After the huge success of my Chicken Shawarma recipe, I transformed it into a complete, one-pot rice dish.
This Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice delivers bold, street-food flavors using affordable, easy-to-find ingredients. It’s effortless, fast, and packed with aromatic spices that infuse both the chicken and rice. Give your Instant Pot some credit—this is as simple and delicious as it gets.
NOTE: I updated the written recipe to prevent burn notices on more sensitive pots. The photos show the original steps, but follow the instructions in the recipe card below—the final result is the same and just as incredible.
Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice
Inspired by my Chicken Shawarma, this recipe turns the flavors into a satisfying, all-in-one rice meal cooked quickly in the Instant Pot.
10 minutes
3 minutes
17 minutes
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (or 1/4 cup olive oil to make dairy-free)
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 3 cups garlic or chicken broth (example: 3 teaspoons garlic bouillon + 3 cups water)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
Optional Toppings
- Tzatziki
- Dill pickles, diced
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (More/High). Add olive oil and butter. Once melted, add the diced onion and sauté about 3 minutes until softened and the color begins to fade.
- Add the chicken strips and crushed garlic. Sauté about 3 minutes, until the chicken is pinkish-white.
- Add the broth, curry powder, paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and optional crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne. Stir to combine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Spread the rinsed rice evenly over the mixture—do not stir the rice into the chicken; smooth it on top.
- Secure the lid and move the valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook on High for 3 minutes. When cooking finishes, allow a 10-minute natural release, then perform a quick release.
- Open the lid, gently stir the rice to combine, transfer to a serving dish, and top with tzatziki and diced dill pickles if desired.
Chef’s Tips
Adjust heat: cayenne and red pepper flakes add noticeable spice when mixed into the rice—use 1/4 teaspoon each or omit if you prefer milder flavors. For firmer rice, pressure cook 1 minute instead of 3. For brown rice, pressure cook 18 minutes with the same 10-minute natural release. To make this dairy-free, skip the butter and increase olive oil to 1/4 cup.