Chicken and Rice is a classic dish. We've used Middle Eastern spices to give it an international flair!
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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.
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.
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 for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Make the Rice
The rice ingredients: chicken stock, rice, olive oil, spice, garlic, and onion.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Garnish with chopped parsley or mint, and serve with sumac and lemon or lime wedges.
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📖 Recipe Card
Middle Eastern-Spiced Chicken and Rice
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
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