One-pan Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls

Name: One-pan Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.375 LB Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh; 0.25 TBSP Paprika; 0.25 TBSP Cumin; 0.25 TBSP Onion Powder; 0.5 TSP Coriander; 0.25 TSP Allspice; 0.5 TSP Turmeric; 0.5 TSP Pepper (Black); 0.25 TSP Salt; 0.75 TBSP Olive Oil; 2 clove Garlic Clove; 0.125 lemon Lemon Juice; 0.5 TSP Chicken Bouillon; 0.75 TBSP Butter; 0.375 CUP Yellow Onion; 0.25 TBSP Turmeric; 0.5 TSP Paprika; 0.5 TSP Garlic Powder; 0.5 TSP Pepper (Black); 0.375 CUP Basmati Rice; 0.75 CUP Hot Water; 0.75 TSP Chicken Bouillon; 0.125 half Red Onion; 0.25 CUP Cherry Tomatoes; 0.25 CUP Cucumber; 0.25 TSP Salt; 0.25 TSP Pepper (Black); 0.5 TSP Sumac; 0.125 lemon Lemon Juice; 0.0625 CUP Mayonnaise

These chicken shawarma rice bowls bring together warmly spiced chicken, fluffy basmati rice, and a bright cucumber-tomato salad in one satisfying meal. The chicken is marinated with lemon, garlic, and shawarma-inspired spices, then cooked and layered over turmeric-scented rice. A creamy, tangy yogurt sauce finishes everything off for a fresh, colorful bowl with plenty of flavor.

These chicken shawarma rice bowls bring together warmly spiced chicken, fluffy basmati rice, and a bright cucumber-tomato salad in one satisfying meal... Show more

By Ben Chelin · Original recipe

50min

one pot

high protein

low sugar

middle eastern

main/dinner

Method

Wash the produce

Rinse the yellow onion, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh parsley, and the whole lemon juice lemons under cool water, then pat everything dry. Dry produce cuts more cleanly, and dry herbs keep the sauce from getting watery.

Prep the ingredients

Trim the boneless skinless chicken thighs if needed. Dice the washed yellow onion, thinly slice the red onion, quarter the cherry tomatoes, and slice the cucumber into rounds, then cut the rounds in half. Mince the garlic cloves, keeping one pile for the chicken, one for the rice, and one for the sauce. Finely chop the parsley, and juice the lemons if you have not already.

Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, combine the chicken with paprika, cumin, onion powder, coriander, allspice, turmeric, black pepper, salt, olive oil, some of the minced garlic, the lemon juice, and chicken bouillon. Toss very well so every piece is evenly coated, then let it sit for 15 minutes while you get the pan ready and organize the remaining ingredients.

Heat the pan

Set a large heavy skillet or sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat and add a small drizzle of olive oil. Let the pan heat until the oil looks loose and shimmering; the pan should be properly hot before the chicken goes in so it sears instead of steaming.

Sear the chicken

Add the marinated chicken to the hot pan in batches so the pieces are not crowded. Cook the first side for 6 minutes, flip, and cook the second side for 6 minutes more, until the chicken is deeply browned and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding a little more olive oil only if the pan looks dry.

Cook the rice

Lower the heat to medium-low and add butter to the same pan. Stir in the diced yellow onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add more minced garlic along with a little more turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the basmati rice and stir for about 2 minutes to coat and lightly toast the grains. Pour in the hot water mixed with more chicken bouillon, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Toss the salad

While the rice cooks, combine the sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, a pinch of salt, black pepper, sumac, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated, then set the salad aside so the onion softens slightly and the flavors mingle.

Whisk the sauce

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, the remaining minced garlic, the chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. The sauce should be thick but spoonable.

Assemble the bowls

Fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Slice the chicken if you like, or leave the pieces whole. Spoon the rice into bowls, top with the chicken, add a generous pile of the tomato-cucumber salad, and finish with plenty of the garlicky yogurt sauce. Serve right away while the rice is hot and the salad is fresh and crisp.