Why Families Fight Over This Chicken Shawarma Rice
Chicken shawarma rice with white sauce combines spiced chicken, turmeric rice, and garlic yogurt sauce for a street-cart inspired meal at home.
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The first time I ever held independence in my hands, it came in a styrofoam box on a crowded New York City sidewalk. I was a teenager, traveling without my parents for the first time. The city felt like it might swallow me whole. Subway maps that looked like tangled yarn, buildings that bent my neck back as I tried to see their tops. Crowds that seemed to pulse with a rhythm I hadn’t yet learned.
Homesickness set in quietly. It was in the way I longed for something familiar, a taste of the kitchens I knew, with garlic warming in oil, cumin toasted on a skillet, the bright bite of lemon over rice. I didn’t know then that I was searching for an anchor.
And then came the food cart. Its fluorescent lights cut through the night, and the smell. Grilled chicken, spices, and rice was impossible to resist. I ordered, handed over my few crumpled bills, and sat on the curb, knees pulled up, strangers brushing past without a glance.
I opened the box. Chicken shawarma over yellow rice, a drizzle of creamy white sauce, a dusting of paprika. The first bite was grounding, a moment of quiet in the noise. It was food that spoke of origins I carried in my own family’s kitchens. The Middle Eastern spices, comfort of rice, the punch of garlic that reminded me of toum.
The meal became proof that food can find you in the most unlikely of places, and that even in a city of millions, flavors can feel like home.
An Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe on Repeat
Years later, I still think of that curbside meal whenever I cook shawarma in my own kitchen. The method has changed, and there was no food cart foil, no styrofoam, but still the spirit is the same. I marinate chicken with cumin, paprika, garlic, lemon, and oil, the way I learned from trial and error after that trip. It is close to the grilled chicken shawarma wrap I make for weeknight dinners, seared in a pan or cooked in the air fryer when time is short.
Sometimes, when we are eating lighter, I turn to a vegan shawarma pita. The chickpeas or roasted vegetables take on the same spice profile, and though the texture is different, the comfort is there. F still says the smell of those spices makes him feel like he’s walking through a market in Bogotá, where the air itself seemed seasoned.
And then there is the sauce. That first cart meal in New York had a drizzle of white sauce so sharp and cooling it reminded me of the toum I grew up eating, yet also carried the creaminess of yogurt. It is not far from my tahini sauce, which we keep in the fridge most weeks, spooned over falafel or drizzled onto roasted cauliflower. But for shawarma nights, I make this yogurt garlic sauce, a cousin to both toum and tahini, and it ties the whole plate together.
On weekends, when family is over or when Leo and Lin want to help Daddy grill, I sometimes swap in skewers. Chicken kofta kebabs charred over the fire, served over the same golden rice with yogurt sauce, bring the same joy. Watching the kids run around the backyard, sauce streaked across their cheeks, I am reminded of how grounding this meal is, both then and now.
That first styrofoam box might have been my introduction, yet today shawarma with rice and white sauce is part of our family rhythm, cooked often, remembered always, and holding together the strands of old traditions and new ones.
Ingredients
- Chicken– I use chicken breast because it cooks quickly and stays tender when marinated with spices and lemon. I prefer lean pieces that cook evenly and don’t require fussing. Chicken thighs can be used if you want richer flavor and juicier meat.
- Jasmine or Basmati Rice – Long-grain rice is key to the texture of this dish. Jasmine rice works too, with a slightly softer bite. Either way, the rice becomes the canvas for the spiced chicken and garlic sauce.
- Turmeric – Just a pinch turns the rice golden, making it look like the street-cart plates that first inspired me. If you don’t have turmeric, saffron strands steeped in hot water are a luxurious substitute, though not one I reach for often.
- Plain Yogurt– This is the base of the white sauce, balancing the bold spices with cool creaminess. I prefer thick yogurt, though regular plain yogurt works as well. For a dairy-free version, you can use coconut yogurt, though the flavor will tilt slightly sweeter.
See the recipe card for full list and exact quantities.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Rice with White Sauce Recipe
If you’re craving the comfort of street-cart shawarma with the ease of a home-cooked meal, this method brings the flavors together in less than an hour. Spiced chicken, golden rice, and a cooling garlic yogurt sauce come together in one dish that feels both grounding and celebratory. Here’s how to make this recipe:
Marinate the Chicken
In a bowl, mix the chicken with olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Stir until each piece is coated in spice and citrus. Let it sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rice. This short rest gives the meat time to take on the flavor.
Cook the Chicken
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until the surface is hot enough to sear. Add the chicken that was marinated and cook for 4–5 minutes per side, until golden outside and fully cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover lightly to keep warm.
Cook the Rice
In the same skillet, add a splash of oil and sprinkle in the turmeric. Stir briefly until fragrant, then add the rice and water. Bring everything to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the grains are tender and yellow.
Make the Yogurt Garlic Sauce
While the rice cooks, whisk together yogurt, finely grated garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. The garlic should dissolve into the yogurt, leaving the sauce smooth and sharp. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Add the Chicken
When the rice is ready, return the chicken to the skillet to warm through. Fluff the rice with a fork, divide among plates, and top with the chicken.
Serve and Enjoy
Finish with generous spoonfuls of the cold yogurt garlic sauce, it’s the final touch that ties everything together.
Storage
Leftovers keep well, and I often pack them into lunch boxes for the next day. Store the chicken and rice together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, sprinkle a spoonful of water over the rice before warming it on the stove or in the microwave, this keeps the grains from drying out.
The yogurt garlic sauce should be kept separately in a sealed jar or container. It stays fresh in the fridge for 3 days and keeps its punch best when chilled.
If you’d like to save a batch for later, the chicken and rice can be frozen for up to a month. I like to portion them into smaller containers, so I can pull one out on busy days. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating gently. The sauce doesn’t freeze well, so always make it fresh.
Top Tips
Slice the Chicken Thin – I’ve learned that thinner pieces pick up the spices more fully and cook faster without drying out. When I’m short on time, I even pound the chicken lightly with a rolling pin to get that perfect thinness.
Rinse the Rice Well– don’t skip this step. Washing the rice until the water runs clear is what gives you those fluffy, separate grains instead of a sticky pot. It’s a trick I picked up from my grandmother, who never cooked rice without rinsing it first.
Grate the Garlic Finely– the sauce is all about balance. Grating garlic on the smallest side of the box grater (or using a microplane) blends it seamlessly into the yogurt, giving you a smooth sauce instead of one with sharp bites of raw garlic.
Recipe
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Chicken Shawarma Rice with White Sauce
Spiced chicken, golden rice, and garlic yogurt sauce make this chicken shawarma rice with white sauce a family favorite
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into cubes or thin slices
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt from the divided salt
- 1 ½ tbsps olive oil
Rice
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt remaining
Yogurt Garlic Sauce
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 5 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
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In a bowl, combine chicken, 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to coat well. Let stand 10 minutes while you start the rice.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the marinated chicken and cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent lightly to keep warm.
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In the same skillet, add the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle in turmeric and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add rice and water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer 15 minutes until the grains are tender and yellow.
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In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, grated garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Chill until serving.
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Return the chicken to the skillet for a minute to warm through. Fluff the rice, portion onto plates, top with chicken, and spoon over the cold yogurt garlic sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 27gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 730mgPotassium: 498mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 42IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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