Middle Eastern chicken and rice is a food lovers dream come true. Tender flavorful chicken with warm Middle Eastern spices. Succulent and savory chicken is paired with an aromatic rice and fresh veggies.
Next time, try this Middle Eastern rice recipe, so flavorful.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- Full of Middle Eastern flavors
- A complete meal all will enjoy.
- The most juiciest chicken dish.
This dish is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. What's not to love in this chicken dish bursting with intense flavors and aromas. Your kitchen will smell amazing while it cooks. A Cornish hen dish that looks fancy but is actually quite easy to make.
📝 Ingredients
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a deep bowl combine brine ingredients, add chicken, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Butterfly the chicken by placing it on a cutting board and using a kitchen knife or scissors, cut along each side of the spine to remove the backbone.
- Lay the chicken flat, make a notch on the keel bone and a slit on either side to remove the bone entirely.
- In a deep bowl combine the marinade ingredients well. Place chicken in and cover. Refrigerate for at least two hour or overnight.
- In a large oven dish, place vegetables at the bottom.
- Place marinated chicken on top of vegetables and pour any excess marinade over. Bake in oven as directed in the recipe card below.
- In a pot over medium heat, melt ghee, then add dry lime, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Stir for one minute.
- Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then add carrots and cook for another minute.
- Add tomatoes, spices and basmati rice. Stir everything well for another couple of minutes.
- Pour in hot water, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.
💡 Expert Tips
- When butterflying the chicken, freeze the bones that you take out for making stock later.
- You can also swap out the 2 ½ cups of water and chicken cube for chicken stock in the marinade.
- Chicken thighs can be used in place of Cornish game hens.
- You can use ground cardamom in place of the cardamom pods, if you choose. 6 cardamom pods equal 1 teaspoon of ground. So in this recipe, you will need ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom in place of the 3 pods.
🧺 Storage
- Leftover chicken and rice can be wrapped tightly and stored in your refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
⌛ Make Ahead
- You can brine and then marinade the chicken one day and cook the chicken the next day.
💬 FAQs
It is highly recommended to brine the chicken. 30 minutes is all that's needed to make the most tender and juiciest chicken.
Brining is used to tenderize and marinating is used to add flavor.
Using an instant read thermometer in the thickest pat of the leg should read 165°F. Also when you pierce it, the juices should run clear.
👩🍳 Variations
- Add your favorite vegetables in place of the carrots and potatoes.
📣 Related Recipes
- Chicken shawarma rice is an easy and delicious weeknight meal that your family will appreciate.
- Chicken shawarma is one of the most popular dishes in the Middle East. Chicken marinated in lemon juice, garlic, and warm spices then cooked, the smell is out of this world.
- Mandi is another chicken and rice recipe full of Middle eastern spices.
- This yellow rice recipe is very fragrant and made with everyday simple spices.
- Who does not love rice pudding especially when done in the instant pot?
- This chicken and yellow rice recipe is easy to prepare and tastes great. It’s perfect for dinner parties or family gatherings.
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Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Deep mixing bowls
- Oven safe dish
Ingredients
- 2-3 Cornish game hens
Chicken Brine
- 2 liters water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorn
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- ⅓ cup Kosher salt
Chicken Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons pepper paste or harissa
- ½ cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar use any vinegar you like
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 chicken cube
- 2½ cups water
- 1 Tablespoon salt or to your liking
- 1 Tablspoon sumac
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
For the vegetables
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes
- 1 pound carrots cut into thick cubes
- Pearl onions or shallots
For the rice
- 2 Tablespoons ghee unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 dry lime loomi
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot shredded about ¾ cup
- 1 Roma tomato grated about ¼ cup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt or to liking
- 2 cups Basmati rice washed a couple of times and drained.
- 3 cups hot water
Instructions
- In a deep bowl combine brine ingredients, add chicken, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from brine then pat dry.
Butterfly the chicken:
- Place the chicken on a cutting board, so it's back is facing you. Using a kitchen sheer cut along each side of the spine to remove the backbone.
- Lay the chicken flat, make a notch on the keel bone of the breast and a slit on either side of the cartilage then remove the bone entirely.
- Cut small slits on the chicken legs.
Prepare the marinade:
- In a deep bowl combine the marinade ingredients and whisk well.
- Place chicken in and cover with marinade completely.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place one rack in the middle and one at the bottom of your oven.
- In a large oven dish, place vegetables at the bottom.
- Place marinated chicken on top of vegetables and pour any excess marinade over.
- Cover with parchment paper then foil.
- Place on the lower rack of your oven for 30 minutes.
- Uncover, baste with the marinade in the pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes until crispy and nicely brown.
For the rice:
- In a pot over medium heat, melt ghee, then add dry lime, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Stir for a minute.
- Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes then add carrots and cook for another minute.
- Add grated tomatoes, spices and basmati rice. Stir everything well for another couple of minutes, then pour in hot water.
- Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.
To assemble:
- Place rice on a large serving platter topped with chicken. Serve vegetables on the side.
Notes
- When butterflying the chicken, freeze the bones that you take out for making stock later.
- You can also swap out the 2 ½ cups of water and chicken cube for chicken stock in the marinade.
- Chicken thighs can be used in place of Cornish game hens.
- You can use ground cardamom in place of the cardamom pods, if you choose. 6 cardamom pods equal 1 teaspoon of ground. So in this recipe, you will need ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom in place of the 3 pods.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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