Crispy rice has been the star of so many recipes lately. Salads, sushi bowls, sheet pans, and so much more. So why not make it shawarma style?
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Try my Crispy Rice Salad
If you have old rice sitting in your fridge, this is hands down the best way to revive it.
This salad is fresh, flavorful, and hits all the right notes when it comes to crunch, spice, and tang.
Every single bite gives you a mix of crispy rice, juicy meat, fresh cucumbers, and creamy sauce. A fast and delicious recipe for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- For the crispy rice, you'll need cooked rice, oil, and shawarma spice mix.
- For the beef shawarma, we need ground beef, shawarma seasoning, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt.
- For the salad, you can actually put in any fresh vegetables you like. Here I used cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and optional pickles.
- For the creamy sauce, I used yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and salt.
Pro Tip
Treating the ground beef like a smash burger is the secret to getting those deeply flavorful, crispy, caramelized edges that mimic traditional spit-roasted shawarma.
Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad (Viral Recipe)
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 2 cups cooked leftover rice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Shawarma spice mix homemade or store bought
For the Beef Shawarma:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ½ tablespoon shawarma spice mix
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder optional
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to your liking
For the salad:
- 4-5 Persian cucumbers sliced
- ½ sliced red onion
- 1-2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapeño optional
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
For the white sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt Greek or regular
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1-2 large garlic clove minced
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt and pepper to your liking
Instructions
Make the rice:
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Place rice on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle shawarma spice over. Mix all well with hands and spread into a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes tossing halfway through and start checking after 20 minutes so it will not burn.
- You can also air fry on 400°F/200°C for 10-12 minutes.
Make the sauce:
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl, taste to adjust seasoning then refrigerate.
Make the Shawarma:
- Place the ground beef on a plate and press a little to flatten. Sprinkle top with 1 tablespoon of the shawarma seasoning.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the ground beef slap seasoned side down.
- Do not break it apart and leave it for 3-4 minutes until a nice brown crust forms.
- Season the top side with the remaining half tablespoon of shawarma seasoning.
- Using a spatula flip the meat to the other side and wait for a couple of minutes to brown that side too before breaking the meat up into bite sized chunks.
- Sprinkle the beef with salt, vinegar and garlic powder is using. Give it a good stir to combine.
Assemble the salad:
- In a large bowl add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and the pickled jalapeño if using.
- Add meat chunks, rice and drizzle with half the white sauce. Mix them all well, taste to adjust salt.
- Serve with more sauce on the side.
Nutrition
How to Make Crispy Rice Salad
1- Spread leftover rice on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with shawarma spice mix. Mix thoroughly with your hands, spread into a single layer and bake tossing halfway.
2- Flatten ground beef slightly on a plate. Sprinkle the top with some shawarma seasoning. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Slap the beef into the pan, seasoned side down. Season the top side with the remaining shawarma spices.
3- Let it sear for 3–4 minutes until a deep, dark brown crust forms then flip the whole block over. Let the other side brown for 2 minutes. Now, break the meat into chunky, bite sized pieces. Stir in the salt, white vinegar, and garlic powder.
4- In a large bowl, toss together sliced Persian cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes, sliced red onion, and diced pickled jalapeños. Add the warm beef chunks and crispy rice. Drizzle with half of the white sauce, toss to combine, and serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side.
FAQs
Yes, you can easily prep the sauce, chop the veggies, and brown the beef ahead of time. When ready to eat, just crisp up the rice, warm the beef, and assemble!
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind the rice will soften over time, though it will still taste great. For maximum crispiness, enjoy it the same day it's made.
This recipe works beautifully with ground chicken, turkey, or lamb. If you want a vegetarian version, use canned chickpeas, toss them in the shawarma seasoning and roast them right alongside the rice.
Want more volume? Build the bowl over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce or shredded cabbage.
Top your bowl with crumbled feta cheese, fresh mint or parsley, a drizzle of tahini, or a spoonful of hummus.
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