+ ---
+ title: Chicken shawarma bowls with lemon yellow rice
+ lede: Lemon-and-spice chicken breast over turmeric rice from the cooker, built for macros with a garlic yogurt sauce and a pile of raw vegetables.
+ eyebrow: WEEKNIGHT / SHAWARMA
+ tags: [weeknight, high-protein]
+ serves: "4"
+ total_time: "50m"
+ hero: photos/hero.jpg
+ ---
+
+ ## Ingredients
+
+ ### Chicken
+ - 680 g | boneless skinless chicken breast
+ - 1.5 tbsp | olive oil
+ - 1 | lemon, juiced
+ - 4 cloves | garlic, minced
+ - 2 tsp | ground cumin
+ - 1 tsp | ground coriander
+ - 1.5 tsp | smoked paprika
+ - 0.5 tsp | ground turmeric
+ - 0.25 tsp | ground cinnamon
+ - 1 tsp | salt
+ - 0.5 tsp | black pepper
+
+ ### Lemon yellow rice
+ - 300 g | long-grain white rice
+ - 530 ml | chicken broth
+ - 1 tbsp | butter
+ - 0.5 tsp | ground turmeric
+ - 0.5 tsp | ground cumin
+ - 2 cloves | garlic, minced
+ - 0.5 tsp | salt
+ - 0.5 | lemon, juiced
+ - 2 tbsp | parsley, chopped
+
+ ### Bowl
+ - 2 handfuls | romaine lettuce, shredded
+ - 1 | cucumber, diced
+ - 1 | red bell pepper, diced
+ - 0.5 | red onion, thinly sliced
+
+ ### Garlic yogurt sauce
+ - 240 g | plain nonfat Greek yogurt
+ - 1 clove | garlic, minced
+ - 1 tbsp | lemon juice
+ - flaky salt, to taste
+
+ ## Method
+
+ ### Marinate the chicken
+ Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and leave at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
+
+ > note: if you marinate overnight, pull the chicken out 20 minutes before cooking so it isn't fridge-cold on the pan.
+
+ ### Start the rice
+ Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear, roughly 30 seconds, to keep it from turning gummy. Add it to the rice cooker with the broth, butter, turmeric, cumin, garlic and salt, then run a standard white rice cycle.
+
+ 
+
+ ### Mix the sauce
+ Stir together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of flaky salt. Refrigerate until serving so the garlic mellows slightly.
+
+ ### Prep the vegetables
+ Shred the romaine, dice the cucumber and bell pepper, and slice the red onion thin. Keep them separate if you plan to store leftovers.
+
+ ### Cook the chicken
+ Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high. Cook the chicken 6–7 minutes a side, until the internal temperature reads 74°C (165°F). Rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
+
+ 
+
+ ### Finish the rice
+ When the cycle ends, fluff the rice with a fork and fold through the lemon juice and chopped parsley.
+
+ ### Build the bowls
+ Divide the rice among four bowls. Top with sliced chicken, then the lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper and red onion. Spoon over the garlic yogurt sauce.
+
+ > note: for a lower-carb build, swap the yellow rice for cauliflower rice cooked with the same turmeric and cumin — you lose about 20 g of carbs a serving.
