Halal Style Chicken & Rice
This high protein meal prep that will become your new addiction
Chicken & rice is one of those meals that’s a staple for weight loss, but surprisingly not a staple in my diet.
It definitely hits the spot when you’ve come off of a vacation of eating out a lot or you’re back home from a tough workout.
As meal prepped leftovers though, it fails to keep me interested for the entire week.
After all, nothing is exciting about plopping some sauteed chicken seasoned with a random seasoning blend from the pantry over a pile of pale steaming rice.
It’s obviously a phone-it-in dinner you make when you’re not in the mood for any particular food and you still need something healthy on the table.
Let me ask you though.
Would you pay for that at a restaurant?
Or want that as your weekend meal?
Probably not.
The kind of food that would most likely entice you is golden and juicy chicken, seasoned rice, and a nice sauce (or two) for topping. Right?
If you think so, then you’ll love this Halal Style Chicken & Rice.
Inspired by the Chicken & Rice from the Halal Guys in NYC, we’re bringing together herby marinated chicken thighs with fragrant yellow rice, some fresh vegetables, and a creamy yogurt sauce to top it all off.
This combo is so good that it doesn’t even feel like it should be around 400 calories per serving.
And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can layer on the flavor with some hot sauce.
Keep it mild or make it wild, no matter what you choose, I know this will make you want to eat chicken & rice more than ever before! Enjoy!
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Here are a few notes regarding the recipe:
You can swap out the chicken thighs for chicken breast for less calories.
Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or even longer if possible.
For the veggies, save time by grabbing a bag of pre-shredded lettuce and chopping your own tomatoes.
Halal Style Chicken & Rice
40G Protein Per Serving | 408 Calories | 60 Minutes | 8 Servings
Ingredient List
Marinated Chicken
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
5 tbsp light mayo
4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp oregano
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
Yellow Rice
2 cups basmati rice (washed)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Cooking spray
White Sauce
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
30g light mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt to taste
Water (to thin out the sauce)
For serving
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sriracha or harissa paste (hot sauce)
Cooking Instructions
Prep Chicken & Rice Components 🐔🍚🥣
Add chicken thighs and all the marinade ingredients to a bag. Mix well and refrigerate.
Spray a pot with cooking spray and preheat to medium-low heat. Add the spices from the yellow rice. Toast for 1 minute.
Stir in the washed basmati rice to mix with the spices. Continue toasting for a few minutes.
Pour the broth into the pot, bring to a boil, then cover with a top. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove it from the heat and let the rice rest for another 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, light mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. Stir vigorously until well combined. Add water to thin out the sauce and season with salt & pepper.
Cook Chicken & Build The Platter 🍽️
Preheat a pan over medium-high and coat with cooking spray. Cook chicken thighs for 4 minutes per side until browned and fully cooked.
Repeat step 7 with the remaining chicken. Let cool for 5 minutes, then chop into cubes.
Plate 3/4 cup of the rice, the lettuce and tomatoes in the middle, and 6 oz of the chicken to the right side. Top with the white sauce and optionally sriracha or harissa paste. Dig in!
Don’t forget to check out the archive here for other gourmet high-protein recipes.
Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins