The Halal Guys Chicken & Rice with White Sauce

This copycat recipe for THE Halal Guys Chicken and Rice (with white SAUCE) is the real deal. You will want to add this to your dinner menu, ASAP!

This summer we spent a week at Bear Lake in Utah with my husbands family. We had a great time and of course, enjoyed lots of delicious meals together. When helping plan the menu I had seen this recipe over on Your Homebased Mom and thought it would be a great one to try one night! Everyone loved it so I knew I had to make it again so I could photograph it for the blog (and because it’s so good!) I’ve never had the real Halal Guys food cart version but you better believe that next time I get to New York I will! Until then, lets all enjoy this home cooked version ’cause it’s a good one!

The white sauce is a must! I added extra to my plate because SAUCE. Sauce is basically one of my most favorite things when it comes to dinner. I think it started with Chick-Fil-A sauce. When I was young I would always get the polynesian sauce and then I discovered their “house dressing” or Chick-Fil-A sauce and now I use both. Polynesian for my waffle fries and chick-fil-a sauce for my chicken nuggets. I am sure you all wanted to know that, haha. My husband is just upset that they changed their BBQ to a smokey BBQ. I have no sympathy for him because smokey or not, no thanks! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as we did!

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Halal Guys Chicken and Rice with white sauce

 

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Author: Adell Goff

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• For the chicken:
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano)
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1½ tablespoons minced garlic
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (6 to 8 thighs)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• For the rice:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1½ cups long-grain or Basmati rice
• 2½ cups chicken broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the sauce:
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• To Serve:
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 large tomato,diced
• naan bread or pocketless pita bread, brushed in butter, lightly toasted, and cut up
• hot sauce, optional

Instructions

1. For the chicken: Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and oil in a bowl and blend until smooth and well combined. Use a blender if using fresh oregano.
2. Season the marinade to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator).
4. Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, 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 longer than 4 hours. If you need to wait longer, remove chicken from mariade and pat dry and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. When ready to use, season with salt and pepper.
6. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking.
7. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes.Turn the chicken and reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the center of each thigh registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes longer.
8. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
9. Chop the chicken into ½- to ¼-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the sauce.
10. For the rice: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pan. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat.
11. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes.
12. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
13. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
14. For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
15. To serve: Return chicken, reserved marinade, and all pan juices to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, and toasted pita bread evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce. Serve immediately. Top with extra sauce if you want, you know I did :).

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