Chicken Shawarma and Rice Bowls
Get your shawarma craving satisfied with these Shawarma Chicken Bowls. Juicy, marinated chicken thighs are oven-roasted to crisp perfection and served with spiced yellow basmati rice infused with turmeric, cumin, and garlic. Accompanied by East Indian-style pickles and tangy sumac onions, each bowl is topped with a creamy herb and garlic sauce. This dish is a harmonious blend of savory, tangy, and aromatic elements, perfect for a healthy and nourishing meal.
Ingredients
Shawarma Chicken
- 1 kg Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (10 Chicken Thighs)
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ½ tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Shawarma Seasoning
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
Yellow Rice
- 1 ¼ cups Basmati Rice
- 2 ¼ cups Chicken Stock (or water)
- 1 tbsp Ghee (or oil of choice)
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Granulated Garlic
- 2 Bay Leafs
- ½ tsp Salt
East Indian Style Sides
- 5 Dill Pickles (sliced, 1 large pickle per serving)
- 350 g Pickled Turnips (sliced, 35g per serving)
- 5 servings Sumac Onions (see notes)
- 5 servings Herb and Garlic Sauce (see notes)
Instructions
To cook the Shawarma Chicken
- Combine all of the shawarma chicken ingredients in a large container. Mix to coat the chicken all over with the marinade. Seal with a lid and let marinate in the fridge for 30 mins or up to 24hrs.
- When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 450˚F on the convection setting. Set a wire rack in a large large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add the marinated chicken thighs to the wire rack and air fry in the oven for 20 mins or until their internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, chop the chicken thighs into 1 inch bite sized pieces and set aside for serving later.
To cook the Yellow Rice
- Wash the rice using a pot and mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear.
- Add the ghee to a medium pot over medium heat. Add the turmeric, cumin and granulated garlic to the pot and toast the spices for 1 minute.
- Add the washed rice to the pot, stir to coat the rice in the spices. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and salt to the pot. Set the heat to high, cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat to the low and let the rice cook until tender.
- Once cooked, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves from the rice, fluff the rice with a fork or chopsticks and set aside for serving later.
To serve your Chicken Shawarma and Rice Bowls
- Equally portion out the yellow rice and shawarma chicken to meal prep containers. When ready to eat, reheat the chicken and rice in the microwave. Top with Herb and Garlic yogurt sauce, and serve with dill pickles, pickled turnips, sumac onions.
Notes
Sumac Onions
- 1 medium Red Onion
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Sumac
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper, to taste
- ¼ tsp Salt, to taste
- Peel, then chop the red onion in half. Chop off both root and tip ends of the halved onion. Thinly slice the onion, pole to pole. If desired, rinse the sliced onions with cold water using a mesh strainer to make them taste sweeter and less pungent.
- Add the sliced onions to a small mixing bowl, then add in the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine and taste for seasoning. Serve cold as a topping/side.
- 100g Light Mayo
- 50g Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Water
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- ½ tsp Parsley
- ½ tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Black Pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp Salt, to taste
- Finely mince or micro-plane the garlic. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together. Taste for seasoning. Adjust to a more sauce-like consistency using more cold water if desired. Serve cold as a topping.