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You are here: Home / Recipes / Middle Eastern-Spiced Chicken and Rice

Middle Eastern-Spiced Chicken and Rice

Published: Jul 22, 2022 · Modified: Jul 12, 2024 by Chef Grey

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Chicken and Rice is a classic dish. We've used Middle Eastern spices to give it an international flair!

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice
Jump to:
  • Too Much Rice?
  • Middle Eastern Chicken Rocks!
  • Ingredients You'll Need
  • Make This Delicious Chicken and Rice!
  • Eat, Comment, Share, and Follow!
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments

Too Much Rice?

That's what Debbie said when she saw this photo. She's right, I should have gone lighter on the starch, and this plate needs a side dish. A cool Cucumber, Tomato, and Radish Salad would pair perfectly with this spicy recipe!

Middle Eastern Chicken Rocks!

We love this recipe... tasty chicken and rice with a bit of crunch. The recipe that inspired this dish included oregano and curry. Oregano is Mediterranean, and curry is Indian. Neither one is typically used in Middle Eastern recipes. I substituted some of the spices found in baharat, a common Middle Eastern spice mix.

Baharat is one of those blends where every family has their own secret mix of spices and quantities, but there are some ingredients that are fairly common. I used cumin, coriander, cardamon, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (And no oregano.)

Ingredients You'll Need

For the Chicken

  • chicken thighs
  • garlic
  • lemon juice
  • black pepper
  • paprika
  • ground cumin
  • ground coriander
  • ground cardamom
  • salt
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground nutmeg
  • olive oil

For the Rice

  • onion
  • garlic
  • basmati rice
  • ground turmeric
  • ground cumin
  • chicken broth
  • water
  • salt

Make This Delicious Chicken and Rice!

Make the Chicken

Here's what you'll need to marinate the chicken: chicken thighs, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice chicken ingredients

Put the chicken in a bowl or large resealable bag. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Marinating in the refrigerator overnight is better!

Safety Tip: In general, chicken (raw or cooked) should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, don't leave chicken out for more than one hour.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice chicken mixed with spices

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the chicken in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat, skin side down. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice chicken cooking skin side down

Flip the chicken over and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice chicken cooking skin side up

Make the Rice

The rice ingredients: chicken stock, rice, olive oil, spice, garlic, and onion.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice rice ingredients

Add the onions to the pan. (You might want to pour some of the chicken fat out. Or wipe that pan out and add a tablespoon of olive oil.) Sauté until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice cooking onions

Add the garlic, rice, turmeric, and cumin and sauté for about 1 minute, until the rice just starts to turn golden. I know, it's hard to tell when it's golden with all that turmeric!

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice added rice and spices

Add the chicken broth, water, and salt to the pan. Mix well and and bring to a simmer.

Elevate the Dish! If you want a burst of sweetness in the rice, add ¼ cup of golden raisins, currants, or chopped dried apricots at this point.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice added chicken stock and water

Put the cooked chicken thighs on top of the rice and liquid. Once the liquid has begun to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven.

Elevate the Dish! Scatter some lemon slices over the chicken before it goes into the oven.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice added chicken back to pan

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. The rice will be a bit crunchy on the top and bottom, but that's a good thing!

Take the pan out of the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice out of the oven

Garnish with chopped parsley or mint, and serve with sumac and lemon or lime wedges.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice plated

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Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice

Middle Eastern-Spiced Chicken and Rice

Chef Grey
Chicken and Rice is a classic dish. We've used Middle Eastern spices to give it an international flair!
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Oven Temp 375°F
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Method Oven, Stovetop
Servings 6
Calories 377 kcal

Special Equipment Needed

  • 1 Large skillet

Ingredients
 

For the Chicken

  • 4-6 chicken thighs skin on, bone in
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Rice

  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 ½ cups basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

Make the Chicken

  • Combine the chicken and all the ingredients for the chicken in a large bowl or resealable bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
    4-6 chicken thighs, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Put the chicken in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat, skin side down. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken over and cook the other side until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Make the Rice

  • Add the onions to the pan and sauté until they become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
    1 small onion
  • Add the garlic, rice, turmeric, and cumin and sauté for about 1 minute, until the rice just starts to turn golden.
    2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ cups basmati rice, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Add the chicken broth, water, and salt and bring to a simmer. Put the cooked chicken thighs on top of the rice and liquid. Once the liquid has begun to simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven.
    1 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley or mint, and serve with sumac and lemon or lime wedges.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 17gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 864mgPotassium: 302mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg

Inspired By

http://www.evseats.com/one-pot-middle-eastern-chicken-rice/
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Hi, I'm Grey. My wife Debbie and I love to explore flavors, cuisines, and cooking techniques. We hope we can inspire you to try something new, because Variety is the Spice of Your Life!

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