Chicken Over Rice
This easy halal cart chicken over rice recipe combines savory, spice-rubbed chicken with fluffy yellow rice, drizzled with creamy white sauce. Make it from scratch in your own kitchen!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ pounds skin-on boneless chicken thighs excess skin trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sour Cream Sauce
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon za'atar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3-4 tablespoons milk enough to thin the sour cream so that you can drizzle it
For the Rice
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
To Serve
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 ½ cups fresh diced tomato
- ½ cup diced peeled cucumber
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Add the spice rub. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken thighs, olive oil, garlic, and all the spices. Toss to coat the chicken on all sides with the oil and spices. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Oven method. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place the chicken thighs on the baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken registers at 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Air fryer method. You could also cook the chicken thighs in the air fryer. Start by preheating the air fryer to 390ºF. Place the chicken thighs in the basket (no wire rack), skin side down. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook it skin side up for 10-12 minutes more. The chicken is done when the skin is crispy and the chicken registers at 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool and slice. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes, then slice it into strips or bite-sized pieces.
Make the Rice
- When to make it. Do this while the chicken is cooking.
- Stovetop method. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the rice to coat it with the butter. Add all the remaining rice ingredients, stir well. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. The rice is done when it's fluffy. Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Instant pot method. Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté and melt the butter. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the rice. Add all the remaining rice ingredients to your Instant Pot. Give it a good stir, then seal the lid and press the "rice" button.
Make the Sour Cream Drizzle
- When to make it. Do this when the chicken and rice are almost done.
- Mix. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream sauce ingredients. Stir well.
To Serve
- Layer everything in a bowl and add toppings. Spoon the rice into individual bowls and top with the sliced chicken. Add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and diced cucumbers to the bowl. Finish with a generous drizzle of the sour cream sauce. Tuck some pieces of pita or naan bread into the side of the bowl and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1321mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg
