High Protein Butter Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls
Dive into a mouthwatering fusion with our High Protein Butter Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls! Succulent shawarma-spiced chicken meets a rich, velvety butter chicken sauce, all nestled atop a bed of fluffy golden rice. Paired with a crisp side salad, this vibrant dish packs a flavorful punch at just 520 calories—perfect for a satisfying meal any night of the week!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(9)
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- Squeeze of Lemonoptional
- Lemon Juice
- 1 Medium Onion Sliced
- Chopped Parsleyoptional
- Sliced Red Onionoptional
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powderoptional
- 2 Large Tomatoes Chopped or 1 Canned Tomatoesor 1 canned tomatoes
- Chopped Tomatooptional
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 800g Chicken Breast Cubed (1.76 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 30g Light Butter (Brand: Lurpak) (2.1 tbsp)
- 120g Low Fat Yogurt (4.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 40g Cashew Nuts (1.41 oz)
- 500g Cooked Basmati Rice (17.6 oz)
- 2 tsp Olive Oil (10 ml)
- 20-30g Tomato Paste (0.71-1.06 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(10)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Cumin (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Garam Masala (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder (5 ml)
- 2 tsp Onion Powder (10 ml)
- 2 tsp Paprika (10 ml)
- 1 tsp Paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Salt & Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt, Pepper
- 1 tsp Turmeric (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Slice your chicken into strips, add fresh garlic, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, onion powder, cinnamon, paprika, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix till the color changes, then oven or air fry on the settings listed.
- 2
Add light butter to a pan with sliced onion. Cook for 5 minutes before adding fresh tomatoes, cashew nuts, and butter chicken seasoning. Cook till soft, turn off the heat, add low-fat yogurt, then mix.
- 3
Pat it all in a blender cup, blend till smooth, serve with golden rice, shawarma chicken, a side of salad, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate the chicken strips for 30-45 minutes minimum because the acid in lemon juice breaks down muscle proteins, increasing tenderness by up to 25% while the oil creates a barrier that prevents moisture loss during high-heat cooking.timing30-45 minutes
- ✓Cook the cashew-tomato base until tomatoes release 70-80% of their water content (they'll look wrinkled and concentrated) before adding yogurt, as excess moisture will cause the dairy to curdle when blended.technique70-80% water loss
- ✓Temper the yogurt by adding 2-3 tablespoons of the hot cashew mixture to it first, then stir back into the pan off heat - this prevents the proteins from seizing and creating a grainy sauce.technique2-3 tablespoons
- ✓Air fry the marinated chicken at 380°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, because this temperature creates the Maillard reaction for browning while keeping internal temp at 165°F for food safety.equipment380°F, 12-15 minutes
- ✓Soak cashews in hot water for 10-15 minutes before blending to soften their cellular structure, which reduces blending time by 50% and creates a silkier sauce texture.ingredient10-15 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
High Protein Butter Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls
Dive into a mouthwatering fusion with our High Protein Butter Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls! Succulent shawarma-spiced chicken meets a rich, velvety butter chicken sauce, all nestled atop a bed of fluffy golden rice. Paired with a crisp side salad, this vibrant dish packs a flavorful punch at just 520 calories—perfect for a satisfying meal any night of the week!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(9)
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- Squeeze of Lemonoptional
- Lemon Juice
- 1 Medium Onion Sliced
- Chopped Parsleyoptional
- Sliced Red Onionoptional
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powderoptional
- 2 Large Tomatoes Chopped or 1 Canned Tomatoesor 1 canned tomatoes
- Chopped Tomatooptional
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 800g Chicken Breast Cubed (1.76 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 30g Light Butter (Brand: Lurpak) (2.1 tbsp)
- 120g Low Fat Yogurt (4.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 40g Cashew Nuts (1.41 oz)
- 500g Cooked Basmati Rice (17.6 oz)
- 2 tsp Olive Oil (10 ml)
- 20-30g Tomato Paste (0.71-1.06 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(10)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Cumin (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Garam Masala (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder (5 ml)
- 2 tsp Onion Powder (10 ml)
- 2 tsp Paprika (10 ml)
- 1 tsp Paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp Salt & Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt, Pepper
- 1 tsp Turmeric (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Slice your chicken into strips, add fresh garlic, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, onion powder, cinnamon, paprika, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix till the color changes, then oven or air fry on the settings listed.
- 2
Add light butter to a pan with sliced onion. Cook for 5 minutes before adding fresh tomatoes, cashew nuts, and butter chicken seasoning. Cook till soft, turn off the heat, add low-fat yogurt, then mix.
- 3
Pat it all in a blender cup, blend till smooth, serve with golden rice, shawarma chicken, a side of salad, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate the chicken strips for 30-45 minutes minimum because the acid in lemon juice breaks down muscle proteins, increasing tenderness by up to 25% while the oil creates a barrier that prevents moisture loss during high-heat cooking.timing30-45 minutes
- ✓Cook the cashew-tomato base until tomatoes release 70-80% of their water content (they'll look wrinkled and concentrated) before adding yogurt, as excess moisture will cause the dairy to curdle when blended.technique70-80% water loss
- ✓Temper the yogurt by adding 2-3 tablespoons of the hot cashew mixture to it first, then stir back into the pan off heat - this prevents the proteins from seizing and creating a grainy sauce.technique2-3 tablespoons
- ✓Air fry the marinated chicken at 380°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, because this temperature creates the Maillard reaction for browning while keeping internal temp at 165°F for food safety.equipment380°F, 12-15 minutes
- ✓Soak cashews in hot water for 10-15 minutes before blending to soften their cellular structure, which reduces blending time by 50% and creates a silkier sauce texture.ingredient10-15 minutes