This Pinoy shawarma rice is the dish of your lunch break dreams assembled in the comfort of your own kitchen. No meat on a shawarma spit required, either—we cheat a bit by using pan-seared beef tapa. Expect the classics with everything else: steaming hot, turmeric-yellow rice; the crunchy side salad of tomatoes and cucumbers; the drizzle of creamy garlic yogurt sauce. Prep a big batch and you're set for lunch the entire work week.
What's in Pinoy shawarma rice?
This recipe has four components:
- Beef tapa. Because no home cook has a vertical shawarma rotisserie in their kitchen, we're using beef tapa (hence Pinoy shawarma rice). We treat sliced sirloin in a sweet, garlicky soy marinade with a quick dash of ground cumin.
- Yellow rice. Basmati rice is ideal for its nutty aroma and firm grains, but other long-grains like jasmine will work, too. Turmeric, melted butter, and kasubha all make your rice yellow. If you want extra Pinoy points, use margarine.
- Veggie Side Salad. Thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers tossed in rice vinegar makes for a bright, refreshing side.
- Garlic Yogurt Sauce. The best part of shawarma rice. Just stir in some minced garlic and garlic powder into plain (preferably Greek) yogurt.
Ingredients
Beef Tapa
- 500g beef sirloin, tapa cut
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp ground cumin
Yellow Shawarma Rice
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp kasubha (safflower)
- 2 cups long-grain rice, like jasmine or basmati, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
Tomato-Cucumber Side Salad
- 3 native tomatoes, seeded and sliced thinly
- 2 large Japanese cucumbers, seeded and sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt
Marinate beef: In a large bowl, combine the beef with the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and cumin. Set aside and let marinate for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Make yellow rice: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Once foaming, add turmeric and kasubha to the butter and cook, 3 minutes. Add long-grain rice and stir until grains are toasty and evenly coated with butter, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover pot and cook rice as usual.
Make side salad: Add tomatoes, cucumbers, rice vinegar, and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Toss until vegetables are well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make garlic yogurt sauce: Combine yogurt, garlic, and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl (or in the plastic cup the yogurt came in). Season with salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning, then transfer sauce to a squeeze bottle.
Cook beef: Heat pan over high heat. Add beef and sear until a crust forms, 2 minutes. Flip to sear the second side, another 2 minutes. Remove beef from pan and let rest on a chopping board for 5–7 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice the beef into small bite-sized pieces (about 1cm squares).
Assemble and serve: Divide turmeric rice between bowls. Top rice with chopped beef, then add a spoonful of salad on the side. Drizzle garlic yogurt sauce over everything; the iconic zigzag motion is required. Serve immediately.
This recipe has been updated with new ingredients and an improved procedure in 2024. The original recipe was published in 2015.
