Halal Guys chicken and rice is the perfect combination of delicious marinated chicken, buttery turmeric and cumin spiced rice, and an addictive white sauce that brings the whole thing together. Amazing!
What is halal guys chicken and rice?
It’s a famous dish that originated from a street cart in NYC. My husband and I actively sought out the food cart on our honeymoon! The chicken used in the NYC cart is halal (can be consumed by Muslims) so it became a flocking point to Muslim locals, tourists, then basically anyone wanting great street food. The definition of a great street food meal, every component of this dish works together so well. It’s comprised of:
Marinated chicken
The signature yellow rice
Their famous white sauce
and additional toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and wedges of pita or gyro bread.
Why you should try this recipe:
The different parts come together SO well. The rice is buttery and full of flavor- I think it’s the best rice I’ve cooked at home. I got the rice part of this recipe from Serious Eats.
The chicken is tender and juicy and full of flavor from the marination, I loosely based this off the chicken in my very popular oven chicken shawarma recipe, and the white sauce is a creamy and just a little sweet.
I couldn’t stop eating this! I think it’s among the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made at home and my husband agreed.
What ingredients you need to make this dish:
For the chicken:
Chicken breasts- most recipes use chicken thighs, but we highly prefer chicken breasts in our household. The way these are marinated and cooked means they’ll be juicy and moist even though chicken breasts have a bad rep for being toughter.
The chicken marinade: We use olive oil, lemon juice, white vinegar, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano powder, seven spices or all spice, ginger powder, paprika, and cumin powder. These all work together so well to guarantee that punch of flavor with every bite of chicken.
For the white sauce:
Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper and sugar for a creamy tangy white dressing with a hint of sweetness. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, taste, and if you feel you want this a little sweeter, add the second teaspoon.
For the rice:
Butter, turmeric and cumin:
The turmeric and cumin give the rice a beautiful color and yellow flavor, and the butter gives it this nice richness.
Basmati rice: The long grain basmati rice should be soaked about 20 minutes prior to using, then drained and rinsed until the water runs clear. This will make sure each grain of rice is fluffy and doesn’t become mushy because there’s too much starch in it.
How do you make this chicken and rice dish?
For the chicken:
The first thing you should do is marinate the chicken, because you’ll preferably keep it in the fridge for an hour or two (up to four) if you have the time.
Mix together all the ingredients for the marination in a large bowl, then add the chicken breasts and toss to evenly coat. I like to use gloved hands so I can really work the marinade into the chicken.
Once the chicken is ready to cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat, then add the chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minute a side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a chopping board, and rest for 5 minutes, then roughly chop.
For the white sauce:
Mix together all the sauce ingredients, and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Nothing like chicken and rice with this white sauce on top!
For the rice:
Melt the butter into a medium large saucepan over medium heat, then add the spices and toast until fragrant. Add the drained rice and toast for about 4 minutes, stirring pretty constantly.
Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper to season, then bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and leave with the lid on for another 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and the rice is ready!
What to garnish with:
A big handful of chopped parsley really makes this dish, as well as juicy chopped tomatoes.
Of course, drizzle with lots of the white sauce. I also really recommend sriracha sauce. The heat it gives is delicious.
You can serve this with some pita bread for scooping.
What can I serve this with?
and if you want to try out some different sauces:
Storing leftover chicken and rice:
If you think you’ll have leftovers, it’s probably best not to add the sauce directly on top of all the rice and chicken. Serve individual plates and garnish each plate, and store leftover chicken, rice and sauce separately in the fridge. Leftovers will last 3-4 days tightly coverd in the fridge.
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Oven Baked Chicken Breasts for Two
and some Middle Eastern favorites:
Halal Guys Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 lbs chicken breasts 900 g, about 6
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano powder
- 1 teaspoon all spice or seven spices
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for cooking
For the white sauce:
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt 170g (6oz)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise 115 g
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the rice:
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 20 minutes then rinsed until water runs clear
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or 1 stock cube dissolved in 2.5 cups hot water
- salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of each
To assemble:
- 1 chopped tomato
- handful chopped parsley
- sriracha sauce
Instructions
For the chicken:
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients for chicken marinade, like the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic cloves, all the spices and the salt and pepper. Combine until well mixed, then add the chicken breast and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinade for 1-2 hours. (meanwhile you can make the white sauce).
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, then add the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board, and let it rest for 10 minutes, before chopping roughly into 2 inch cubes.
For the white sauce:
- Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce, and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
For the rice:
- Add the butter to a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the turmeric and cumin, and stir for 1 minutes or until spices are fragrant.
- Add the basmati rice, and toast the rice by stirring around in the pan for 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock, plus a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- After rice cooking time, once all the water has been absorbed, remove pan from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes without disturbing. After 15 minutes, fluff gently with a fork.
To assemble:
- Place the rice in your serving platter, top with the chicken, the white sauce, and chopped tomatoes and parsley. You can add some pita bread too. Optionally, but recommend, drizzle with sriraracha sauce!
Lu says
Tasted exactly like NYC Halal Guys!! Made our version of the red spicy sauce with it. The chicken was perfection. Served with gyro meat also. Will definitely make again!
Farah Abumaizar says
So happy you like dit! One of my absolute favorite chicken recipes, thanks for taking the time to comment!
Nicole says
I have made this so many times for my family now. Just as good if not better & it saves me a 2 hour drive to NYC!! This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m so happy to hear that! What an amazing comment, thanks so much Nicole! Glad your family enjoy it as much as mine do ❤️
Jess says
The white sauce is EVERYTHING!
Farah Abumaizar says
I totally agree it’s addictive!
Shanika Graham White says
Such a staple recipe! I love how easy and tasty it is.
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much Shanika!
Beth says
All the flavors in this dish sound so good. My mouth is watering right now. I can’t wait to make it!
Farah Abumaizar says
Hope you do and love it! Thanks Beth!
Gwynn says
This recipe was so delicious. My family loved it and I will definitely be making it again!
Farah Abumaizar says
So glad you liked it Gwynn!
Savita says
The chicken looks amazing, and the recipe seems so easy. Can’t wait to try it out.
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks Savita!!