Baked Shawarma Chicken & Rice
with Cabbage Slaw & Yoghurt Sauce
Preparation time: 2 hours + 1 hour for marination | Serves: 4 people
If there are any constant occurances in my household they include the following -
- Meal prepping over the weekend
- Cooking a giant batch of something rice based
- Thinking of ways to incorporate pickles into my meals
This recipe ticks all of the above boxes, so it makes me very happy.
In saying so, let’s talk about the dish itself. It’s a delicious combination of shawarma spiced chicken, and rice (cooked in the same spice mix) with veggies and chicken broth, baked in the oven until it comes out steaming, fluffy and extra flavourful with all the chicken juicy drippings mixed into it. To make it a complete meal, I like serving it with a crunchy, tangy slaw, creamy yoghurt tahini dip and plenty of fresh mint and pickles.
How to cook this Baked Shawarma Chicken & Rice?
This one pot, baked rice dish may look long and complicated, but it basically involves searing the chicken in an oven proof dish, frying onions, garlic, capsicum and the rice in the same pan with more shawarma spice mix. Chicken broth is then poured into the dish and then it goes in the oven. The chicken finishes cooking on top of the rice, grilled for the last few minutes for that nice charred, caramelised look and taste.
Why you should make this one pot Shawarma Baked Rice…
Frying the rice with spices and vegetables then cooking it with chicken gives it so much flavour, plus I love the slightly bite-y, bouncy texture of baked rice. It feels indulgent like a risotto, but when timed perfectly, retains its fluffy texture while infusing the flavours deeply.
Apart from the flavour, this is a great recipe for meal prep and work lunches. The chicken and rice are easy to reheat and the slaw stays fresh for days! It’s also healthy, affordable and can be scaled up to serve more people, whether you’re feeding a large family, entertaining or simply being prepared for a big week at work.
Find my tips and tricks in the recipe notes below.
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Rice -
2-3 tbsps. olive oil (divided)
1 kg chicken thighs (trimmed)
3 tbsps. shawarma spice blend (divided - see notes for recipe)*
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 large onion, sliced
2 red capsicums, sliced (optional)
2 cups long grain rice (I used basmati)
3 cups chicken stock/ water
Salt, according to taste
For the slaw -
1/4 red cabbage, shredded
1 green apple, sliced into batons
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I use Pukara Estate)
1 + 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsps. sumac (optional)
Salt, according to taste
To serve -
1 cup Greek yoghurt
2 tbsps. tahini
Salt and extra virgin olive oil. according to taste
Pickles & fresh mint
Fresh lemon and toasted almonds/ pine nuts
Method
Cooking the Chicken & Rice -
Mix 2 tbsp shawarma spice, 1/2 tbsp salt, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large bowl. Marinate the chicken in the mix for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, heat a large oven safe pot over medium heat. Sear the chicken until brown, then remove and set aside.
Add remaining oil to the same pot, scraping up the crispy bits from the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Fry onion, bell peppers, and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining shawarma spice and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
Stir in rice until coated. Add salt and chicken stock (2:1 ratio of stock to rice).
Bake for 15 minutes. Stir rice, then place chicken on top.
Bake another 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Grill for final 5 minutes if desired.
To serve -
Toss the ingredients for the slaw together in a large bowl.
Mix the Greek yoghurt, tahini and salt together until smooth.
To build your plate, serve the hot rice and chicken, slaw, yoghurt sauce, sliced pickles & a handful of fresh mint.
I also like squeezing fresh lemon and topping with toasted nuts for crunch and texture.
Swaps, Serves & Storage
What can I use instead of shawarma spice?
If you can’t find a readymade shawarma spice blend, just whip up your own. Combine the below and store the leftover blend in an air-tight jar:
- 2 tbsps. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. each ground coriander & smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. each ground turmeric, cinnamon and chilli powderWhat cut of meat can I use instead of chicken thighs?
I use chicken thighs for their quick cooking time and juicy flavour, but you can use lamb or chicken drumsticks.
Lamb Shoulder: Cut into chunks and cook 45-60 minutes on low heat. Add extra liquid if needed.
Chicken Drumsticks: Cook 25-30 minutes instead of 20-25 minutes. Check meat pulls away from bone easily before serving.Do I have to make the slaw and yoghurt dip? What else can I serve this chicken and rice with?
I like serving this dish with the salad for a bit of freshness and acidity, however feel free to skip that entirely and just make the chicken and rice. If you’re not a fan of yoghurt, serve this dish with hummus instead.Can I make this in a pot (without baking?)
- Follow steps 1-5 (except preheating the oven).
- Stir in rice to coat, add stock and nestle chicken on top.
- Bring to boil, reduce to low heat, cover tightly and simmer 20-25 minutes until rice is tender and chicken cooked through.
- Let stand covered 5 minutes before serving.How long can I store the elements in this dish for?
This is the perfect meal prep dish because it lasts for a long time in the fridge, plus you prep and pack all the individual elements to retain freshness.
- The chicken and rice can be stored together in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
- The slaw will last up to 4 days in the fridge - it will start to wilt slightly after day 4.
- The yoghurt dip can also be stored for up to 4 days.
Check out my other chicken dishes -
