This one pot Shawarma Rice recipe is my top go-to quick dishes to make for busy weekdays. What's not to love about yellow rice with white sauce that gets cooked all in one pot and will take you no more than 40 minutes?!

What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is a traditional Middle Eastern street food found in many Middle Eastern and specifically Arabic countries. Pieces of chicken or beef are stacked on a very large and long rotating skewer and slow roasted to perfection. Then the meat is shaved off the skewer and made into delicious wraps.
It's irresistible. It's obviously hard to re-create at home using the skewer method, so I usually resort to my sheet pan chicken shawarma recipe for a quick fix and it's SO good. I also turn it into a shawarma plate when I have all the fixings and it's better than takeout.
Also, my Arab-Canadian self is so obsessed with Shawarma that I even made a shawarma poutine. If you are intrigued I highly recommend you try it!
But anyways, back to this shawarma rice... I know that it's not *really* shawarma because I'm cooking it in one pot with the rice, but I decided to call it that because I use the same exact spices for shawarma and the yellow rice just goes with it perfectly.
If you prefer a meat option, check out this easy Hashweh Rice, or better yet, there are so many more quick weeknight rice recipes for you to try too!
Ingredients you'll need
A few very simple ingredients is all you need. And you can feel free to add vegetables to this as well, like peas and carrots. You can cook them with the onion if you're using them.
A few notes on the ingredients:
- It's really important to use long grain rice for this recipe, because other types of rice will have different cooking time and water ratio.
- The diced onions is a must, don't skip it!
- I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs for the best flavour. If you are using bone-in, make sure to adjust your cooking time since they take longer
- The sauce is amazing. I make it using a mix of mayo and yogurt so it's lighter, healthier, but still super delicious!
How to make shawarma rice
This recipe will take about 10 minutes of hands on time, and then you're just waiting for everything to cook. It's incredibly easy. Here's how it goes:
- Marinate your chicken thighs with the chicken spices. Ideally the night before, but no worries if you didn't have time. Just marinate them while you're preparing everything else. I use boneless thighs that are cut up into bite sized pieces
- Dice the onions, crush the garlic and wash and drain the rice
- In a pan with raised sides (or a small pot), add some olive oil and sear the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side until they're golden. Remove them from the pan
- Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until softened. Then add the garlic and the spices and continue cooking a further few minutes
- Add the washed rice, stir, then add the chicken back on top
- Add the water, cover and lower to low heat. Cook for 20 minutes undisturbed
- Meanwhile prepare the sauce by whisking together all the ingredients. I have made the sauce with and without tahini, and both ways are great. If you don't have tahini I left it as optional
- Fluff the rice, serve with the sauce and a salad and enjoy!
FAQs and Expert Tips
- Can I use chicken breast instead? Yes you can use chicken breast. Just ensure you don't over-cook it especially when you're searing it. Use high heat and cook it only a few minutes until it starts to brown then remove it immediately. I prefer chicken thighs because they tend to remain really juicy due to their higher fat content, but if you love chicken breast, it certainly works.
- Can I use whole chicken pieces? If you are too lazy to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, then you can definitely use whole thighs. However, you will need to increase the cooking time when you're initially searing them to ensure they cook through later when added back to the rice.
- Can I use bone-in chicken? Bone-in chicken will work as well, but it will need even longer to cook than boneless thighs. Just ensure you test it for doneness! You will need to cook it until it's almost cooked through before adding it in with the rice.
- I can't find tahini, can I leave it out? Yes, you can make the sauce without the tahini. It'll still taste delicious
- Can I add vegetables to this dish? Yes, you can add vegetables and cook them with the onions. Things like frozen peas and carrots work well, or you can even add mushrooms, spinach, or kale. You may need to add a bit more spices to account for the additional vegetables - taste and adjust!
How to serve it
I love to pair this shawarma rice with some greens. I usually make a simple salad with whatever I have in the fridge like cucumber, tomato, lettuce, onion. The easiest dressing is a lemon and olive oil dressing to keep the flavours simple. You can also serve it with my kale tahini salad or some Fattoush if you're feeling it!
Other recipes you will love
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Shawarma Rice with White Sauce (in one pot!)
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 450 g chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
For the rice:
- 2 small onions or 1 medium roughly 1 cup diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 3 cups water
For the white sauce:
- 1 cup full fat plain yogurt
- 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more per preference
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder you can use fresh too, adjust amount to your liking
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice per preference
- 2 tablespoons tahini optional - you can leave it out if you don't have it
Instructions
- Start by marinating the chicken with all the spices, either overnight (best results) or just before you start preparing the other ingredients
- In a large pan with high sides, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil for the chicken, and sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side on high heat, until golden brown. Remove and set aside
- Add the rest of the oil (2 tablespoons) and the diced onion with the salt (amount under "for the rice") and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until softened
- Add the crushed garlic and all the spices, and cook for a further 2 minutes
- Add the washed and drained rice and stir for a few minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan and then the water
- It should start to bubble right away or within a few minutes. Once it bubbles, cover and turn the heat to low. Allow it to cook undisturbed for 20 minutes
- Meanwhile prepare the sauce by whisking together all the ingredients, and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon per preference
- After 20 minutes, fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the sauce and a side salad
Notes
- You can use chicken breast instead of thighs, just ensure you don't overcook it during the searing process
- The tahini in the white sauce is optional if you can't find it. If you do have it, I highly recommend it!
- You can also add vegetables like peas, carrots, mushrooms, or spinach. Cook the vegetables with the onion before moving to the next step. You may need to add a bit more salt/spices to adjust for additional vegetables
Comments
This is delicious.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! The only thing I did differently was cook the chicken in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes with some tin foil underneath after initially cooking in the pan for 6 minutes. Then I followed the recipe exactly for the rice and tahini sauce. Soooo good. Usually I order out for this, probably won't do that nearly as often now. Thanks!
That's so great to hear! Good to save on takeout too 🙂
Absolutely Fire. Love Indian Food, never made it myself, and this is my new favorite thing to make. Thanks so much!!
This recipe is fantastic. I make with tofu. I cook the tofu separately in a pan with olive oil until crispy, then add a few tbsp soy sauce, stir, then a few tbsp nutritional yeast, stir, then the spices and garlic that are in your chicken recipe. I also make a Mediterranean salsa of cucumber, tomato, red onion, and parsley. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!!
Quick and easy and very flavorful!
Oh yum! This was a wonderful weeknight meal, and the white sauce was absolutely DELISH. I did use bone-in thighs, since that's what I already had at home, so if anyone is curious about it I added about 10 minutes to the cook time and they turned out great!
Absolutely LOVED by the whole family! Thank you, once again!
One of my favourite things to make! It’s super simple but comes out tasting like it’s complex (in a great way!).
Delicious!! Easy to make and the whole family loved it ❤
Amazing to hear! Thanks for the feedback!
Absolutely delicious! I used my instant pot to cook everything and it turned out amazing! My 11 year old son said it was bussin, so very high praises! Haha!
For those that are curious how I cooked it in the instant pot, I cooked according to the written recipe then cooked on manual for 7 minutes and let it natural release for 10 minutes then I released pressure value the rest of the way. Served with some garlic butter pita and sauted green beans.
Haha I love that! Bussin! My recipe is officially cool enough for your son, that's just perfect. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the Instant Pot method, super helpful!
This is a family favorite! I love all the warm spices- smells so yummy cooking! I also love that it makes a large amount if we have a guest visiting or for leftovers. I think I will start using closer to 1.5 lbs/680 grams of chicken (plus extra spices) because everyone takes so much of the delicious chicken and then there is a ton of yellow rice left, which is still good of course! Lol
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe Robyn! And for sure, making extra chicken is always a great idea!
This was a wonderful meal- The whole family loved it! I look forward to trying your other recipes!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Kristin! Thanks for the review!
My picky family has been trying to cook different cuisines, and this seemed like a good pick for middle eastern....so yummy!!!! I used smoked paprika tahini in the sauce and it was delicious!!!
So wonderful to hear, Kristin! Thanks for the feedback!
Your recipe are AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing these with us! Making this one next week for our dinner!! So packed with flavor and simplistic!!!
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Kat!
This is one of my family’s favorite meals! So flavorful! I love that it uses on-hand ingredient and makes a large amount- perfect for leftovers or if guests stop by! I don’t make the white sauce but may try it in the future. (We use a similar store-bought sauce). I’ve already shared with several friends!
Dude. This. Was. Amazing!!! I followed the recipe exactly but I really should have doubled because I can't stop sneaking bites! Don't skip on the tahini, it makes the sauce more rich and delicious 😍
Haha I can totally relate Melissa!! I am obsessed too! So glad you enjoyed it!
It was my first time trying out your very-thorough recipe and my family enjoyed it so, so much. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
So glad to hear that Anh, thanks for the review!
Ver simple and delicious! Family loved it 🙂
So glad you all enjoyed it!