These halal cart chicken bowls are full of spiced chicken, yellow rice and salad and topped with garlic and chilli sauce. A delicious and easy weeknight dinner! The chicken should be marinated earlier in the day if possible, but otherwise this only takes 20 minutes and it tastes great. My recipe makes use of my pilau rice recipe!

What is Halal Cart Chicken?

Halal cart chicken originates from the US interestigly. Specifically, it comes from New York City. It comes from street food carts that catered to Muslim populations. As a result of course, they serve food that has a strong middle eastern influence.

These carts serve, amongst other things, platters. These platters are typically made up of meat, yellow rice, salad, pitta bread and sauce. Traditionally the meat is chicken, however lamb shawarma can also be found at a lot of places!

The popularity of these platters has spread a lot within the US to other big cities. I first came across them online a few years ago and decided they looked fun and tasty to make. Since then, they have become a weeknight favourite of mine for easy, delicious and nutritious food!

My Recipe

The most important part of this is the chicken. I marinate chicken thighs in a mixture of yoghurt, olive oil and lemon juice. This is then spiced with turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper. This gives a flavour that is simultaneously earthy and warm as well as fresh and vibrant. I prefer to then cook my chicken in the oven. This allows you to ensure they’re cooked through without burning the marinade. When cooked, you can move the chicken under the grill element for a few minutes to try to get some char on it.

My yellow rice starts with toasting some cloves, cardamom pods, bay leaves and a cinnamon stick in olive oil for a minute or so. I then add the washed rice and toast it off, then add turmeric and mix. This is then boiled on the stove with water and steamed.

My garlic sauce is made by blending yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and oregano into a smooth sauce. I prefer to use both fresh garlic and garlic powder for this as they each add their own distinct flavour. I also tend to use dried oregano as it mixes better into a smooth sauce.

Halal Cart Chicken, Rice & Salad Bowls

These halal cart chicken bowls are full of spiced chicken, yellow rice and salad and topped with garlic and chilli sauce. A delicious and easy weeknight dinner!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinating Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken

• 400 g Chicken Thighs
• 2 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Turmeric
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
• 1/2 Lemon Juiced

For the Rice

• 150 g Basmati Rice
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Bay Leavs
• 5 Cardamom Pods
• 5 Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 250 ml Boiling Water

For the Salad

• 1 Tomato
• 4 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
• 1 Pitta Bread
• Garlic Sauce See below
• Sriracha Chilli Sauce Or other chilli sauce

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Lemon Juiced

Method

 

1. Mix the marinade ingredients for the chicken in a bowl and add the chicken thighs. Vocer and leave in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 200°C. Put the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Wash the rice and set aside. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil and whole spices. Toast for a minute or so.
4. Add the rice, salt and turmeric, mix well and add the boiling water. When the water boils again, put the lid on and immediately drop the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.
5. Add the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. When the rice and chicken have finished, take the rice off the heat and leave covered to steam for 5 minutes. Move the chicken to under the grill element and grill for a couple of minutes.
7. Shred the lettuce and chop the tomatoes into wedges. Toast the pitta and chop it up into pieces.
8. Add the rice to the bowls and assemblethe salad around the sides. Dice the chicken and add it on top. Drizzle the sauces over the top and serve!