Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice
If you’ve never been to Halal Guys in New York (they’ve expanded all over the place now!), you’re seriously missing out. I had a craving for it a few weeks ago, and since they have yet to open up shop near me, I decided to attempt to make it at home. I was so pleased to find how extremely easy it is to recreate this delicious dish at home! It’s filling, nutritious, and packed full of all my favorite middle-eastern flavors. This one immediately made it into regular rotation at our house. You’ve got to try it out!
Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice
yield 4-6 servings
For the Chicken:
- 6-8 chicken breast tenderloins (or 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- Juice of one lemon
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Morton kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1/4 olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp honey or 1/2 tsp sugar
Place chicken in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Combine all ingredients and pour into a bag on top of chicken. Move the chicken around until all pieces are coated. Let marinate 1 to 4 hours, flipping the bag periodically. When ready to cook, pat each piece of chicken dry with a paper towel. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat and cook chicken until cooked through, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (cook in two batches if necessary). Alternatively, this chicken is great grilled. Allow chicken to rest before roughly chopping into 1/4 to 1/2-inch chunks.
For the Rice:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 c jasmine or basmati rice
- 2 1/2 c chicken broth*
- Kosher salt
Melt butter over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth (*or water and chicken bouillon). Season to taste with salt. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from heat and allow to rest until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. If using a rice cooker, measure 2 cups of rice using the rice cooker’s measuring cup. Add broth until it reaches the 2 cup line on your rice cooker, then add remaining ingredients. Cook normally.
For the White Sauce:
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp distilled vinegar
- 1/4-1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or squeeze bottle. (I like to add it all to a squeeze bottle and then just shake it up!)
To Serve:
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce thinly chopped
- 1 large tomato, cut into wedges
- Fluffy pocketless pita (I like Papa Pita brand), warmed and cut into pieces
- Harissa-style hot sauce, for serving (if desired)
Plate each dish with rice, chicken, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes (I also like to add sliced cucumbers and pita). Drizzle white sauce (and hot sauce, if using) over meat.