One Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice Recipe with Garlic Sauce

I really hope you enjoy this One Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice Recipe with Garlic Sauce. If you do, please let me know in the comments section below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

I’m besotted with chicken shawarma ❤.

This happens to be my second recipe here with shawarma involved, and in no way is it gonna be the last. Nope!

Oh and if you’re wondering, this Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce is the first shawarma recipe I ever posted here.

Who can even say no to juicy tender chicken served over rich, buttery yellow rice with some creamy garlic yogurt sauce and fresh veggies on the side? Oh, it sounds absolutely divine and I promise, it tastes absolutely divine too!

I just know you’re gonna adore this recipe, and I can’t wait for you to try it.

If you’ve never tried chicken shawarma before, please make this recipe right away so you can understand why it’s adored by so many people around the world!

And hey, here’s why you’ll love this chicken shawarma rice recipe all the more…

• I wanted to make this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl recipe super quick and easy to make for you guys. And for that exact reason, I’ve worked towards making this recipe a one-pot one! Yep, this entire recipe is cooked in just a single Dutch oven! The chicken and rice? All in one pot. How awesome is that? It makes for such an easy and delicious weeknight meal!
• Some of the ingredients in this recipe are exotic but still really easy to find. You are also gonna discover and fall in love with so many new and different Middle-Eastern spices in the process! It’s such a beautiful medley of spices… so much goodness… Ah 💖.
• You can also serve this delicious chicken and rice dish in so many different ways. The shawarma chicken, turmeric rice and garlic sauce are all absolutely delicious on their own, and YOU get to decide what combinations you want to make with them! You can check out the Serving Suggestions below to get some wonderful ideas too.
• This chicken shawarma rice bowl recipe with white garlic sauce is a really simple main dish to cook and put together. You just need to keep a bit of a check on it while it cooks, but it’s still incredibly unlikely to make a mistake! I’ve also tried my best to explain each step in detail for all you beginners out there. I really hope my detailed instructions help. 😊
• This shawarma chicken and rice dish is so wholesome. It’s one of the most comforting meals ever, filled with just so much goodness… How can anyone not love succulent chicken, buttery yellow rice, garlicky sauce and fresh crunchy vegetables? THIS is comfort food right here. This dish also fills you up really well and for a super long time, giving you the best-ever boost! You and your whole family will love it.
• Click on these links if your diet preference is vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan. You can make this delicious recipe according to your diet preference!

One-pot meals are the absolute best, aren’t they? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking One-Pot Recipes, Rice and Party/Special Day recipes.

WHAT IS CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE RECIPE WITH GARLIC SAUCE?

I created this chicken shawarma rice bowl recipe out of my love for shawarma. I already have a recipe on here for chicken shawarma wrap, and I thought how wonderful that shawarma chicken would taste with some buttery, delicately spiced, exotic turmeric rice.

After loads of tries, Zee (my husband) and I finally came up with the best shawarma rice recipe ever, which tastes amazing with our shawarma chicken and on its own too. We fell in love with it in an instant and just had to share it with you guys.

Chicken shawarma rice is a pretty famous street food all around the world too now and is considered to be one of the most loved and best street rice dishes out there ❤️!

And of course it’s no mystery why it’s one of the best street rice dishes out there, it just tastes so good. It’s love at first bite for so many!

So what even is shawarma?

Shawarma is a dish that originated in the Middle East. It’s an incredibly famous street food.

There are so many variations of this traditional Middle Eastern street food out there in the world, and this recipe is one of mine!

Simply put, chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl is a recipe where juicy, well-marinated shawarma chicken is served over a bed of flavorful yellow rice with creamy garlic sauce and some fresh veggies on the side.

It should be kept in mind though that this is not the traditional way of serving shawarma chicken. Chicken shawarma is traditionally served in a wrap.

You can go ahead and check out my other recipe, Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce to learn more about shawarma, its history, how it’s traditionally cooked and eaten, why it holds such a special place in my heart, how to have it as a wrap and so much more!

Shawarma may literally be one of the first dishes Zee and I fell in love with as children. We practically grew up eating it while living in a city in the Middle East when we were kids. That’s how our love for shawarma began, and we’re still going strong with it!

This chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl is everything you’ll need after a long, exhausting day. All the ingredients come together so well in this recipe making it a super yum weeknight meal.

The best part? It’s all cooked in one pot! Because of this, there’s just so much more flavor in this chicken and rice dish because the rice absorbs all the chicken-y goodness. How awesome is a super-flavorful one-pot meal?

This recipe is super versatile too. You can add as many veggies as you like, or have it only with the chicken and garlic sauce (just drizzle it with some olive oil on top and enjoy!) or just have the rice with some veggies or… change it up in whatever way you like!

I’ve tried this recipe in so many different ways, and every variation is unique and absolutely scrumptious.

This is one of the best chicken rice bowls I’ve ever had, and I really hope you fall in love with it too 😊.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR ONE POT CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE RECIPE WITH GARLIC SAUCE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

First, we marinate the chicken…

For the marinade:

• Chicken- I’ve used chicken breasts in this recipe. I’ve also cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized strips because they absorb the flavor in the marinade so much better this way! You can cut your chicken breasts into nice fat chicken cubes or thin strips as well, if you prefer. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are another option you can use here. The fat in chicken thighs works pretty well with this marinade!
• Garlic cloves- Your garlic cloves need to be smashed and minced here. When garlic is smashed, it becomes so much more flavorful, and that wonderful garlicky flavor is exactly what we want to mix with the marinade and everything else in this chicken and rice dish. I love my chicken shawarma garlicky so you can definitely go ahead and increase the garlic if you love it as much as me (YAY!) or go ahead and reduce it if you’re not really into garlic. Please use fresh garlic!
• Garlic powder- A bit of garlic powder in the marinade does something really special to the flavor of our chicken. Once again, if you’re not into garlic much, you can skip out on this ingredient or add just a little garlic powder.
• Onion powder- Onion powder is used just a little here but does SO much. It adds an ever so slight oniony richness to the chicken that tastes absolutely amazing! And onion powder mixed in with garlic powder creates some of the most delicious flavors ever! You can skip out on this or add just a little if you prefer.
• Ground cumin- Cumin adds such a hearty flavor to our meat. It also happens to be one of the most commonly used ingredients in Middle-Eastern dishes, adding all those Middle Eastern flavors to the chicken.
• Ground coriander- Coriander lends the right kind of exotic and earthy flavor to our chicken. It also works incredibly well with the ground cumin to enhance the marinade even better!
• Ground cardamom- Cardamom is essential to this marinade. Please try your best not to skip out on it! It adds a wonderful floral flavor to the chicken and also has the most amazing rich aroma. You can use whole green cardamoms in the marinade if you don’t have ground cardamom available and if you are marinating your meat for more than 6 hours. If you want to make a powder out of whole cardamoms, take about 8 to 10 whole green cardamoms and dry roast them in a pan on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or till your cardamoms develop light golden brown patches. Wait for your cardamoms to cool and then grind them in a mixer to a fine powder. You can sift your cardamom powder to a finer powder if it’s coarse.
• Ground cinnamon- Cinnamon is a beautiful, strong spice and adds so much richness to the meat here. You can also use a 2-inch cinnamon stick if you are marinating your chicken for more than 6 hours.
• Dried oregano- Oregano lends a scrumptious herbiness to the chicken. We use just a little here, but it makes a whole world of difference!
• Paprika- Paprika gives the most beautiful, subtle color to our chicken. It also adds a very slight spice to the marinade.
• Plain Yogurt- Yogurt tenderizes the chicken, which then leads to it getting incredibly juicy and succulent 😍. Also, once you cook the chicken, yogurt adds this amazing, very slight creamy taste to it. It also makes the consistency of the chicken softer and creamier. It’s literally one of the most important ingredients in this marinade! You can substitute plain yogurt with Greek yogurt too but try and make the Greek yogurt just a little thinner… like the consistency of plain yogurt. You can do this by adding a bit of water to the Greek yogurt and stirring it till it reaches the consistency of plain yogurt.
• Lemon juice- Adding lemon juice to the marinade leads to flavorful, juicy and tender chicken. It also adds the slightest tang to the chicken which tastes incredible! You can substitute with lime juice here.
• Salt and black pepper- Pretty important seasonings! You can add salt and black pepper according to your taste.

Now we’ll make the garlic yogurt sauce:

For the sauce:

• Garlic- Garlic happens to be the star of this white sauce. Please use fresh garlic here, you guys! You can add even more garlic too, if you prefer. The garlic needs to be smashed into a paste for this sauce.
• Salt- Add a pinch of salt after smashing your garlic cloves the first time. Salt will help soften the garlic’s strong flavor, leading to a little more delicate garlickiness.
• Greek Yogurt- Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy, and that’s exactly what makes it the perfect base for this sauce. You can substitute it with plain yogurt too. It’ll still taste absolutely amazing!
• Mayonnaise- Mayonnaise works really well with the garlic and Greek yogurt here. It adds this whole other flavor, depth and taste to the sauce that makes it absolutely irresistible. If you want a healthier alternative, you can skip out on this and use only Greek yogurt. Try and use mayonnaise though because it adds so much richness to the sauce!
• Lemon juice- Lemon juice adds a slight tang here, which works really well with the garlicky creaminess of this white sauce. You can substitute with lime juice too.

After leaving the chicken to marinate and the white sauce to deepen in flavor (no mixing for 2-3 minutes and then serving here, that sauce needs to work on its flavors!) for a few hours, we’ll first cook our chicken.

To cook the chicken:

• Cooking oil- Use a neutral cooking oil here to cook the chicken once it’s marinated and also to toast the rice. You can use canola oil, peanut oil or maybe some olive oil (olive oil will add to that Middle Eastern goodness!) too if you prefer.

Now, for the rice:

• Butter- Butter holds so much flavor. Here, it’ll work with the already present oils and chicken juices in the cooking pot. Oooh, you can just imagine how much flavor this will add to your rice! ❤
• Red onion- Finely diced onions sautéed in butter until they’re a beautiful light golden brown lend the most amazing taste to our rice. I’ve used red onion, but you can substitute it with any other type of onion too.
• Garlic- Fresh garlic added to those red onions, butter and chicken-y flavored oil… intermingling with all those rich flavors creates such a delicious base for our rice to toast in! The garlic here needs to be smashed and then finely minced.
• Cinnamon stick, whole green Cardamoms, and ground Cumin- This is a gorgeous mix of spices that work really well with rice. I found this blend to be just right for the shawarma chicken rice we’re making here. You can substitute the 2-inch cinnamon stick and whole green cardamoms for their ground versions too. When it comes to cumin though, try and use only ground cumin and not cumin seeds.
• Turmeric- Turmeric is a really strong spice. We’ll be adding a little turmeric to our rice to give it the most beautiful golden-yellow color and also to add just a little flavor too. Turmeric is what makes the color of shawarma rice yellow. Turmeric rice is the rice most commonly served with chicken shawarma out there.
• Rice- Toasting our rice in all these spices is one of the best parts of this recipe. I’ve used Basmati rice and I suggest you use it too. You can use Jasmine rice or any type of American white long grain rice as a close substitute! You can use any other grain you prefer too such as couscous, brown rice, quinoa… So many options! You can also use cauliflower rice.
• Chicken Broth- Your rice will be cooking in literal chicken-y goodness here. First, the oils that we cooked the chicken in and now, chicken broth, all mixing together to give us the most delicious, subtly flavored rice. You can substitute with chicken bouillon concentrate mixed with water, chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water, half cup of water and half cup of chicken broth or even vegetable broth. You can also use only water if you don’t prefer chicken or vegetable broth.

Other ingredients:

• Fresh veggies like tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, onions- To serve alongside the chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl. I personally love only a few diced red onions with my chicken shawarma rice bowl but you can add any of your favorite vegetables too like tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, capsicum… the list is endless!
• Fresh Cilantro- To garnish over our chicken shawarma rice bowl once it’s cooked. It tastes so good and works really well with the spices in the chicken and rice.

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

One-pot meals are the absolute best, aren’t they? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Main Dish, Chicken & Meat and Fall recipes.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

Chicken shawarma is just such a versatile dish. It’s so special because it tastes absolutely divine every way you have it!

Let’s explore a few variations you can try with this easy and delicious weeknight meal…

• You can go ahead and skip on the veggies if you prefer, for a super meaty, garlicky, saucy chicken rice bowl! I love it this way sometimes (erm… most of the time!).
• I prefer using chicken breasts when making this traditional Middle Eastern street food but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs too if you like. If you’re using boneless skinless chicken thighs, you may need to cook it a little longer to get that delicious crust on the outside and juicy chicken on the inside.
• Try making this recipe using a different meat. The marinade in this recipe works really well with absolutely every type of meat out there. Go ahead and make a beef shawarma rice bowl, or maybe a lamb shawarma rice bowl or even a prawn shawarma rice bowl or fish shawarma rice bowl! Just make sure you adjust your cooking time according to the meat you use.
• You can also change the method of cooking your meat. You can try baking or grilling your chicken. Maybe even air-frying it. Please make sure you adjust the cooking time according to the cooking method used. Small tip: After baking your chicken, if you feel it doesn’t have that nice brown crust, go ahead and pan-fry it just a bit till it gets that beautiful browning!
• You can add some veggies to your shawarma rice too while cooking it, such as carrots and peas. Make sure you season the rice just a little more though when you add veggies to it. You can also serve it with some fresh crunchy veggies such as maybe an onion cucumber salad?
• If you prefer not to cook your rice in chicken broth, you can use half cup of chicken broth and half cup of water, vegetable broth or completely omit broth altogether and cook the rice in water instead.
• You can also use another grain you prefer instead of the Basmati rice we use in this recipe. Go ahead and try serving your chicken shawarma bowl with couscous, brown rice, quinoa… or any other grain you like! Please adjust the cooking time and liquid used according to the grain you use and according to the instructions given on the package. You can maybe use cauliflower rice too!
• You can also use plain cooked white rice if you don’t have the time to prepare the rice in this recipe (though the rice in this recipe is ❤ so try not to skip out on it!). As an added flavor suggestion, you can add your cooked white rice to the pan you cooked your chicken in and stir for about 2-3 minutes to absorb all those yummy chicken spices and oils!
• You can make this delicious dish in an instant pot as well if you want. This chicken shawarma rice recipe will taste pretty good when cooked in an instant pot too. If you’re comfortable with an instant pot, you can go ahead and cook your shawarma chicken and rice in it. After sautéing the chicken and then the onions, go ahead and add in the rice and pressure cook it at high pressure. Once it’s done pressure cooking at high pressure, allow a natural release and then do a quick release before removing and serving your chicken shawarma rice. Keep an eye and make sure you don’t get a burn notice. This is just an idea of course and you can adapt my recipe however you like and make it in your instant pot. I haven’t cooked this recipe in an instant pot but with a bit of research I’ve seen this is how it’s usually done so yep, happy cooking and experimenting!
• I’m sure you’ve heard of Greek gyros, a delicious dish that you can call the Mediterranean version of shawarma. But have you heard of the Filipino version of shawarma? The Filipino version of shawarma uses beef marinated in a delicious marinade of soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and some other ingredients. The beef is cooked to tender perfection in that delicious soy sauce brown sugar marinade and served with rice. You can experiment give this version a try too if you like!

Continue reading if you would like to read about vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan adaptations of this recipe.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments section below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

Vegetarian Adaptation:

To make a Vegetarian Shawarma Rice Bowl…

• For the chicken shawarma recipe, you can use cottage cheese instead of chicken. The marinade in this recipe works really well with it! Please make sure you use plain yogurt in the marinade that does not contain gelatin. Go ahead and slice your cottage cheese into cubes or bite-sized thin strips or whatever way you prefer. Make sure you marinate it for at least 4 hours though, then cook it accordingly. Please be super careful when cooking your cottage cheese so you get just the right amount of browning on the outside while having it remain nice, soft and cheesy on the inside!
• Or make this recipe with mushrooms and onions or even potatoes instead. You can use the same marinade given in this recipe. Make sure you marinate your veggies for at least 30 minutes and then cook them accordingly.
• Please make sure to use plain yogurt that does not contain gelatin in the marinade and the creamy garlic sauce.
• For the rice, you can go ahead and use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth.

Dairy-Free Adaptation:

To make Dairy-Free Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl…

• You don’t need to use yogurt in the chicken marinade. You can try using a little mayonnaise instead. Mayo will keep your chicken breasts nice and juicy and will help it absorb all the flavors and keep them in place while cooking. You can also skip using mayonnaise and just marinate your chicken in the dry marinade spices. That works well and tastes delicious too!
• You can go ahead and skip out on Greek yogurt in the creamy garlic sauce. You can make your garlic sauce using just mayonnaise as well. You can also have the chicken shawarma rice bowl with garlic hummus, garlic tahini sauce (just add in some smashed garlic paste to your hummus and tahini and leave for a few hours) or toum. You can have it with the non-garlic versions of hummus and tahini too, but the garlickiness is the fun part of chicken shawarma. But hey, the chicken shawarma rice bowl tastes amazing with all these sauces anyway ❤.
• While cooking the rice, instead of using butter as mentioned, just add a little more cooking oil to the pan such as canola oil, peanut oil or maybe some olive oil (olive oil will add to all those Middle Eastern flavors!) too if you prefer.

As always, please read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are dairy-free because hidden dairy may be present in some ingredients.

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

To make Gluten-Free Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl…

Rice is naturally gluten-free (yay!) so this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce recipe makes for a wonderful gluten-free meal. After researching a bit though, I came across a few points you will need to keep in mind:

• Many dairy products in their natural form are gluten-free BUT some Greek yogurts and plain yogurts may have additives that contain gluten. Please go through the ingredient list on the food label of the Greek yogurt and plain yogurt you buy to make sure no additional ingredients that may contain gluten are added to them.
• Apparently, ground spices may sometimes contain gluten. This is because they either get contaminated in the factory during production or because flour is added to them. Please make sure the spices you buy are gluten-free!
• Please also make sure the cooking oil you use, whether it’s canola oil, peanut oil or maybe some olive oil (olive oil will add to that Middle Eastern flavor 😍) or whatever you prefer, does not contain any additives that contain gluten.
• Also, make sure you use gluten-free chicken stock to cook your rice. If you can’t find it, you can always use gluten-free vegetable stock or plain water instead.

Please always read through the ingredient list of all the other given ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free. This is because hidden gluten may be present in some ingredients.

Nut-Free Adaptation:

To make Nut-Free Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl…

• Unfortunately, some spices use nuts as a filler in their powders. This majorly includes cumin and paprika. You can skip out on these two spices if you are unable to find nut-free versions of them. Other spices may contain nuts as a filler too, so please make sure you use spices that do not contain nuts.
• Black pepper may also cause issues for people who are allergic to tree nuts. You can choose to skip out on black pepper.
• Please make sure the cooking oil you use, whether it’s canola oil or maybe some olive oil (olive oil will add to all that Middle Eastern goodness!) or whatever you prefer, does not contain nuts or is not derived from any nuts.

As always, please make sure you thoroughly read through the ingredient list of all the spice blends and other ingredients that have been mentioned in this recipe before cooking. Hidden nuts may be present in some ingredients.

Vegan Adaptation:

To make Vegan Shawarma Rice Bowl, you can make the following changes…

• For the chicken shawarma recipe, skip out on chicken and make this recipe with mushrooms and onions or even potatoes instead. You can use the same marinade given in this recipe. Skip out on the yogurt in the marinade too. Also, make sure you use lemons that haven’t been waxed. Waxed lemons are not vegan because the wax on these lemons contains shellac, which is derived from the female lac bug. Make sure you marinate your veggies for at least 30 minutes and then cook them accordingly.
• For the creamy white garlic sauce, skip out on the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise and use garlic hummus, garlic tahini sauce (just add in some smashed garlic paste to your hummus and tahini and leave for a few hours) or toum instead! You can have your vegan shawarma rice bowl with the non-garlic versions of hummus and tahini too, but the garlickiness is the fun part of shawarma. Vegan shawarma rice bowl tastes absolutely amazing with all these sauces anyway!
• Instead of using butter to toast the rice, you can go ahead and add a little more cooking oil to the pan.
• You can use vegetable broth, a vegan-friendly broth or water instead of chicken broth to cook your rice.

And as always, please read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure everything is vegan.

Disclaimer– I’ve done research to make things easier for you guys, but please make sure you do your own research too if you are allergic to something or have a specific diet preference. The suggestions given above for dietary preferences are only suggestions and NOT medical advice. These are suggestions given just after a little research on the said dietary preferences. We are NOT trained medical professionals or nutritionists. You are responsible for yourself, so please ask your physician if you have any questions and make sure you always completely read through the ingredient list of any ingredients you use.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ONE POT CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE RECIPE WITH GARLIC SAUCE [Step-by-Step Instructions With Photos]

For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking and I hope my detailed instructions help ❤.

STEP 1: MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Cut your chicken into small bite-sized strips.

Move the pieces of chicken to a large bowl and add all the ingredients needed for marination to it.

Go ahead and mix all of it together. Try doing this by hand if you can. You can use gloves too if you prefer! Trust me, a good spice massage to the chicken makes a huge difference.

Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, you can wrap the large bowl with cling wrap. An airtight container or zip-lock bag can be used here too.

Then pop the large bowl into the fridge and let your chicken marinate for at least 6 hours. 12 hours is ideal, and 24 hours is even better!

You can wait for 1 hour too but the extra time will make the chicken even more flavorful, succulent and juicy.

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR GARLIC SAUCE

Peel your garlic cloves and get them ready!

Then, smash them with the side of your knife (ah that natural release of garlicky flavors!). Please be careful when you do this or whenever you use any sharp objects ever. 😊

After smashing your garlic cloves the first time, add just a pinch of salt to them and then mince them into even smaller pieces. Then gather all the bits of garlic, smash them again and push them against your cutting board with the side of your knife this time. The aim is to make a nice garlic paste here! Keep repeating this motion till your garlic cloves turn into a smooth paste with no big-ish bits (or even small-ish bits!).

Once that is done, go ahead and add the garlic to a medium/small bowl and add in the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice and mix them all together.

TIP: I like the consistency of the garlic yogurt sauce here as it is but if you feel it’s too thick, you can add a splash of water or milk and stir until you reach the consistency you prefer. Make sure you don’t add too much water or milk though or else the sauce may lose its flavor.

Cover the medium/small bowl with cling wrap (you can use an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag here too) and refrigerate it for at least 4 to 6 hours. Again, 12 hours would be ideal and 24 hours would be wonderful if you have the time.

You can check on the garlic sauce after about 4 hours. You can adjust it according to your taste then. The flavors will have mostly set in by this point, and any more time you wait will just make the garlic sauce deeper in garlicky taste ❤.

You can have the garlic sauce as soon as you make it too.

If you will be having this garlic white sauce immediately, taste it as soon as you make it and make adjustments accordingly. Please remember though that it takes a few hours for the flavors to really develop, and any changes you make now will get much stronger with time!

Wait a few hours for the chicken to marinate and the garlic sauce to deepen further in flavor…

STEP 3:

Remove your garlic sauce from the fridge. This is so it can get to room temperature while you cook your shawarma chicken and flavorful yellow rice.

Also, rinse rice and drain it about 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear. Keep it on the side.

STEP 4: COOKING THE CHICKEN

Remove the large bowl of marinated chicken from the fridge.

Heat some oil in a cooking pot over medium-low heat. I’ve used my handy-dandy Dutch oven here. You can use a small pot if you’re cooking for one.

A cooking pot is necessary because we will be cooking our rice in this too!

STEP 5:

Now, add your marinated chicken to the cooking pot once the oil is slightly hot.

The oil should not be reallyyy hot because if you add your chicken to super hot oil, the spices in the chicken will burn.

Please do NOT add the marinade with the chicken.

Now cook your chicken on one side over medium-low heat to medium heat.

There may be some extra liquid in the cooking pot. That’s because of the yogurt in the chicken marinade.

Continue cooking your chicken over medium-low to medium heat until the liquid evaporates. This may take about 6 to 7 minutes depending on how much chicken you have in your cooking pot, how much marinade went in with the chicken, the cooking pot you’re using and your stove.

If your cooking pot is small and can’t fit in all the chicken at once, cook your chicken in batches. Try not to overcrowd the cooking pot!

STEP 6:

Once the liquid in your cooking pot evaporates, continue cooking your chicken on the same side until it gets this delicious brown crust seen in the picture above.

I completely understand being impatient and wanting this to get done super quick. Please don’t increase the heat to medium high heat though. This chicken is gonna be sooo worth it, I promise!

STEP 7:

Then, flip your chicken and cook on the other side until it gets the same browning. This will be quicker, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Once again, the cooking time may vary depending on how much chicken you have in your cooking pot, how much marinade went in with the chicken, the cooking pot you’re using and your stove.

You can adjust the heat once your chicken is cooked through to get some more browning on the chicken if you prefer.

Don’t worry about those delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. It’s gonna add so much flavor to our dish!

STEP 8:

Remove the chicken once it’s done.

Now, you can add in the rest of your chicken if you’re cooking it in batches and cook it the same way.

If you do not have much oil left in the cooking pot after the first batch, add in another tablespoon of oil.

Once you’re done cooking both batches of chicken, keep them on the side.

The aroma of chicken shawarma spices and Middle Eastern food in your kitchen at this point will be absolutely divine 😍!

STEP 9: COOK RICE

Now, we will be cooking the rice.

We are using the same cooking pot here, guys.

Keeping the heat low to medium-low, add the butter to the cooking pot and stir it with all the other chicken flavors left (delicious browned bits of chicken!) until it melts.

It must be kept in mind here that, at this point, there will already be some oil in your cooking pot.

If there happens to be no oil or really little oil in your cooking pot, you can add a teaspoon of oil along with the butter.

Keeping the heat at medium-low to medium, add the diced red onions to your cooking pot and give them a nice stir with all the spices left in the pot until they turn a nice light golden brown.

This may take about 4 to 5 minutes.

Keep a close check on your diced red onions and don’t let them burn.

If you feel the heat is too high or too low at any point, adjust it accordingly.

STEP 10:

Once those red onions turn a gorgeous golden brown, add in your minced garlic.

Stir for about a minute or two to get those garlicky flavors out.

STEP 11:

Then add the green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, ground cumin and ground turmeric to the cooking pot and stir for another minute.

Make sure you stir nice and good so all the ingredients mix together really well.

STEP 12:

Now, at medium-low to medium heat, add in your rice and toast it in the buttery chicken-y spice mix for a good 5 minutes.

Toasting is necessary here because it’ll ensure the rice doesn’t get sticky later on. It’s also a good idea because it allows the rice to mix in better with all the flavors we’ve kept ready for it in the cooking pot.

STEP 13:

After about 5 minutes of toasting the rice, add in your chicken broth.

Give it a gentle stir so it mixes with all the other spices already in the cooking pot.

Give it a taste. Add some salt or black pepper if you feel the need to.

STEP 14:

Now raise the heat to high.

Bring your broth to a boil. This may take about 3 to 5 minutes.

Once your broth comes to a good boil, cover your cooking pot and reduce the heat to low.

Leave it be for a good 12 to 13 minutes.

Please do NOT open the lid at all, not even for a little peek!

STEP 15:

After 12 to 13 minutes, switch your heat off and let the cooking pot stay covered for 5 more minutes. Do not lift the lid!

If you are using an electric cooktop, move your Dutch oven away from it and place it somewhere else because it may still be hot even after switching the heat off.

STEP 16:

After 5 minutes, lift the lid of your cooking pot and drain the water that may have gathered under it.

Then, spread your chicken over the rice, cover the Dutch oven again, and wait for 2-3 minutes. This is so the chicken warms up over the rice.

Your chicken shawarma rice is now ready ✨!

Serve it in a bowl or serving dish nice and hot with the chicken shawarma on top of the rice, along with loads of garlic sauce on the side (a generous drizzle of shawarma sauce is essential 😍) and some fresh veggies!

Garnish with some fresh cilantro if you prefer.

Hey you, I really hope you love this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST ONE POT CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE RECIPE WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Cooking this traditional Middle Eastern street food isn’t tough at all.

Here are a few useful tips you can follow to make sure your chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl comes out just right so you and your whole family enjoy it every single time!

• We use so much fresh garlic in this recipe! I adore garlic, but the work that comes with it? Not so much 😱. An easy way I deal with garlic here is to smash the clove with my knife first. This, in my opinion, lets out amazing garlickiness and makes peeling so much easier too!
• You can mince your garlic in a food processor too. I prefer smashing and mincing my garlic because I think it adds way more garlic flavor, but that’s just what I feel. You can do what you feel is right and what makes things easier for you!
• I suggest you plan this recipe for about 6 to 8 hours or an entire day before. It’s a really simple recipe and all of it comes together in one pot and you can go ahead and cook it instantly too BUT if you give your chicken more time to marinate and the garlic sauce more time to work on its flavors, this recipe gets wayyy more delicious. Trust me.
• To make things faster, I suggest you marinate the chicken and prepare the creamy garlic sauce together. This way, both of them will work on their flavors at the same time in the fridge. They will then be ready without you having to wait when you choose to cook this shawarma chicken and rice dish.
• I prefer to cut my chicken into bite-sized strips before marinating it. This is because I feel the chicken pieces absorb so much more flavor this way. If you prefer though, you can go ahead and marinate whole pieces of chicken and slice them into bite-sized strips after cooking. Or you can also cut it into chicken cubes.
• I would love it if you guys could marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours, overnight or even 24 hours! This is not a rule set in stone though, and you can cook the chicken after an hour of marination or immediately too because the marinade is just that amazing, but to actually get that succulent, out-of-this-world flavorful, tender chicken, I suggest you let it marinate for at least 6 hours.
• The same rule applies to your creamy white garlic sauce too. Please set it aside to develop its rich flavors, if you can, for at least 4 to 6 hours, overnight or 24 hours. The sauce will still be delish if you wait just an hour, but if you wait a little more, you’ll be rewarded with the most amazing, creamy, rich, garlicky sauce.
• Don’t have all the spices needed to marinate your chicken? Or can’t find them in your local grocery store? It’s alright! Just go ahead and add whatever you have already. The chicken will taste amazing nonetheless. I’ve also heard curry powder helps. Curry powder isn’t an authentic shawarma ingredient and I’ve never tried adding it to my shawarma marinade but I’ve heard it adds a good enough flavor. You can go ahead and add some curry powder if you don’t have most of the ingredients needed to marinate your chicken.
• Try rubbing all that shawarma seasoning on your chicken by hand if you can. I know it’s quite a task BUT your meat will get so much more flavorful and you’re the only one who can get all that shawarma seasoning in those hard-to-reach chicken places! You can wear disposable gloves and do this too.
• When you’re cooking your shawarma chicken, please keep a constant check on it. The right amount of browning can turn into way too much-burnt browning in just a few seconds!
• Please make sure you rinse your rice at least 3 to 4 times to remove extra starch. This leads to your grains not sticking to each other and being separate and fluffy after cooking.
• If you choose to use whole spices in your rice, please try and pick them out and remove them before serving the dish once the rice is cooked. The worst thing that can happen during a meal for me is chewing on a stray whole cardamom :O
• If chicken broth is too strong for you, go ahead and use half chicken broth and half water. You can use only water too. The more you cook this recipe, the more you’ll understand how much chicken broth you prefer pouring in for how much rice.
• If you’re using chicken broth as suggested, please make sure you keep a check on how salty the broth is and adjust the salt accordingly.
• The more you make this shawarma rice recipe, the more you’ll understand how much rice you prefer with how much chicken. It’s absolutely delicious either way ❤️.
• You can also go ahead and cook the chicken and rice in two different pots side by side if you’re in a hurry. Yes, the rice may not get that chicken-y flavor that it will get if it’s cooked in the same pot as the chicken, but it’ll be incredibly tasty nonetheless! Another handy tip? A rice cooker. If you’re in a hurry and choosing to cook your rice separately, go ahead and use a rice cooker to speed things up without having to keep a watch.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR ONE POT CHICKEN SHAWARMA RICE RECIPE WITH GARLIC SAUCE

When it comes to chicken shawarma, the loads and loads of serving suggestions that exist for it out there is the best part ever! You and your whole family will enjoy it so much ❤️.

Pick out your most favorite way to have chicken shawarma from the suggestions below and if you come up with a whole other way to serve it that hasn’t been mentioned here, let me know in the comments section. I’ll try it that way too!

• You can serve this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice as it is suggested in this recipe. That is in a serving dish or bowl, with shawarma chicken over golden rice with creamy white garlic sauce and vegetables (maybe an onion cucumber salad!) on the side. I love some diced red onions with my chicken shawarma bowl. You can go ahead and add whatever your favorite veggies are too! You can maybe even drizzle some olive oil on top to add to all those delicious middle eastern flavors ❤️.
• You can top your chicken shawarma with so many different toppings out there! You can sprinkle some fresh herbs on top or maybe even some feta cheese. Perhaps some deliciously crispy falafel too? Let me know what your favorite toppings are!
• Quite a few people I’ve met prefer drizzling some spicy hot Sriracha sauce over their chicken shawarma rice bowls along with that delicious garlic yogurt sauce. If you’re into spicy food, you can try that too! You can use whatever hot sauce you prefer as well that you feel will go well here. Maybe even sprinkle some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes on top for an added spice.
• Sometimes, I just crave chicken and rice. So that’s how I have this dish! I don’t add any veggies, and you don’t have to either if you’re not into them. Just plain meat and rice, oozing with creamy garlic sauce. Mmm! I also sometimes spread some garlic sauce over the rice, place my shawarma chicken cubes on top and finish it off with a layer of more garlic sauce. I add in some French fries on the side too, maybe even drizzle a little olive oil on top. It’s the most indulgent meal ever!
• You can add in some different sauces to this chicken rice bowl too! I’ve tried mine with tahini, hummus and toum. You can try it with some tzatziki sauce too. Each sauce adds a whole other flavor profile to this dish. Pick your favorite and go with it! The creamy garlic sauce in this recipe, hummus and toum are my preferred sauces. I add a drizzle of shawarma sauce or toum along with hummus sometimes and it tastes delish. But your tastes may vary 😊. You can try garlic versions of tahini and hummus as well. They’re scrumptious!
• You can also go ahead and have the shawarma chicken as it is! It’s one of the tastiest chicken recipes ever, those delicious flavorful juicy chicken pieces are everything! You can also make a chicken shawarma plate and add in some French fries, pita bread (you can use any other flatbread if you don’t have pita bread) and creamy garlic sauce on the side if you prefer. Make it a chicken shawarma rice plate by adding some rice on the side too!
• The rice in this recipe is incredibly delicious as well. You can have it on its own, or serve it with a drizzle of garlic sauce and fresh vegetables on the side.
• You can serve the chicken shawarma in a wrap like I’ve done in my Easy Chicken Shawarma Wrap with Creamy Garlic Sauce recipe. This is the traditional way to have it and it’s equally delish. Fresh, warm pita bread wrapped around hot, flavorful shawarma chicken, white creamy garlic sauce and crispy French fries make such a scrumptious meal!
• You can also make a chicken shawarma salad. Go ahead and make an onion cucumber salad or use whatever veggies you prefer! Just chop your favorite vegetables, spread your shawarma chicken over them, and drizzle some creamy garlic sauce on top. You can add in some toasted pieces of pita bread to it too. So beautiful ❤.
• If you have a party coming up, this shawarma chicken with rice is a wonderful dish for special occasions! Go ahead and make a chicken shawarma rice platter. Take a platter or a biiig plate and spread your rice on it. Add all the shawarma chicken on top of the rice and your creamy garlic sauce in a big bowl on the side. You can serve other sauces like hummus, toum, tahini and sriracha too in different bowls. In another bowl, have some fresh chopped veggies. Add in some pita bread and French fries and you have the most scrumptious chicken shawarma rice party platter. This is just an idea of how I’ve served it, and you can do it your own way too. This way, everyone can make their own chicken shawarma rice bowls!

What can I add as toppings to the chicken shawarma rice bowl?

This chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl recipe goes well with pretty much everything! Here are a few good ideas that work well with topping your chicken shawarma rice bowls:

• Some fresh vegetables like onions, tomatoes and lettuce go really well with chicken shawarma rice bowls. You can add other favorite vegetables of yours too! One of my most favorite toppings is just plain and simple diced onions sprinkled on top.
• You can also top your chicken shawarma rice bowl with the delicious garlic yogurt sauce I’ve given here. It’s delicious! You can add in different sauces like hummus, tahini, toum and tzatziki sauce too. I sometimes love a combination of the garlic sauce recipe given here and some hummus or toum on the side. Bring it all together with a drizzle of olive oil! Olive oil adds to all those Middle Eastern flavors ❤️.
• You can also add some Sriracha sauce or your favorite hot sauce if you’re into spicy food. You can sprinkle some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes on top of this quick one-pot dish too for some added spice!
• You can top your chicken shawarma rice bowl with some delicious golden brown crispy fried onions too! That crunchy texture takes this shawarma chicken and rice dish to a whole other level.
• You can also sprinkle some fresh herbs on top of this quick one-pot dish. Or maybe even some feta cheese (feta cheese is sooo good with all those tiny crumbles in each bite)? Perhaps some deliciously crispy falafel (ah, all those Middle Eastern flavors 😍) too? Or maybe even some sliced olives?

Let me know what some of your favorite toppings are in the comments below!

What to serve with chicken shawarma rice recipe as sides?

I’ve had this chicken shawarma rice recipe with quite a few delicious sides.

Here are some wonderful sides you can try with your chicken shawarma rice bowls:

• A side of crispy French fries with your chicken shawarma rice is one of the best things ever. Freshly fried French fries dipped in creamy garlic sauce between bites of flavorful shawarma chicken and rice… Priceless 😍.
• You can have chicken shawarma rice with your favorite vegetables (maybe an onion cucumber salad?) too! These vegetables can be fresh, boiled, grilled or sautéed in some butter or olive oil, however you prefer your veggies.
• Sometimes, chicken shawarma is eaten along with pickled vegetables on the side. You can try that as well!
• You can have your chicken shawarma rice with some fresh, crispy fried falafel too! It tastes beautiful with this dish ❤
• You can have different dips on the side along with the garlic sauce given in this chicken shawarma rice recipe, such as tahini, hummus and toum.

Is chicken shawarma hot/spicy?

The chicken shawarma recipe I’ve shared with you guys here is not spicy at all.

Chicken shawarma is not meant to be spicy, but some people may make it spicy out there and hey, spiciness is subjective too.

If you’re into spice though, you can top this chicken shawarma rice bowl with some sriracha sauce (or whatever is your favorite hot sauce), cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes!

Or you can change the chicken shawarma recipe a little bit and add some hot sauce, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the marinade and mix it in with the chicken pieces for an added spice.

What rice goes well with chicken shawarma?

Chicken shawarma goes really well with flavorful cooked yellow Basmati turmeric rice.

If you don’t have much time though, you can try having it with plain cooked white Basmati rice too.

An added tip here is that you can stir your cooked white rice into the pan you cooked the chicken in to absorb some of the chicken-y flavors.

When it comes to the type of rice, I suggest you go with Basmati rice but chicken shawarma goes well with Jasmine rice and any type of American long grain rice as well.

If you like experimenting or are feeling adventurous, you can serve your chicken shawarma with couscous, brown rice (brown rice is a pretty popular option), quinoa or maybe even cauliflower rice! Remember that you’ll need to adjust the cooking time and liquid used according to the grain you use and according to the instructions given on the package.

Can you make chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl ahead of time or in advance? How can you store it?

Yes, you can!

Chicken shawarma rice bowl is an excellent recipe for meal prep.

You can go ahead and cook the chicken shawarma and rice as given in this chicken shawarma rice recipe and store them together in an air-tight container in your fridge for about 2 to 3 days.

Do not store them with the fresh veggies and garlic sauce! This is because the vegetables may wilt and become watery. Also, the garlic sauce will leave out oil when you reheat the dish.

It’s best for you to store only the shawarma chicken and yellow rice together.

Store the garlic sauce and veggies in separate containers.

Make sure you don’t heat your creamy garlic sauce. Leave it outside and let it reach room temperature before having it with the chicken shawarma rice bowl.

How to reheat chicken shawarma with creamy garlic sauce rice bowl?

Chicken shawarma rice bowls are pretty easy to reheat but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Make sure you store your chicken shawarma and rice together in an airtight container in your fridge. Do not store the garlic sauce and vegetables in the same box.

That’s because the vegetables may wilt and become watery as time passes. The garlic sauce will also leave out oil when you reheat the entire dish.

It’s best to store your vegetables and garlic sauce in separate containers. There is no need to reheat them at all.

When it’s eating time, go ahead and heat the chicken shawarma and rice together, and then add the garlic sauce and vegetables to the chicken shawarma rice bowl.

If you feel your rice is a little dry, add a splash of water or chicken broth to add flavor to it and add some moisture.

Once again, do not ever heat the creamy garlic sauce.

Can I make this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl recipe according to my diet preference?

Yes, you can!

Explore the Variations Section above to see our suggestions on how you can make vegetarian shawarma rice bowls, dairy-free chicken shawarma rice bowls, gluten-free chicken shawarma rice bowls, nut-free chicken shawarma rice bowls or vegan shawarma rice bowls.

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Hey you, I really hope you love this chicken shawarma with garlic sauce rice bowl recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Please also let me know if you’ve tried this chicken shawarma rice recipe and loved it or have any suggestions regarding it.

Have you ever had shawarma before? Do you have any memories with it? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below the Recipe Card.

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Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Rice, One-Pot Recipes and Winter recipes.