Chicken Shawarma Rice

Check out this delicious recipe from Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook: 150 Plant-Based Recipes from Indian Cuisine and Beyond, available on May 24th from Hachette Go.
Shawarma is a classic Middle Eastern street food, composed of spiced meat or poultry roasted on a rotisserie, thinly sliced, and often served in a pita (not unlike a gyro). I included a recipe for it in my orange book and due to its great popularity I decided to make my own take on shawarma as a complete rice dish. The flavors will make you think you’re eating some of the best street rice in the world while using the most affordable and accessible ingredients to make it come to life. See Jeff’s Tips for information on making it spicy or mild.

Lighter Comforts: Should you wish to use brown rice instead of white, simply increase the pressure cook time to 15 minutes for a more al dente brown rice, or up to 25 minutes for a softer one (brown rice cooks a bit longer than white). Natural release time would then be 10 minutes and 5 minutes, respectively. Make this dairy-free by omitting the butter and using a total of 1⁄4 cup olive oil.

JEFF’S TIP: In case spice isn’t your thing, start with 1 teaspoon of black pepper. You can always add more in Step 6 to taste. You’ll notice the cayenne and red pepper flakes are optional; this is because adding them as written will make this a spicier dish (even more so than my Chicken Shawarma in the orange book, because all the spices are absorbed into the rice rather than just serving as a marinade). So if you want something with just a touch of spice, only use 1⁄4 teaspoon of each, or just one or the other. To that point, you can keep it mild by simply not adding them at all. It’s also worth noting that as a dish cools, the spice level usually does as well.

Cuisine

Middle East

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

30-60 min

Diet

Gluten Free

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

dinner, main course, medium, middle east, prep 10 min, pressure cook, sauté

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

35 min

Servings

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp salted butter,1/4 stick
1 large red onion, diced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick strips
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 cups garlic broth (i.e. Better Than Bouillon)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1-2 tsp black pepper, see Jeff’s tips
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed for 90 seconds and drained
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt, not Greek or flavored
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp tahini, optional
juice of ½ lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1/8–1/4 tsp garlic salt, to taste
tzatziki, if not using the white garlic sauce
pickles, diced

Instructions

Add the olive oil and butter to the Instant Pot®. Select Sauté and adjust to the More or High setting. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Add the chicken and garlic, and sauté until the chicken is pinkish-white in color, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, paprika, curry powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and cayenne pepper (if using). Stir until well combined and the bottom of the pot is clear of any browned bits. Add the rice on top but do not stir; just smooth it out.
Secure the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Press Cancel, then select Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
If using, combine the white garlic sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well, and set aside.
Fluff the rice, transfer it to a serving dish, and enjoy topped with the white garlic sauce (or tzatziki) and dill pickles, if desired. Enjoy!