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Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad

Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad is a fresh, flavorful meal with shawarma-spiced chicken and crispy baked rice.
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Prep Time 18 minutes
Course Salad / Main Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern–Inspired

Ingredients
  

For the Crispy Rice

  • 2 cups cooked rice cooled
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Salad

  • 5 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
  • 1 cup baby tomatoes halved
  • ½ red onion finely sliced
  • 3 dill pickles chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh mint chopped

For the Creamy Lemon-Tahini Dressing

  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 –2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Spread the cooled cooked rice on the baking sheet. Toss it with olive oil, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder.
  • Bake for 30–35 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the rice becomes golden and crispy.
  • While the rice bakes, prepare the chicken. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the seasoned chicken and cook until fully cooked and slightly browned. Remove from heat.
  • Prepare the salad by adding cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, chopped pickles, and mint to a large bowl.
  • Add the cooked chicken and crispy rice to the bowl.
  • Prepare the dressing by adding Greek yogurt, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and honey (if using) to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.
  • Serve the Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad immediately for the best texture.

Notes

This salad is best enjoyed fresh while the rice is still crispy. However, leftovers can still be delicious the next day when chilled.