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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.
I’ve made a countless number of your recipes over the years & this one is another 15/10!!!
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed this!
I realized In my original comment I did not give a rating for this recipe. It is definitely FIVE STARS!!
Made this as my meal prep lunch this week using chicken breasts instead of thighs. Also made a Lebanese inspired slaw to add freshness. Really enjoyed! Excited to look through your website to find more skillet meals that are super easy and delicious!
Love the slaw addition! Glad you enjoyed this recipe and excited fro you to try more. Thanks for the review!
Alex – this is sooo delicious. I made it two days in a row!! One of my favorite recipes from you (and I’ve made so many!) Husband was full of compliments throughout AND after dinner 🙂 perfect for weeknights!
Love to hear it! Thank you!
My husband and I absolutely loved this! I left out the turmeric because it’s not my favorite and it was still 10/10
Flavor bomb! This was absolutely delicious and easy to make! Even our pickiest child asked for more and to make again for dinner tomorrow night.
Now that is a win! Thanks for the review!
WOW! Instant favorite! One of the best spice blends I’ve ever tried and the entire dish was SO FLAVORFUL. Definitely going in the recipe vault.
Amazing! So glad to hear that. Thank you for the comment!
WOW, when I saw this recipe I immediately saved it because I wanted to recreate the halal bowl I had in NYC last year. To the reviewer that complained about the # of ingredients, that’s ridiculous. I had all but 2 ingredients on hand. I did substitute lamb chops instead of chicken (for nostalgia purposes only!) and rather than make the white sauce from scratch, I bought Sir Kensington’s garlic everything sauce, literally only for convenience. The spice mix was to die for and the rice was amazing due to cooking it w/ the meat. Thank you Alex for recreating our favorite halal dish to make at home!
wow! so glad it was a hit! and great idea on using the Sir Kensington’s sauce! I love their products but haven’t tried that one yet!
This was honestly really good! I omitted the sugar in the white sauce, added a little extra garlic to the white sauce (which was *chefs kiss*) and added some sliced red onion to the plate. Love that it’s a one pot dish and was pretty easy to make!
This was so delicious and flavorful!! Thank you, Alex, for your amazing recipes!
Thank you, Bobbie!