An amazing flavorful chicken shawarma bowl, Fatteh style featuring chicken, rice and toasted bread. Crunchy, filling and topped with easy white shawarma sauce.
Fatteh
Fatteh is a class of Middle Eastern dishes consisting of toasted bread, rice and some sort of meat or veggies. Usually topped with a garlicky sauce. I was introduced to this flavorful dish through an online dear friend. I've made it a couple of times then forgot about it.
One happy day, another foodie friend here in Colorado made this dish for a gathering and since then my little one was hooked. I got the recipe again from her and made it.
First time I made it, I was in a hurry and did not marinate the chicken at all, when my little boy tasted it he liked it but he told me it was not as good as my friend's dish. I asked my friend and she said you need to marinate for some time.
Because usually I do not have time, I decided to start with the chicken, marinate, make the rice and bread then cook the chicken. This will usually give the chicken about 30-40 minutes to be marinated nicely.
This is by all means a very easy and delicious fatteh, shawarma and chicken recipe so consider it a 3 in 1 recipe. You can never go wrong with this one it is a FOOL PROOF recipe.
What is chicken shawarma made of?
Shawarma is made of thin layers of marinated meat ( beef, chicken or lamb) cooked on a spinning vertical broiler. It is one of the signature dishes in the Middle Eastern kitchen.
Is chicken shawarma white meat?
Usually it is. Many people like using white meat over dark meat in shawarma and traditionally it is. For my kids, dark meat is usually best in recipes like shawarma. SO use whatever your family likes.
How to make chicken shawarma fatteh
- In a deep bowl, combine marinade ingredients with vinegar and yogurt then mix well.
- Add cubed chicken and toss well to cover chicken. Cover and refrigerate until you are done with the rest of the ingredients.
- In a pot over medium heat saute rice spices in melted butter or ghee.
- Add rice and mix everything well, add salt and cooking liquid.
- Bring to a boil then lower heat and cover until done.
- Spray a baking sheet or line with parchment paper, spread bread squares over and spray with oil. Bake in a preheated oven until crispy.
- In a big non-stick skillet on medium heat, add butter and oil then stir in the bouillon cube for about 20 seconds.
- Sauté onion until translucent then raise heat to high. Take the chicken out of the marinade and add to the skillet.
- Keep stirring until chicken turns white and most of the liquids evaporate. Add chopped bell peppers and season with salt.
- Reduce heat and cook for another 4-5 minutes until everything is well cooked.
- Assemble the dish by placing the yellow rice first then topped with chicken pieces and arrange crispy pita bread pieces around.
- Make the quick shawarma sauce and spread over the rice and chicken mixture.
Other Shawarma Recipes on the blog
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Chicken Shawarma Fatteh
A Lebanese chicken and rice recipe also know to be Syrian Chicken fatteh recipe. One of the best comfort food in the Middle Easte.
Chicken Shawarma Fatteh Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt.
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder.
- 3-4 crushed garlic cloves about 1 teaspoon.
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
- 1 teaspoon turmeric.
- 1 teaspoon paprika.
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger.
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- 1/4 cup white vinegar.
- 1/4 cup olive oil.
- 3 pounds boneless skinless, chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces.
For cooking the chicken:
- 2 Tablespoon butter.
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil.
- 1 large (175g) onion chopped.
- 1 cube chicken bouillon.
- 1 red bell pepper.
- 1 green bell pepper.
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste.
For the rice:
- 2 cups (400g) Basmati rice washed and soaked for 15 minutes.
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter.
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.
- 4 cups chicken broth or water.
- Salt to taste.
Toasted Bread:
- 3 Lebanese pita bread cut into squares.
- Olive oil spray.
Quick yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise.
- 1 cup full fat yogurt.
- 2 large garlic cloves minced.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and mix well.
- Add chicken pieces then toss to cover with the marinade. Cover and set aside
- Make rice:
- In a pot or rice cooker, melt butter, add cardamom and turmeric then stir for 10 seconds.
- Add rice and mix everything well, add salt and cooking liquid.
- Bring to a boil then lower heat and cover until done.
- Toast the bread:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Spray a baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper, spread bread squares over and spray with oil.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes turning them once in the middle.
- Finish the chicken:
- In a big non-stick skillet on medium heat, add butter and oil then stir in the bouillon cube for about 20 seconds.
- Sauté onion with until translucent then raise heat to high. Take the chicken out of the marinade and add to the skillet.
- Keep stirring the chicken until most of the liquids evaporate and chicken starts to look done.
- Add chopped bell peppers and season with salt.
- Reduce heat and cook for another 4-5 minutes until everything is well cooked.
- Make the yogurt sauce:
- In a medium bowl, combine sauce ingredients and adjust salt to your liking.
- To assemble the dish:
- In a large platter, add rice and arrange toasted bread on the sides. Note1
- Top with chicken mixture and drizzle yogurt sauce on top.
This is a wonderful recipe that my entire family just adores. I have now made this three times in one month since it is such a big hit with the family. The only thing I changed is that I do not toast the pita. Instead I serve the dish with soft fresh pita on the side. I also double the amount of garlic in the yogurt sauce since you can never have too much garlic!
Thank you so much Christine, I am so happy your family loved it. I love your adaptation, thank you for sharing it with us.
I've cooked this 15 times now. This is my go to recipe and is dead on. big THANKS! The only things I do different is omit the bread. substitute yogurt for the mayo in the sauce. then plate serve the chicken on top of the rice and pipe on the sauce with a sandwich bag and extra salt into the rice and chicken. I think the dish is designed to be a bit salty.
Thank you so much Robert for the feedback. When I am short on bread I omit it too :).
This recipe turned out really well 🙂
Because of time constraints, I let the chicken marinate overnight and cooked everything after work the next day. My kids and a visiting friend all liked it and have asked that I make it again. 🙂
Oh Gena, thank you so much for the feedback, I appreciate it. I am happy you liked the recipe.
No wonder your kid loves this recipe. It came out awesome that my 4 years old enjoyed. I cut the chicken smaller so it can be easier for her to eat. Thank you for such a great dinner recipe.
Thanks Dani, I am happy that your little one liked it.