Simple, comforting, one-pot chicken and rice dinner with a tasty Middle Eastern twist. Ready in 30 minutes! Be Sure to watch the video for how to make this recipe below.
If you like this one, check out: Greek chicken and orzo; Easy Lemon Chicken; Mediterranean Kidney Bean Salad; Spanish Chickpea Stew; and Mediterranean Braised Lamb Shanks.
Chicken and rice have long been the comfort food of choice at my house. Family favorites include, this Spanish chicken and rice with chorizo, and these Lebanese chicken fatteh bowls. It’s something my kids enjoy a ton, so why stop there!
One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Middle Eastern Twist
Today’s Middle Eastern chicken and rice recipe is a riff of something my mother in law makes. She’s a master of the Levant kitchen, and anything she makes is always pure deliciousness. Last time we were visiting in Michigan, she made a simple rice with peas and carrots, plus a spiced roast chicken on the side. I decided to combine them both into this easy one-pot dinner.
First, boneless chicken pieces take on a quick Middle Eastern spice blend (the stars here are definitely allspice and green cardamom.) Then, we give them a quick browning in excellent EVOO before adding basmati rice, chickpeas, and all the rest in. Everything cooks together in one pot for about 20 minutes or so.
What to serve with this Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice?
With pomegranates so plentiful these days, I decided to serve my chicken and rice in bowls with a generous side of this zingy pomegranate tomato salad and a dollop of Greek Tzatziki sauce. Of course, if you have the time, make a big bowl of tabouli salad or fattoush salad instead. And a starter of creamy roasted garlic hummus wouldn’t hurt.
Watch the video for How to Make this Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice Recipe:
Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Simple, comforting, one-pot chicken and rice dinner with a tasty Middle Eastern twist. Flavor heaven. Gluten free dinner in minutes!
Ingredients
Spice Mixture
- 2 tsp ground allspice, more for later
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp ground green cardamom, more for later
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, more for later
For Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I use ButcherBox organic, free-range chicken)
- Salt
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions (about 1/2 large onion)
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or from canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 2 cups boiling low-fat and low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the spices to make the spice mixture. Set aside for now.
- Pat chicken thighs dry and cut them into large pieces (I simply cut each in half). Season well with salt, then season with the spice mixture. Work the chicken with clean hands to make sure all the pieces are well-coated with the spice mixture. Set at room temperature for 20 minutes or so (if you have the time).
- In a large and deep cooking skillet with a lid (like this one), heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Brown chicken briefly on both sides (you are not trying to fully cook the chicken at this point). Remove from skillet and set aside for now.
- To the same skillet, now add onions, carrots, and frozen peas. Cook for 4 minutes or so, tossing regularly, until tender. Add chickpeas and rice. Season with salt, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/4 tsp ground cardamom. Stir to combine.
- Add chicken back to the skillet (nestle the pieces in between the rice). Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve with a side of this pomegranate tomato salad; fattoush salad; or this simple 3 ingredient Mediterranean salad. Add a dollop of Greek tzatziki sauce, if you like!
Notes
- Important tip: Wash the rice three times with warm water. Place rice in a bowl, tip a good amount of warm water in, swirl a little with your fingers. Dump the water out and repeat. It sounds like a bit much, but it ensures the rice never sticks. A trick I learned from Nigel Slater.
- Recommended for this Recipe: ButcherBox organic, free-range chicken (see more info in the post above!)
- Recommended for this Recipe: From our all-natural and organic spice collections, ground allspice; ground green cardamom; ground turmeric! And our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (premium EVOO from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives)
- SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle; or Create your own 6-pack or 3-pack from our all-natural and organic spice collections!
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Middle Easter
Keywords: chicken and rice, middle eastern chicken recipe
shirola says
this Is one of my favorite go to meal! I have cooked many of your dishes and nothing can’t stand in the way of this dish. favor is perfect it harmonized wonderful with rice and with great friends. all I can say is wow to you and your recipes. you’re trust worthy!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
Vanessa Ntumy says
Ive made this dish quite a few times! my spouse loves it with a little heat so i put peppers in there. this dish is delicious!! You will not be disappointed
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Vanessa, thanks so much for sharing! I love the added heat!
Laura says
This was such a delicious and easy recipe to make. I loved how everything was cooked in one pot and although the ingredients are minimal (score!), the dish was full of flavour.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
That’s what I like to hear 😉 So glad you enjoyed it!
Nate says
Maybe I’m getting a bit too old but I couldn’t find a reference to a video anywhere. Anyone care to share a link? Also another commentor was asking for sumac replacement alternatives, but I didn’t see sumac as part of the spices. Am I missing something?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Nate,
If you scroll down to just before the recipe, you’ll see the video under the header “watch video for how to make this…” No sumac needed 🙂
John Wheeler says
Great flavor blend! I added an extra 3/4 C broth but otherwise followed your directions. Definitely a keeper. If other readers have not tried the Lebanese Hashweh Rice, they must do it as well! And use lamb!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, John! So glad you enjoyed it.
Mary Stacey says
can you replace sumac as the spices you mentioned.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Mary, there is not a good replacement for Sumac really. One thing would be to omit sumac and play with the remaining seasoning to achieve flavor. If you’re having a hard time finding sumac and do want to try it, it is actually available here via our online store: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/product/harissa-spice-blend/
Louise says
Hi Suzy,
I love Middle Eastern food and cook ot regularll.
I used your recipe for Chicken and Rice as a base and altered it a bit.
I added some chopped garlic, Za’atar, cayenne pepper and used Lebanese 7 Spice instead of allspice.
I also added some tomato puree to the chicken stock. I wanted to Lebanese-ify it.
It turned out really lovely and tasty.
Thank you for your recipe which inspired me.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you for sharing, Louise! Great ideas for sure.
John says
Wow absolutely delicious! It turned out perfectly using a Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet. The only thing I changed was to bake at 375 for 20 minutes instead of over low direct heat. This eliminates the ring of fire issue from the burner and cooks evenly. Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks so much for sharing, John!
Jessica says
This turned out perfect! One of my new favourite recipes! The only thing I did different was I used Jasmine rice and washed the rice until the water ran clear and added an extra cup of chicken stock then simmered very low. Thanks
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Jessica! Thanks for sharing!
nidhi malik says
The whole spices will give a better flavour if they are sauteed before the vegetables are put.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks for sharing!
Niki says
II could onlyfind green cardamom seeds (not ground) in the store. Do you have any tips on how I can still use them in this recipe (that is if I can)?
Thanks.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Niki, you can lightly open the cardamom seeds (I would say take 3 to 4 pods at most). Insert them in the rice and once cooked, remove. Also, just FYI, we carry cardamom and all sorts of other all-natural spices here at the online store: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/store/
Jacinthe says
Made this last night I had some issues: ratio rice/broth 1:1 is insuffisant: rice on top remained raw, had to add more liquid, end up with overcook rice for half of it and cooked right for the other half of the rice. Color is off also: not as appealing as in the photos, more like in the video. I used pork instead of chicken and it was also overcooked cause of the rice issue. I watched the video again and again can’t find what I did wrong but I’ll bet its ration 1:1 ratio that is the cause. Flavors were great, (spices choice) but not an appealing dish.
Suzy Karadsheh says
What kind of rice did you end up using? The basmati rice used here does not require as much water. One thing is maybe to consult the rice package and use the amount of water instructed there. Some rice does a lot better if soaked for a while until the rice grains soften a bit.
Nina says
I made this recipe and it is outstanding! Do not omit any of the ingredients because they all work together very nicely in this easy and delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Nina, thanks so much for your feedback!
Tammy west says
What is the pomegranate dish served with this
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Tammy. Here is the link for the tomato and pomegranate salad you see in the pictures: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/pomegranate-tomato-salad-recipe/
Jennifer says
Does the chicken broth go in at the same time as rice and chick peas?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Jennifer. Your answer is in steps #4 and #5. Enjoy!
Emily says
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it this week and loved the combinable of spices. It was an adventure for my taste buds. I will be making this often as my family enjoyed it as well (though not nearly as much as I!).
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Emily! Always nice to know when a recipe will make the regular rotation
Sara Chudnoff says
I’m planning on making this with brown basmati rice. Do you have any tips for the modification?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Sara, generally speaking, brown rice requires more liquid and more time to cook. I would adjust according to what your rice package requires.
John says
Very flavorful, great seasoning combo! Had to add additional 1-2 cups chicken broth but rice came out perfect. Rinsing the rice really makes a difference.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Great, John! So glad you enjoyed it!
Melissa says
One of my favorite dishes from this site so far. Very yummy flavors, but subtle enough for kids. Extremely easy to prepare.
I made this with leg quarters, so I needed to cook longer and add more chicken stock.
Will make this again. Didn’t have cardamom, but still came out wonderfully flavorful. Thanks!
I love this site!
Melissa
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
That’s wonderful, Melissa! So so glad you enjoyed this chicken & rice dish. it’s a favorite here too!
tanya says
I LOVE the spices you used in this dish and those pomegranates really pop! Such a lovely dish!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks so much, Tanya!
Gina @Running to the Kitchen says
This looks and sounds delicious!!
shirola says
I absolutely love love this recipes!! I’ve made this dish twice this week already. My kids or my husband didn’t not complain about having the same meal twice in one week. Its clean with a sublet taste and did I not mention how healthy it is for you!
Thank you much!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Excellent! Don’t you just love it when you can serve the same meal twice and everyone is cool with that?! Glad y’all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Rebecca {foodie with family} says
I love every single thing about this Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice from the gorgeous yellow rice to the vegetables to the gorgeous chicken!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you, friend! If you ever try it, let me know!
Julia says
My family loves this type of dish! And that pom tomato salad is the perfection addition!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome! Hope you’ll give it a try, Julia!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Literally love these flavors! Sign me up for dinner!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yay! Enjoy!
Renee says
This looks healthy delicious and easy to make! Will go on my menu soon!
Suzy Karadsheh says
It really is! Thanks, Renee!
Leslie says
I love that every cuisine has their own version of chicken and rice. I particularly like that the Mediterranean version isn’t loaded with tomato or heavy cream sauces. And I love Butcher Box, too. They really do have great quality meats.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
I’m so with ya, Leslie! Thanks for stopping in!
Nicky Corbishley says
Love this type of recipe – all in one pan (less washing up!). This looks so tasty, loving the pomegranate salad too. Great gluten free recipe.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks, Nicky! Hope you’ll give it a try!
Dannii says
I love those kind of recipes where you can just throw everything in to a pan. This looks so colourful.
★★★★★
Ginny says
Love the rice, chickpeas and peas combo with those spices. Delicious!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks, Ginny! Hope you’ll give this a try!
Haley D Williams says
One Pot meals are the best! I love the flavors of this one!
Suzy Karadsheh says
So true!