Middle Eastern-Style Chicken and Rice

Start by making the marinade for the chicken. Add all of the chicken ingredients, with the exception of the chicken, to a food processor, and process until the garlic is broken down and you have a nice marinade. Add the chicken to a zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Move everything around in the bag, then seal, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or go longer if you desire.

Next, make the yogurt sauce. Add all of the yogurt sauce into a mixing bowl, stir to incorporate everything, and taste. Adjust lemon juice or salt to your preference. (This sauce goes great with a lot of stuff.)

Next, make the rice. Heat a medium sized pot on medium heat, and add in the butter. Let that melt, then add in the turmeric and cumin, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Next add in the basmati rice, and give it a good stir. Keep stirring for about 2 minutes, then add in the stock and salt. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes. Once the rice has fully absorbed the stock, fluff with a fork, uncover, and set to the side.

Next, make the chicken. Into a large skillet on medium-high heat, add the chicken. Spread it out and leave it untouched for about 5 minutes, then flip the pieces and caramelize the chicken on the other side.

Now you are ready to plate. I’m drooling just thinking about this.

Add the rice to a plate, top with some of the chicken, and spoon over a bunch of sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like, as well as a wedge of lemon.

Dig in. My wife and kids fell in love with this one, especially the chicken. It’s got this great lemon and garlic flavor, along with the awesome spices throughout the entire dish. Don’t even get me started on the sauce. Don’t. Just make this. I think you will really love it. Hope you enjoy!