Shawarma Spiced Fried Rice with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Name: Shawarma Spiced Fried Rice with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 1 tbsp (7 g) shawarma spice blend; 2 tbsp (30 g) plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt; 4 cups (700 g) cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine or basmati), cold, day-old, large clumps broken up with your fingers; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola); 1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium (about 3 oz) (80 g) carrot, peeled, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten with a fork; 1 tbsp (7 g) shawarma spice blend; ½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt; ½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, thawed under cool running water and drained; ½ cup (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 3 scallions (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts; 1 lemon (100 g) lemon, cut into 4 wedges; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ⅛ tsp (½ g) kosher salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Juicy shawarma-marinated chicken thigh is stir-fried with cold rice, onion, carrot, peas and scrambled egg, then finished with lots of parsley and lemon. A cool garlicky yogurt sauce on the side makes it taste like a shawarma plate in one skillet.

Prep: 16 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 58 min
Makes: About 8 cups (4 generous servings) plus ¾ cup sauce

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken
1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
1 tbsp (7 g) shawarma spice blend
2 tbsp (30 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt
For the fried rice
4 cups (700 g) cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine or basmati), cold, day-old, large clumps broken up with your fingers
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium (about 3 oz) (80 g) carrot, peeled, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced
2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten with a fork
1 tbsp (7 g) shawarma spice blend
½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt
½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, thawed under cool running water and drained
½ cup (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
3 scallions (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
1 lemon (100 g) lemon, cut into 4 wedges
For the garlic yogurt sauce
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
⅛ tsp (0.5 g) kosher salt

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or carbon-steel skillet, or a large wok
Medium mixing bowl for the chicken
Small bowl for the yogurt sauce
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wide spatula or wok spatula
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Use cold, day-old cooked rice (about 1⅓ cups / 250 g raw rice, cooked and refrigerated uncovered or spread on a tray for at least 4 hours). Fresh warm rice turns mushy in the pan.
Cut the chicken, chop all vegetables and measure everything before you turn on the heat. Stir-frying moves fast.
The chicken marinates for 20 minutes, so start there and prep the rest while it sits.
Use a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or carbon steel skillet, or a large wok, so the rice fries instead of steams.

1
Marinate the chicken
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken pieces, 1 tbsp shawarma spice, 2 tbsp yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ½ tsp salt.
- Stir until every piece is evenly coated.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 8 hours).
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a thick, orange-brown paste with no dry patches
Tip: Don't marinate longer than 8 hours; the lemon juice can make the meat mushy.
2
Mix the yogurt sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup yogurt, the grated garlic clove, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ⅛ tsp salt.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, pourable but thick, and smells distinctly of garlic
Tip: Grate the garlic on a microplane so there are no harsh chunks.
3
Prep rice and vegetables
- While the chicken marinates, dice the onion and carrot, mince the 4 garlic cloves, chop the parsley, slice the scallions, and cut the lemon into wedges.
- Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers, then set everything within reach of the stove.
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Ready when: Rice grains are separate and loose, not stuck in a block
Tip: Beat the eggs in a small cup now so they are ready to pour.
4
Sear the chicken
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp oil and swirl.
- Add the chicken in a single layer, scraping in the marinade.
- Cook without stirring for 3 minutes until the underside is browned, then stir and cook 2–3 minutes more.
- Transfer to a clean plate.
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Ready when: Chicken is browned at the edges and reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest piece
Tip: If your pan is smaller than 12 inches, sear in two batches so the chicken browns rather than steams.
5
Soften onion and carrot
- Without wiping the pan, add 1 tbsp oil, the onion and the carrot.
- Cook, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrot is just tender-crisp.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent with golden edges; garlic smells fragrant but is not browned
Tip: If the browned bits stick hard, add 1 tbsp water and scrape them up; they carry flavor.
6
Scramble the eggs
- Push the vegetables to one side of the pan.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the cleared space and stir gently for about 45 seconds until softly set into small curds.
- Break them up and mix them in with the vegetables.
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Ready when: Eggs are fully set with no visible liquid, in small pieces
7
Fry the rice
- Add the final 1 tbsp oil, then the cold rice, 1 tbsp shawarma spice and ½ tsp salt.
- Toss to coat, then spread the rice out and press it against the pan.
- Leave it 1 minute, then toss.
- Repeat for 5–6 minutes total.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot, evenly golden-orange, and some grains look dry and slightly crisp
Tip: Don't stir constantly; pausing lets the rice toast and gives fried-rice texture.
8
Combine and heat through
- Add the peas and the seared chicken with any juices on the plate.
- Toss for 2 minutes until the peas are hot and the chicken is reheated.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Chicken registers at least 165°F (74°C) and everything is piping hot
9
Finish and serve
- Remove from the heat.
- Fold in the parsley and scallions.
- Divide among four plates or bowls and serve right away with lemon wedges and the garlic yogurt sauce on the side.
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Ready when: Parsley is bright green and just starting to wilt from the heat
Tip: Add the herbs off the heat so they stay vivid and fresh-tasting.

Good to know

Tips

Cold rice is the key: chilling dries the surface of the grains so they fry rather than clump.
Keep the heat at medium-high or high for the rice. A pan that is too cool steams the rice and makes it soggy.
Thighs stay juicy even if slightly overcooked, but check with a thermometer so they reach 165°F (74°C) without drying.
Taste your shawarma blend first: store-bought versions vary in saltiness and heat, so adjust the final salt accordingly.

Make ahead

"Marinate the chicken up to 8 hours ahead in the fridge. Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead, cool, and refrigerate. Make the yogurt sauce up to 2 days ahead."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store rice and sauce separately in airtight containers up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze the rice (no sauce) up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with 1–2 tbsp water for 4–5 minutes, or microwave covered until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C)."

Substitutions

shawarma spice blend → Homemade blend: 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp black pepper. This makes about 1 tbsp; double it to replace both amounts of shawarma spice in the recipe.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cut the same size and sear for about 1 minute less; it dries out faster.
plain whole-milk yogurt → Tahini sauce (¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup water, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of salt). Makes the meal dairy-free; the marinade yogurt can be swapped for 1 tbsp more oil.
cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine or basmati) → Cold cooked brown rice or basmati. Brown rice will take about 1–2 minutes longer to crisp.