Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce
⅓ cup tahini paste
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
½ tsp salt
⅓ to ½ cup ice water
Slaw
3 cups red cabbage - thinly sliced
½ medium red onion - thinly sliced
1 cup pickles - sliced into strips
1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
½ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Chicken and Rice
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Olive oil
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
Juice from 1 lemon
1 ½ tbsp shawarma seasoning
1 yellow onion - diced
4 garlic cloves - grated
1 tsp turmeric
1 ½ cups basmati rice - washed and drained
2 ¼ cups water
Salt
Tahini Sauce
Whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, grated garlic, and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Gradually add ice water, whisking until the sauce is smooth and creamy. You may not need all the ice water! Set aside.
Slaw
Combine the cabbage, red onion, pickles, cherry tomatoes, and parsley in a bowl. Dress with red wine vinegar, 3 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly and cover with plastic wrap. Let the mixture pickle on the counter or in the fridge until ready to use.
Chicken and Rice
Combine 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and shawarma seasoning
in a bowl. Add the chicken thighs and mix until well coated. Heat a large pan on medium-high with a drizzle of olive oil. Working in batches, sear the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken as it browns and let it rest on a plate.
Lower the heat to medium and add olive oil to the same pan. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the grated garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir in the turmeric, then add the rice and toast, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add 2 ¼ cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and nestle the chicken back into the pot. Cover with a lid and steam for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish steaming the rice.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and, once cool enough to handle, cube into bite-sized pieces. Assemble bowls with rice on the bottom, topped with chicken, tahini sauce, and slaw. Enjoy!