One-Pan Chicken Shawarma Rice 🍗🇱🇧

Description

Juicy spiced chicken thighs roast right on top of fluffy turmeric rice with onions and peppers for an all-in-one tray of Middle Eastern comfort. 🍽️

Hook

Throw everything on one pan, let the oven do the work, and serve chicken shawarma with fragrant rice in under an hour. 🔥

Ingredients

• Chicken & marinade
• 🍗 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 800 g (about 8 thighs / 1¾ lb)
• 🫒 Olive oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, finely minced: 9 g (3 cloves / 0.3 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 5 g (1 tsp / 0.18 oz)
• ⚫ Ground black pepper: 1 g (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌶️ Ground cumin: 4 g (1½ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🌶️ Ground coriander: 3 g (1 tsp / 0.11 oz)
• 🌶️ Smoked or sweet paprika: 3 g (1 tsp / 0.11 oz)
• 🌿 Ground turmeric: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌿 Ground cinnamon: 0.5 g (¼ tsp / 0.02 oz)
• Rice & tray
• 🍚 Long-grain rice, rinsed: 300 g (1½ cups / 10.6 oz)
• 🧅 Red onion, thinly sliced: 120 g (1 medium / 4.2 oz)
• 🫑 Red bell pepper, strips: 120 g (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🫑 Green bell pepper, strips: 120 g (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 4 g (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🌿 Ground turmeric: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍋 Chicken or vegetable stock, hot: 720 ml (3 cups / 24 fl oz)
• To finish
• 🍋 Lemon, cut in wedges: 1 medium, ~80 g (2.8 oz)
• 🌿 Fresh parsley, chopped: 8 g (¼ cup / 0.3 oz)
• 🥛 Thick yogurt or garlic yogurt (for serving, optional): 120 g (½ cup / 4.2 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Marinate the chicken
2. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and cinnamon. Add the chicken thighs, turn to coat well and let marinate at least 20 min at room temperature while you prepare the rice.
3. 2️⃣ Heat the oven
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly oil a deep rimmed sheet pan or a large roasting dish (about 30×40 cm / 12×16 in).
5. 3️⃣ Build the rice base
6. In the prepared pan combine the rinsed rice, onion slices and bell pepper strips. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and turmeric, and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer, then pour the hot stock over the top. Gently shake the pan so the rice lies in a flat layer under the liquid.
7. 4️⃣ Add the chicken
8. Place the marinated chicken thighs on top of the rice, smooth side up, leaving a little space between each piece so they can brown. Spoon any leftover marinade over the thighs.
9. 5️⃣ Bake covered
10. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 min so the rice absorbs most of the stock and the chicken cooks through.
11. 6️⃣ Brown and finish
12. Remove the foil and return the pan to the oven. Bake uncovered 10–15 min more at 200°C (400°F), until the chicken is nicely browned on top and the rice is tender and fluffy. If the top needs extra color, switch to broil for 2–3 min, watching closely.
13. 7️⃣ Rest and serve
14. Let the pan rest 5 min out of the oven. Fluff the rice gently around the chicken with a fork. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges and spoonfuls of cool yogurt on the side.

Total Time

⌚ Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 35–40 min
😌 Rest: 5 min
⏱️ Total: 1 h 5–10 min

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