Name: Chicken Shawarma Rice Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Chicken Breast; 1.5 cup of uncooked long grain rice; 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric powder; 2small onions; Salt & Black Pepper for Taste; 3 Tablespoon of Olive Oil; 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder; 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder; 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder; 2 teaspoon of garlic powder; 3 tablespoon of Lemon juice; 1/2 cup of yogurt; Salt and Black Pepper

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Chicken Shawarma Rice Recipe is a rice dish that is mix with spiced chicken, salads, turmeric rice, and white sauce. It is considered a fusion dish since it is a Middle Eastern-inspired Filipino recipe.

Chicken Shawarma Rice recipe with raw vegetables, and chopped chicken drizzle with white yogurt garlic sauce serve in a plate.

During my childhood experiences in Kuwait and Jordan, chicken shawarma is a popular dish found in most local food stalls. It is one of my favorite foods which is not only popular in the Middle East, but also around the world. While living in the Philippines, I am glad there is an authentic Arabic shawarma restaurant in here.

One thing that caught my attention that they also serve their Filipino version of shawarma. In local shawarma food stalls, they serve a delicious beef or chicken shawarma rice and sandwiches. As you know, rice is a popular staple food in the Philippines which they eat almost breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So it is not surprising why they serve shawarma rice dish.

As a half Middle Eastern, this fascinates me because in Kuwait and Jordan, we eat shawarma using pita bread rather than rice. Their dish is also similar, except they add yellow rice. Nonetheless, because I love rice, it is one of my favorite rice dishes which is mouthwatering.

Chicken Shawarma Rice with raw vegetables, and chopped chicken drizzle with white yogurt garlic sauce serve in a container

In this post, I will be showing you my fusion of how to make a Chicken shawarma rice recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

To make my perfect and delicious chicken shawarma rice recipe, here is the ingredient below:

MEATS: I am using chicken breast for my shawarma rice dish since I love chicken and it is my favorite protein.

VEGETABLES: I am using 3 kinds of vegetables for my salad: cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes. Alternatively, if you already have a prepared salad recipes in your mind, then you can just skip that part.

RICE: To make nice tasty rice, you need long grain rice and turmeric for color. Additionally, I add chopped onion & olive oil for stir-frying the rice. Some just serve the rice right away after boiling, but to me, I prefer to fry the rice to enhance the flavor of my dish.

SPICES: There are specific spices I used for marinating my chicken breast:

Cumin
Coriander
Cinnamon
Turmeric
Garlic Powder or Raw grated garlic
Yogurt
Lemon juice
Black Pepper and Salt

These are very important spices to have a tasty mouthwatering chicken. Based on the list above, if you don’t have garlic powder, you can instead use raw grated garlic.

SAUCE: The most important condiment for this recipe is the shawarma white sauce. In this dish, I am using my homemade yogurt garlic sauce which you can check in the link provided. The white sauce is made of mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon, and salt & black pepper.

Cooking Instruction

Cooking the Chicken Shawarma Rice is divided into 3 steps: Baking the chicken; Simmering the rice; and Stir frying the rice.

I. Baking the Chicken

Firstly, add yogurt and all the spices in a large bowl. Mix all of them well before putting the chicken breast in the bowl. Once the chicken is well marinated, preheat the oven for 200 C and wait for few minutes.

When the oven is hot enough, put the chicken breast inside the oven and bake it for 30 minutes. Once you are done, remove the chicken from the oven. Let it cool down for a few minutes before chopping the chicken breast into small pieces.

II. Simmering the Rice

While baking the chicken, you can use this time to cook the rice.

In a separate pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and wait till it becomes hot. Once the oil is hot, add the rice and give a stir for a few minutes. In a separate glass, add a half teaspoon of turmeric powder with 1 cup of water. Mix it well before transferring the turmeric mixture into the pot.

Stir to mix for few seconds before adding more water in the pot to boil. Simmer the rice for 15 to 20 minutes until the water fully evaporates, and the rice is cook.

III. Stir frying the rice

Once the chicken and the rice is done, prepare stir frying the rice.

Add olive oil in a separate pan. Once it is hot, add the chopped onion and stir for few minutes till it turns light brown or it is almost cook.

Add the yellow rice in the pan and stir to mix. Seasoned with salt and black pepper and give a stir for one more time.

Once your done, serve the rice with raw chopped vegetables and shawarma chicken breast in a plate. Drizzle with white yogurt garlic sauce and hot sauce (optional). Enjoy!

Notes: The recipe of yogurt garlic sauce is discussed in the separate post.

Recipe FAQS.

I. What kind of long grain rice I can use for my shawarma rice recipe?

You can use either Jasmine rice, Basmati rice or American long grain rice.

II. Can I use other meats instead of chicken in this recipe?

In most shawarma, we use either lamb, beef, or chicken for this recipe. They all blend well which taste delicious.

III. What do you serve this recipe with?

This recipe is serve with raw vegetables, white sauce and hot sauce. Alternatively, my Arabic Salad recipe goes well with my shawarma rice.

IV. Can I sauteed instead of baking the chicken in this recipe?

Absolutely, you can saute in the pan instead of baking in the oven, which they both work well. But, in my opinion, baking gives a nice brown texture of the chicken, and it is much moister than cooking in the pan.

Other Middle Eastern Rice Recipes

If you are looking for delicious Middle Eastern rice dishes, here are the list of recipes you can try in your kitchen: