Better than Halal Guys Chicken and Rice
Inspired by the Halal Guys Chicken and Rice, this recipe turns the flavours up making it a crowd favorite!
Servings 4
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup light olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pound chicken breast/boneless thigh diced into 1.5 inch cubes
- Generous dollop yogurt – I used greek since I had it on hand for the white sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
Rice:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
ER’s White Sauce:
- 10 oz. Greek yogurt
- ½ c. mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1.5 Tbsp. lemon juice ½ lemon
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1-2 tsp dill dry or fresh
- 1 tbsp cold water
- Salt to taste
Harissa (Spicy Sauce):
- 10-12 dried red chili peppers (or 2tbsp chilli flakes)
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice
- Iceberg Lettuce cut into large chunks for serving
Instructions
- Iceberg Lettuce cut into large chunks for serving
For the Chicken
- Combine all the ingredients – minus the chicken in a blender. Blend, taste, season, and marinade the chicken in this mix for 1-4 hours.
- FIrst Method: On a grill pan or a grill, 2-3 minutes on each side, don't overcook!
- Second Method: Cook in a saucepan till tender. The when it's time to eat spread it out on a lightly greased foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with a little oil and broil for 2-3 minutes to char.
For the Rice:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.
- Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute.
- Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes check on it, if the rice has not cooked through then add a splash of water and continue to let it cook tightly covered.
White Sauce:
- Whisk all the ingredients together. Taste, adjust seasoning.
Harissa:
- Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and deseed. Use your kitchen shears to snip the chillies into a small food processor (I used my magic bullet) and blitz with the olive oil.
- Then add the remaining ingredients and blend to form a smooth paste. Taste – adjust seasoning if necessary, mine was pretty spicy so I used it in moderation.
Putting it Together
- When you’re ready to eat then plate your rice, top with chicken, drizzle with white sauce, serve the hot sauce on the side or drizzle it across the top as well. Add some iceberg on the side and enjoy. Mmmmm…
Notes
Be careful when cooking your chicken, chicken breast can dry up if overcooked!
This is a great recipe for entertaining! the chicken and rice are kid friendly and sauces can be served on the side for spice happy adults!
