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I remember the first time I tried this was around Christmas in NYC. It was close to midnight, we were starving and wanted something quick except for hot dogs so my friend suggested chicken and rice. Long story short, I became obsessed. The chicken had a smoky taste and the rice was simple but perfection with white and hot sauce.
The only downside is that I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to chicken. I despise chicken fat. Boneless chicken thighs can be delicious and tender but super fatty. I prefer to make them at home for that very reason.
I used long grain rice for this and boneless chicken thighs. Feel free to use chicken breast and short grain rice if it’s what you have on hand, however, I highly recommend long grain rice.
Make sure to season the chicken to your liking as long as you include cumin and coriander. Those are the 2 star ingredients.
You can serve the chicken like this or slice it into bite sized pieces.
Homemade white sauce, hot sauce, naan, salad, and cilantro.
Halal NYC Cart Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Rice
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp turmeric
- salt to taste
White Sauce
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup mayonaise
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 garlic clove
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- Season the chicken with coriander, cumin, granulated onion, fresh minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Refrigerate chicken for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the chicken for about 6-7 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and any excess oil, only leaving about 1-2 tbsp of oil.
- Cover the chicken with aluminum foil.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the rice and turmeric and stir it for about 15 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth while deglazing the bottom of the skillet and season with salt.
- Let the rice come to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to low and slightly cover.
- Cook the rice for 15-20 minutes or until done.
- Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, warm naan, white sauce, and Sriracha.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
