Chicken Shawarma With Baked Rice
Tender, spiced chicken shawarma thighs baked over fluffy basmati rice that absorbs every drop of bold Middle Eastern flavor. This one-pan spring dinner idea delivers golden crispy rice edges, juicy chicken, and a bright garlic yogurt sauce — all ready in under an hour.
Equipment
- large oven-safe skillet or braiser 12-inch minimum recommended
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- aluminum foil for tight seal during baking
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric (for rice)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (for rice)
- 1/2 tsp salt (for rice)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (for rice)
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (for sauce)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced (for sauce)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for sauce)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Whisk marinade ingredients together. Coat chicken thoroughly and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Sear chicken skin-side down in a hot oven-safe skillet for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and sear 2 minutes more. Remove to plate.
- In the same pan, sauté diced onion in rendered fat until softened. Add garlic, turmeric, and cumin; cook until fragrant.
- Add rinsed basmati rice and stir to coat. Pour in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.
- Nestle chicken thighs skin-side up over rice. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake covered 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 15–20 minutes more until chicken reaches 165°F and rice edges are golden.
- Rest 5–8 minutes before serving.
- Whisk yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley together for sauce. Season to taste and serve alongside.
Notes
Marinate chicken at least 1 hour for full flavor penetration. Use rinsed basmati rice for fluffy texture. Seal foil tightly during the first bake phase to properly steam the rice. Rest chicken before serving for maximum juiciness.