If you had to pick between eating off a plate or eating from a bowl, what would you choose? I’m team bowl 100% of the time. And because of that, these Chicken Tawook Quinoa Bowls are on the menu today and they are perfect!
There’s this Lebanese restaurant a few miles from our house that I’m obsessed with. They have the most tender, succulent, moist (ugh sorry, I had to use it) Chicken Tawook on the planet. I’ll drive by and even if I’m not hungry, I’ll make a quick pit stop and grab some chicken skewers to go. I can’t help it! It’s an addiction. But these days I’ve mastered Chicken Tawook in my home kitchen and I couldn’t be more excited. Throw it on top of a quinoa bowl loaded with quinoa (duh), hummus, garlic sauce, avocados, cucumbers and a bit of shredded lettuce and lunch or dinner is DONE! You can serve it up with a little extra pita because WHY NOT and be on your way to happiness.
Before we get to the recipe – let’s just talk about the garlic sauce for a hot second. One day I’ll make a recipe for it on the blog (there’s currently one in my most recent cookbook) because it’s basically equivalent to a drug. Beyond addictive. I don’t care if I radiate garlic out of my pores for the next 4 days… it’s everything to me. You can find a container of freshly made garlic sauce at most stores (Trader Joe’s just started carrying it) – and if you can’t find it, just substitute it out for a little homemade tzatziki and it will still be perf. In fact, just throw on some tzatziki regardless… MORE IS MORE!
Chicken Tawook Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 2 inch pieces
- fresh parsley
For the Bowls:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup homemade Hummus
- store bought garlic sauce
- sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 head romaine lettuce shredded
- served w/ a side of pita bread
- 1/2 cup homemade Tzatziki optional
Instructions
- Whisk together the lemon juice, vegetable oil, plain yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, salt, oregano, paprika, pepper and allspice in a large bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat. Transfer the chicken mixture into a large plastic bag; refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate. Thread the chicken onto metal or wooden skewers. Cook on preheated grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes each side. Sprinkle the parsley over the skewers.
- To assemble, divide the quinoa into 4 bowls and top with equal parts of avocado, hummus, garlic sauce, sliced cucumbers and shredded lettuce. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Look at all of that yummy hummus & avocado!
Kari
I LOVE all these Mediterranean flavors!!!
Oh God. I have to make this for dinner- looks SO good! Totally craving Lebanese
Making this RIGHT now!! (plus the hummus & Tzatziki) Can’t wait to try it!! 🙂
So many great flavors!
some serious awesomeness going on here!
The spices and flavors of this bowl!
Can you please specify what the “garlic sauce” is or what brands to look for? Thank you!
this!! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/150654/thick-style-lebanese-garlic-sauce/
What happens to the paprika? Does it go in the marinade?
yes!!
This Tawook is SO DELICIOUS! I haven’t made proper bowls yet because I’ve been so obsessed with trying to recreate my favorite O.S. type plate with tawook, baba banoush, garlic sauce, and fattoush. We’ve had this for dinner FOUR times since I found your wonderful recipe two weeks ago. Body is running on 90% garlic, 10% wine now so I should be save from any roving sparkling vampires. THANNNNKKKK YOUUUUUU!
AND THE PICKLES!!! I’ve been on a mission to find a source for O.S. style mikta pickles.
If a grill is not available, is it possible to cook the chicken on the stove? What’s your suggestion for that?
Thanks!!!!!
totally!! medium high heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side
Hi Gaby! Do you think I can sub olive oil or avocado oil for the vegetable oil in the marinade? Really excited to try this recipe!
1000%
Made this last week, it was DELICIOUS!!! such a great marinate for the chicken!! thank you!
Just made this and it is delicious!!! The flavors in the marinade…. so good.
My mouth just watered!!!
Thank you for posting this, totally going to try out.
I can positively taste those flavors through my eyes!!! Yum!!
This is right up my alley!
Is the red wine vinegar in the marinade, or an either vinegar OR lemon juice?
both in the marinade!
Where does one buy garlic sauce? I have looked at Publix, sprouts, and Kroger and cannot find it.
Trader Joes and Whole Foods! I’ll do a recipe for it as soon as I perfect it!
Quick Q: is the parsley in the marinade or for garnish?
Wait!! Just saw I sprinkle on chicken after grilling. Never mind… sorry for not reading through all the way
I love that this recipe relies and store-bought hummus and garlic sauce. That means this recipe comes together crazy quick and is perfect for meal prepping. Cook quinoa, chop veggies, and chicken, store separately and quickly throw together in tupperware before work. In the winter when I don’t have access to a grill I marinate the chicken breasts or thigh whole then sear in my cast iron, dice and serve!
SOOOOOOO GOOD!!! My entire family….13 year old son to 78 year old mother in law, LOVED IT! Thank you so much for sharing.
Please don’t wait too long to post the garlic sauce recipe. Seriously.
I put it in my next cookbook which comes out in 2 weeks! (11 days to be exact!)
This is just what we need this week. Is the yogurt regular or Greek yogurt??
doesn’t matter – as long as it’s plain yogurt!
I just love this combo!
This looks outstanding and I will make it this week. I will get back to you.
We made this for dinner tonight and it was quite tasty! I didn’t have most of the stuff to serve with it, so just put the chicken skewers over some spring greens with sliced cucumber and homemade tzatziki. I’ll definitely come back to this recipe and make sure to have all the fixings next time!
I have made this chicken twice already!! It’s perfect!
Can I use Greek yogurt? Or is it regular yogurt?
plain greek yogurt is great
This marinade is GOLD. I have been coming back to it for months now! I love this chicken wrapped up in fresh pita with tons of hummus- YUM!
Is there a non dairy substitute for the Greek yogurt or not really? Thx!
not that i’ve tested!
Chicken is amazing! And the rest of the bowl ces together so well- I could eat this every week.
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to try it.
Do you have any recommendations for the garlic sauce in this recipe? Thanks!
there’s a recipe in my most recent cookbook – otherwise I buy it store bought frequently from trader joes
This is my kind of fresh meal, loaded with flavor. Yum!
So easy and yummy!
Can you give an example of a brand of garlic sauce? Is it refrigerated? I tried looking today at Whole Foods, but didn’t find it
it varies from store to store but would be in the refrigerated section by the hummus
Really delicious, pretty and easy. Chicken was tasty leftover too.
Oh my Gosh!! Soooo yummy!! It would take less time to make if you used store bought hummus, tahini, and tzadziki, but I made those too. Thanks for sharing all your goodness.