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This Halal Guys-Inspired Chicken and Rice Skillet is sure to become a favorite when you are craving those Halal flavors at home!
The flavors of this recipe are inspired by the chicken and rice bowls created by Halal food trucks and The Halal Guys restaurants, if you are familiar. To simplify this recipe for the homecooked version, I decided to make this into one skillet and I love how it turned out.
You’ll start by making your spice blend that will be used for both the chicken and the rice. Once your chicken is seared, you will begin your rice then add your chicken back into the skillet to let it finish cooking along with the rice. While your chicken and rice cook, you can quickly whip up the delicious Halal white sauce, plus get your toppings ready for serving.
Ingredients: For the Skillet
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Turmeric
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Avocado Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Basmati White Rice
- Lemon Zest and Juice
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Fresh Parsley
- Plus a few more ingredients for the White Sauce and serving!
Step-by-Step:
Step One: Make the Seasoning Blend
In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step Two: Season the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry then season both sides of the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture, reserving the rest for the rice.
Step Three: Sear the Chicken
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook on both sides until a golden-brown crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked yet. Set the browned chicken on a clean plate and set aside.
Step Four: Start the Rice
Reduce the heat beneath the skillet to medium. Add the butter and let melt. Next, add the onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toss to combine. Stir in the remaining spice mixture and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, to toast the rice and spices, about 2 minutes.
Step Five: Continue Cooking the Chicken and Rice
Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and parsley and stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to a light simmer and nestle the chicken and any of its juices back into the skillet. Cover and cook, simmering lightly, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat but keep the cover on and allow the rice to steam for another 5 more minutes.
Step Six: Make the White Sauce
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the white sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Step Seve: Serve and Enjoy!
To serve, ladle the chicken and rice in a shallow bowl. Add some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, a drizzle of the white sauce, and a drizzle of sriracha. Serve with warm pita and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! It lasts for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
I would store the chicken and rice in glass containers separate from the toppings so you can easily pop them into the oven to reheat! You can warm in the oven at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through, then top with the shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, a drizzle of the white sauce, and a drizzle of sriracha.
This Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice Skillet is great for meal prep and is sure to become a family favorite! Comment below once you make it!
want even more chicken recipes? try these!
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemony White Beans
Creamy Ricotta Chicken and Orzo Skillet
Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Rice Skillet:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (about ½ an onion)
- 1 cup basmati white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
For the White Sauce:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar (sub coconut sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves
Optional, For Serving:
- 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- Warm pita bread
- Sriracha
Instructions
Make the Chicken and Rice Skillet:
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry then season both sides of the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture, reserving the rest for the rice.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook on both sides until a golden-brown crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked yet. Set the browned chicken on a clean plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and let melt. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and toss to combine. Stir in the remaining spice mixture and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, to toast the rice and spices, about 2 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and parsley and stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to a light simmer and nestle the chicken and any of its juices back into the skillet. Cover and cook, simmering lightly, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat but keep the cover on and allow the rice to steam for another 5 more minutes.
Make the White Sauce:
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the white sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Serve:
- To serve, ladle the chicken and rice in a shallow bowl. Add some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, a drizzle of the white sauce, and a drizzle of sriracha. Serve with warm pita and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
new fav in our house! Everyone loved it, went back for more and couldn’t wait to eat it for lunch the next day. Making it again this weekend. Super easy and I had every spice on hand already.
This is delicious!! Kids loved it too!
I would give this 10 stars if I could! All kids, ages 18 mo, 5, 10 and 13 demolished their plates and got seconds. May be one of my faves from Defined Dish!
This was devoured by my family! Will definitely make again.Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was so good! I appreciated that I had most of these ingredients already in my fridge and it came together quickly after work. My boyfriend also loved it and has already asked me to make it again ha! Thank you!
That’s always a good sign when they already ask you to make again! Thanks for the comment
so delicious! i marinated the chicken thighs overnight with half the spice mix (as Alex mentions) and some lemon juice and olive oil, and followed the rest of the directions. everything was so yummy, and made a lot for meal prep! my bf said it tasted just like restaurant quality 🙂
Amazing! Thanks for the comment!
Made this last night and it was SO GOOD. All four of my kids and my husband inhaled it, which always feels like a victory. Alex, your recipes are so consistently delicious and such crowd pleasers at my house. Thank you!
That is such a win! Glad to hear y’all enjoyed this. Thanks for the comment!
This was superb! We used chicken tenderloin instead of thighs, but that was our only substitution. The white sauce = perfection! Served with warm naan. My daughter already requested it for her birthday meal!
Love to hear that! Thanks for the review!
Delish!! a cleaned up version of halal guys : )
SO good! The whole family loved this! Loved the fresh veggies alongside the chicken and rice. The white sauce over it all was fantastic, this will definitely be a recipe we repeat time and time again!