Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

Crispy Rice:

• 2 cups cooked rice, cooled (jasmine recommended)
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Chicken:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Salad:

• 5 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 cup baby tomatoes, halved
• 5 green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 3 dill pickles, chopped
• 1 bunch mint, chopped (1/2 cup)

Creamy Lemon-Tahini Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• (optional: for sweetness, 1-2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup)

Directions:

1. First, prepare the crispy rice topping.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Add cooked and cooled rice to a baking sheet.  Toss with the olive oil and seasonings.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing half way through (Watch to make sure it doesn't burn).  
2. While the rice is in the oven, season chicken and coat well.  Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add chicken.  Cook until fully cooked through, then remove from heat.  Remove the rice from the oven and set aside.  
3. Next, chop/slice all of the ingredients for the salad and add to a large bowl.  Add the chicken and crispy rice on top.
4. Make the dressing.  Blend ingredients for the dressing until smooth and creamy.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Pour over the salad.  Toss and enjoy!

*Recipe from kalejunkie.com