitutions
Chicken breast
Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast. They may need a little more cooking time, depending on the size of the pieces.
Romaine lettuce
Iceberg lettuce can be used if you want more crunch. Green leaf lettuce can also work.
Chickpeas
White beans can be used in place of chickpeas. They have a softer texture but still add substance to the salad.
Greek yogurt
Plain regular yogurt can be used instead of Greek yogurt. The dressing may be a little thinner.
Fresh parsley
Fresh cilantro can be used instead of parsley if you like a stronger herb flavor.
Pita bread
Whole wheat pita or flatbread can be used for the toasted chips.
Red onion
Green onions can be used if you want a milder onion flavor.
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Chicken Shawarma Chopped Salad with Toasted Pita Chips
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Ingredients
For the Shawarma Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Salad:
- 5 cups romaine lettuce finely chopped
- 1 cup cucumbers finely chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup chickpeas well drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
For the Garlic Yogurt Dressing:
- ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Toasted Pita Chips:
- 2 large pita breads
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the pita breads on a cutting board. Cut around the outer edge of each pita to separate the top and bottom layers.
- Cut each pita circle into triangles.
- Place the pita triangles on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush the pita triangles lightly with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the pita triangles with garlic powder, cumin, and salt.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted and crisp around the edges. Remove the pita chips from the oven. Set aside for later.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to the skillet.
- Add the diced chicken, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Let the chicken cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, water, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Using a whisk, mix until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, parsley, and shawarma chicken.
- Pour the garlic yogurt dressing over the salad. Using tongs, toss until the salad is evenly coated.
- Serve right away with the toasted pita chips.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Toast the pita in one layer – Spread the pita triangles out on the baking sheet. This helps them toast evenly and stay crisp around the edges. Seed the tomatoes – Remove the seeds before chopping the tomatoes. This keeps extra liquid out of the salad. Toss right before serving – Add the dressing shortly before serving. This keeps the romaine and pita chips from getting soggy.Nutrition
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