Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad (Viral Recipe)

Close up overhead view of a crispy rice salad bowl with spiced ground meat, creamy white sauce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.

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Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad (Viral Recipe)

Fresh vegetables, pickles, crispy rice topped with juicy ground beef shawarma chunks, and a creamy shawarma white sauce. This crispy rice salad is perfect to use up any leftover rice you have.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Diet: Halal

Servings: servings

Calories: 563kcal

Author: Amira

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