This is based on the Serious Eats Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice With White Sauce recipe.

We create more marinade and grill the chicken for additional flavor. The original recipe uses chicken thighs; however, we typically use chicken tenders for easier cooking.

Servings: 5-6

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) fresh lemon juice (approx. 2-3 lemons)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 3.5 teaspoons ground coriander seed
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rice

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Marinate the chicken

  1. Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

  2. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade. Reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator.

  3. Toss the chicken to coat and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade. Do not marinate for more than 4 hours, the acidity will cause the chicken to break down and become mushy.

Grill the chicken

  1. Place chicken on a pre-heated grill, high heat.
  2. Cook for approximately 3 minutes.
  3. Flip the chicken and brush on the remaining marinade.
  4. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, ensuring the chicken reaches 165F.
  5. Rest for 3-5 minutes, chop on a cutting board.

Cook the rice

  1. Melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.
  2. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/4 tsp cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
  3. Add 1.5 cups rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add 2.5 cups chicken stock.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing.
  7. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Prepare the sauce

  1. Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and parsley.
  2. Whisk to combine.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: Consider adding slightly more lemon juice for more acidity.

Serving

This dish should be served with a salad, we prefer a mix of chopped iceberg and romaine lettuce and roughly chopped tomato.

Consider serving with slices of Naan and hummus on the side.