Rice And Chicken Recipe

Prepare marinade

In a medium bowl combine yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.

Marinate chicken

Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat dry. Add chicken to the marinade and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Cook chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon oil (or use a nonstick pan). Remove excess marinade from the chicken (shake off but don't wipe). Add chicken to the hot pan and cook 5–6 minutes per side, until nicely browned and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch strips.

Sauté aromatics

While chicken marinates, rinse rice under cold water until runoff is mostly clear. In a medium saucepan heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Cook rice

Add the rinsed rice to the saucepan and stir to coat grains with the fat and aromatics for about 1 minute. Add chicken stock (or water), salt and pepper and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5–10 minutes to finish steaming.

Fluff rice

Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Arrange a bed of rice on a serving platter or individual plates. Slice the rested chicken and place on top of the rice.

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the chicken and rice. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the dish to taste.