The viral crispy rice salad gets a delicious chicken shawarma–inspired update: juicy, well-spiced chicken, crisp fresh vegetables, and spicy, crunchy rice finished with a creamy garlicky tahini dressing. This version works beautifully in an oven or speeds up in an air fryer.
Chicken Shawarma Salad, at a Glance
⏰ Total time: 40 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 4
Key ingredients: chicken thighs, rice, harissa paste, tahini, crunchy vegetables
Skill level: Beginner-friendly
Protein: ~41 g per serving
Cooking method: Oven or air fryer
Perfect for: High-protein weeknight dinners, meal prep lunches, or a hearty salad that doesn’t feel like a salad
Why You’ll Love This Salad
This crispy rice salad combines contrast and flavor: crunchy, seasoned rice; tender, spiced chicken; salty pan-fried halloumi; and a silky garlic-tahini dressing. It stores well and can be adapted easily with what you have on hand. If you want to save time, the air fryer crisps both rice and chicken quickly; the oven works just as well if you prefer.
- Packed with texture and color — the crispy rice gives the salad a satisfying crunch.
- Flexible: swap proteins or vegetables, use leftover roast chicken, or make it ahead for quick lunches.
- Air-fryer friendly: speeds up cooking for rice, chicken, and halloumi without losing flavor.
“UNREAL!! Easy, so much flavor, great textures. We’ve even been fighting over the leftovers 😅”
– Elsa
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless thighs are ideal for juiciness, but breasts or leftover rotisserie chicken also work.
- Rice. Long-grain rice is used here. Cooked, cooled rice crisps best; you can use microwave rice for speed.
- Harissa paste. Adds heat and depth; substitute another chili paste (gochujang, red curry paste, or sriracha) if needed.
- Halloumi. Firm cheese that crisps up nicely; crumble feta as an alternative if you prefer.
- Vegetables and herbs. Cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, red onion, and flat-leaf parsley give freshness and crunch.
- Tahini dressing. Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and water form a creamy, garlicky sauce that ties everything together.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad
Below is a clear, step-by-step method. Quantities and a printable recipe are included further down.
- Toss the chicken with harissa (or the spice blend), crushed garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and the ground spices.
- Mix harissa, olive oil, turmeric, and salt through cooked, cooled rice.
- Air-fry or oven-bake the rice until golden and crispy.
- Cook the chicken until charred and cooked through. Add halloumi toward the end to crisp and brown.
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and combine with the fresh vegetables, herbs, and halloumi. Top with the crispy rice.
- Drizzle the garlic-tahini dressing over the salad, toss gently, and serve with extra dressing on the side.
Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad FAQs
Yes. The salad keeps well refrigerated for up to four days, but the crispy rice will soften if mixed with the dressing. For best texture, store rice separately and add it just before serving.
Absolutely. For oven cooking: crisp the rice at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 minutes and roast the chicken at 450°F (230°C) for about 20–25 minutes until nicely charred, adding halloumi for the final five minutes.
Make it your own: red bell pepper, pickles, fresh mint, charred corn, broccolini, or crunchy red cabbage all work well. Swap cheeses or add a sprinkle of toasted nuts or dukkah for extra texture.
Watch How to Make the Shawarma Salad
If you prefer a video guide, search for a demonstration to follow along — the method is the same: marinate and cook the chicken, crisp the rice, pan-fry halloumi, make the tahini dressing, then assemble.
Like this recipe? Try these crispy rice salads next
If you make this salad, leave a rating or comment below and tag your photos on social media if you like — it’s always lovely to see your recreations.
Juicy Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad
A shawarma-inspired crispy rice salad with spiced, juicy chicken, crunchy vegetables, salty halloumi, and a creamy garlic-tahini dressing. Air fryer or oven friendly.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- For the crispy rice
- 2 cups cooked rice (or 3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice)
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For the chicken
- 1 lb (500 g) chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- For the salad
- 4 oz (100 g) halloumi, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 10 oz (300 g) tomatoes, diced
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- For the garlic tahini dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Water to thin (start with 1/3 cup)
Method
- Cook the rice (skip if you have leftover rice). Use 2/3 cup uncooked rice with 1 cup water in a small lidded pan. Bring to a brief boil, cover, reduce to low and cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat and steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff and chill on a tray before crisping.
- Marinate the chicken. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C fan) or prepare your air fryer. Combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and crushed garlic. Toss chicken in the marinade. Marinate up to 24 hours if desired.
- Cook chicken and halloumi. In the oven: place chicken on a parchment-lined tray and roast 15 minutes, then add diced halloumi and roast another 10 minutes until chicken is charred and halloumi golden. In an air fryer: cook chicken 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), add halloumi, and cook 5 more minutes.
- Crisp the rice (oven). Spread the cooked chilled rice on a parchment-lined tray, toss with olive oil, harissa paste, turmeric, and salt. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 minutes, checking and turning the tray at 15–20 minutes to avoid burning.
- Crisp the rice (air fryer). Toss cooled rice with olive oil, harissa, turmeric, and salt. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, shake, then air fry another 5 minutes until golden and crunchy.
- Make the tahini dressing. In a jar or bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt, and crushed garlic. Add about 1/3 cup water, whisking until smooth; adjust water or tahini to reach desired consistency.
- Assemble the salad. Chop cooked chicken, then in a large bowl combine chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, red onion, parsley, and crispy halloumi. Sprinkle the crispy rice on top, drizzle most of the tahini dressing, toss gently, and serve with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
Timing: If you cook rice from scratch and use the oven, allow extra time. Air fryer timings are slightly faster.
Make-ahead: Store salad components separately. The assembled salad will keep for up to four days in the fridge, but the rice will soften once dressed.
Variations: Add pickles, red bell pepper, or red cabbage. Use feta instead of halloumi, or sprinkle toasted dukkah for extra crunch. Microwave rice is a quick shortcut.
Nutrition (approx. per serving)
Calories: 668 kcal • Carbohydrates: 46.3 g • Protein: 40.7 g • Fat: 36.9 g • Fiber: 4.8 g • Sodium: 1416 mg