Okay y’all, this Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl is not a quick meal but oh so tasty and highly recommend it for the weekend or meal prep for the week! You will not regret the time you put into this one! You can serve this chicken over rice, salad or serve it as a in a pita wrap with some hummus and fresh veggies!
I’ve had so many different versions of Chicken Shawarma and it’s always delicious and satisfying. This is my version of at home chicken shawarma! The first time I made it we were living in a small 1 bedroom apartment while we were waiting for our house to be ready and we didn’t have a whole lot of kitchen essentials. I remember digging up whatever we had on hand to make this concoction and it turned out pretty good! We had just moved to TN and I was missing the chicken shawarma rice bowl I used to get at a small little restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago. The restaurant is called Middleterranean (so cute right?!) and it’s in Addison, IL. If you’re ever around that area, give it a try! I almost always ordered the chicken shawarma rice bowl and greek fries or tots! YUM!
We love topping our bowls with this garlic yogurt sauce as an alternative to traditional toum (Lebanese garlic sauce)
I made a double batch and walked it over to a friend’s house (curbside drop off because you know, quarantine life- thanks Covid-19). They just had their second baby! They are now proud parents of two sweet, beautiful little girls. We can't wait to see them growing up with Shayla, I can just see them taking over the neighborhood along with little Iggy!
There are so many vitamins and minerals packed into these colorful spices! Turmeric is a rich source of B vitamins, vitamin C, and various minerals including calcium, iron, potassium and manganese. Studies have shown that Turmeric can help control knee pain from osteoarthritis in a similar way that ibuprofen reduces pain!
For this meal I used turmeric for both the chicken and the rice! It adds a sweet- earthy flavor to the rice and I just love the color!! I can eat this rice all day long! So good!
Don't shy away from this recipe because of the long list of spices! It's totally worth it!
Add a layer of your favorite pita bread, steamed veggies, or hummus!
Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl
Course: Main4
servings20
minutes30
minutes50
minutesThis bowl is full of FLAVOR! Prepare ahead of time and enjoy it on a weeknight to change things up! Make a little extra, add your favorite veggies, hummus, pita bread/chips and pack it up for work!
Ingredients
- Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs- sliced into bite size strips
1 lemon- juiced
2 tablespoon oil (I use avocado oil)
4-5 cloves of garlic- minced
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne (adjust based on taste)
½ teaspoon salt (adjust based on taste)
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Cooking spray
1 medium red onion- thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish
- Turmeric Rice
½ cup Basmati rice (Long grain rice is best for this recipe!)
1 tablespoon butter or ghee
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic Powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
- Optional toppings
Garlic yogurt sauce- Click here for the recipe. So easy and perfect for this meal!
Sliced cucumber and red onion (optional)
Sriracha (optional)
Directions
- Cut chicken into 1 inch (ish) bite size strips and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine 2 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, curry powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper, white pepper (if using), paprika, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin and cinnamon using a fork or small whisk. Add chicken and mix well. Let it marinate in the fridge for an hour or more if time allows.
*Can be marinated and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze in a zip lock bag if not using it in the next 3 days. - Preheat the oven to 425 ℉. Line a baking sheet with either foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking oil. Spread out chicken on the baking sheet so that it doesn’t overlap and cooks evenly. You might need two baking sheets depending on the size of sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉
- Instant Pot- Rinse and strain rice. Add butter and rice to your Instant Pot, set to saute mode and toast the rice for 5 minutes. This is important- it will help avoid getting sticky rice!
Next you’re gonna add turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Stir this around for 30 second, it already smells so good! Add 1 cup of water, close the lid and seal. Set to rice setting or whatever setting you normally use for rice! Mine pressure cooks for 12 mins, that's it! Let it release naturally. I don't open it until ready to serve because it automatically sets itself to warm and it also vents on it’s own!
Stove top- Rinse and strain rice. Into a medium pot add butter and rice. Toast on med-high heat for 3-5 minutes. This is important- it will help avoid sticky rice! Add turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.
Add 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling turn the heat down to low, cover with lid and let it cook for 12-15 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and leave it there until ready to serve! - Assemble chicken over rice, add optional ingredients/sauces and enjoy!
Grishma
This turned out amazing!!! My husband and cousin both loved it. The only thing I will say is if you don’t like spicy food, go low on the cayenne — we were sweating but a good kind of sweating, ya know? Lol. Thank you for the recipe Neha!
Neha
Thank you Grish, I'm so happy y'all tried it and loved it!
Definitely agree- adjust cayenne based on your taste because a little too much and you'll start glistening!
Payal
So much amazing flavor and it really turned out just like restaurant shawarma! I definitely agree the garlic yogurt sauce is a must as it balances against the spice of the chicken. And to be honest, not super time consuming if you marinate in oven safe dish in advance. Then all you have to do is pop it in oven and make the rice while you wait... SO worth it!
Neha
Thank you Payal! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!