Chicken Shawarma Rice Recipe

Chicken Shawarma Rice is a Middle Eastern rice dish that consists of spice-infused, marinated chicken that is baked and then sliced into pieces. It is served with assorted chopped raw vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce which is then drizzled with yogurt garlic sauce, and hot sauce for a finishing touch.

Shawarma is a very popular Arabic meat dish in the Middle East and other Asian countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Around the world, there are many variations of this Middle Eastern food, such as shawarma pizza or shawarma tacos.

In this recipe, I've created my version of Shawarma rice, which is a fusion of Asian and Middle Eastern flavors. What makes it a fusion is the Asian twist, where I stir-fry the rice with onion and soy sauce. And, of course, the chicken is marinated with Arabian spices.

Why you should try this recipe?

• This Shawarma rice serves as a full meal since it already contains vegetables, protein from the chicken, and carbohydrates from the rice. You can get full easily with this recipe. 
• It is incredibly delicious due to being marinated in herbs and spices, resulting in succulent chicken. 
• It is a healthy dish as the chicken is baked in the oven and served with raw vegetables, which are healthy for our bodies. 

Recipe Ingredients

I. Marinating the Chicken Shawarma

• Chicken Thigh- I am using boneless chicken thigh as my protein since it is much juicer and tender than the chicken breast.
• Shawarma Spice- This is just a combination of cumin, coriander, and turmeric which I mixed together for picture purposes due to limited space in my plate.
• Spices- In addition to the shawarma spice, I also use paprika which adds color & smoky flavor; onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Yogurt- The yogurt is served as a tenderizer which the creaminess will make the chicken moist and tender. In addition to that, it also helps balance the acidity and the spices.
• Lemon- Along with yogurt, the yogurt adds a natural tenderizer to the chicken and adds a mild acidity flavor.
• Salt and Black Pepper- These two will enhance the overall taste by bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients.

II. For Shawarma Rice

• Rice: You can use either long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine rice since they are both known for their fluffiness.
• Turmeric: The turmeric is what will add the golden color to the rice.
• Vegetables: The vegetables I am using include cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce which I chopped into pieces. They are meant to serve as a complement to the rice.
• Olive Oil and Red Onion: I am using extra virgin olive oil to saute the red onion before mixing it with the cooked yellow rice.  This method helps add a rich and savory flavor.
• Liquid Seasoning or Soy Sauce: I like to add liquid seasoning or soy sauce since this will add savory and umami elements to the rice, enhancing its overall taste.

III. For the Sauce

• White Sauce: The white sauce I am using is my homemade yogurt garlic sauce which the recipe ingredients are discussed in a separate post  
• Red Sauce: I am using siracha sauce since it blends well with my shawarma rice.

Marinating the Chicken

• To have flavorful chicken shawarma, I marinated it with different spices, yogurt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. The yogurt and lemon juice make the chicken moist, which is important for this recipe. Once I gently mixed them with my clean hand or a spoon, I covered them with plastic and stored them in the fridge for 2-3 hours to absorb the flavors.

Notes: I highly recommend using boneless chicken thighs for this recipe since they are more succulent than lean meats like chicken breast.

Baking the Chicken

• Once the chicken is fully marinated, I transfer it into the pan in preparation for baking in the oven where I place foil below to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Then, I place it into the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes at 200°C or 400°F.
• Lastly, I transfer it to the upper rack and broil it for 5 minutes to achieve a browned and charred texture. This texture gives the chicken a crispy exterior while keeping it moist on the inside. Once its done, I sliced the chicken into smaller pieces and then set it aside.

Note: Before you start baking the chicken, you need to preheat the oven first to 200°C/400°F for 5-10 minutes to make sure the heat is distributed around the oven properly.

Cooking Suggestion: Alternatively, you can cook the chicken using air-fryer. Set it in 375°F (190°C) and air-fry it for up to 20 minutes.

Making Fried Rice

• While the chicken is baking, I cook the rice together at the same time by mixing it with water and turmeric. I prefer to use the rice cooker since it is convenient and cooks by itself.
• Most recipes for shawarma rice dishes I've had only contain yellow rice. However, in this recipe, I add an Asian twist by stir-frying the rice. I heat olive oil in a large pan, sauté red onion, and then add the turmeric-infused rice, gently mixing them. For seasoning, I add soy sauce or liquid seasoning to make the rice flavorful.  

What to serve Shawarma Rice with?

Traditionally, we serve it with raw vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, or lettuce. If you don’t like raw vegetables and prefer a seasoned salad, I recommend serving it with my homemade Arabic Salad or Tabbouleh Salad. These salads are so tasty that they blend perfectly with my shawarma rice.

And of course, don’t forget to serve it with yogurt garlic sauce, and hot sauce. You cannot eat shawarma without sauces since these are two important condiments for this recipe. For the hot sauce, I prefer either Tabasco or Sriracha sauce.

📋 Recipe Card

Chicken Shawarma Rice

Saif Odeh

Chicken Shawarma Rice is a Middle Eastern rice recipe that is mix with spiced chicken, yellow rice, raw vegetables, and drizzle with white sauce and hot sauce.

4.52 from 50 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 servings

Calories 550 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Oven To bake & broil the chicken
• 1 cooking pan To Stir fry the rice
• 1 Pressure cooker or Pot To cook the rice

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Marinating the Chicken Shawarma

• 500 grams of boneless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon of garlic Powder
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• ¾ cup of yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1.2 teaspoon of black pepper

For the Turmeric-infused Rice

• 1.5 cups of long grain rice Jasmine or Basmati Rice
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-sized of red onion for sauteing
• 3 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid seasoning

Assorted Vegetables

• 1 large cucumber
• 2 Large tomatoes
• 1 head lettuce

Condiment Sauce

• Siracha Sauce
• White garlic sauce

Instructions

 

For Marinating the Chicken:

• Place the boneless chicken thighs in a bowl. Add all the spices, yogurt, and lemon juice, and gently mix the ingredients with a spoon or your clean hands.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2-3 hours to allow the flavors to infuse.

For Baking the Chicken

• Once the chicken is marinated, transfer it to the baking pan. Add foil on the pan to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) for 5 minutes before transferring the marinated chicken into the oven. Bake it for 30 minutes.
• Once done, transfer into the upper rack and broil the chicken for 5 minutes till it achieve a browned and charred texture.
• Transfer the baked chicken shawarma onto a cutting board and slice it into smaller pieces. Set aside.

For Stir-Frying the Rice

• While the chicken is baking, combine the rice, water, and turmeric in a rice cooker. Turn on the heat and let it cook by itself. Once done, set it aside.
• To prepare for stir-frying, add olive oil in a separate large pan. Once hot, sauté the chopped red onion for a few minutes or until translucent.
• Add the cooked turmeric-infused rice to the pan and gently mix it in. After that, add two tablespoons of soy sauce and gently mix to stir before turning off the heat.
• To serve the Chicken Shawarma Rice, plate the rice, sliced chicken shawarma, and assorted vegetables. Drizzle with yogurt white sauce and red hot sauce. Your delicious dish is ready to enjoy!

Notes

• You can use arabic salad or Tabbouleh instead of raw vegetables.
• You can manually cooked the rice using ordinary cooking pot. Make sure wash the rice for several times before boiling it.
• Boneless chicken thigh is much preferable since it is more succulent than chicken breast.

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 30gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 700mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 700IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 4mg

Keyword chicken shawarma rice, shawarma rice

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