If you’ve been to New York City, you’ve definitely come across food carts selling “chicken over rice.” These food carts, also known as halal carts, were originally run by Egyptian immigrants, and their food quickly became a New York classic. The term halal refers to the methods used to prepare the meat in accordance with Islamic law. The chicken is marinated in a combination of spices and olive oil, then seared in a cast-iron skillet until golden and crispy on all sides. Paired with yellow rice, salad and the famous white sauce, this is street food at its finest.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds halal boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Yellow rice, white sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pita, for serving
Instructions
- Put the lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice, turmeric, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and give it a good stir to make sure all the pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Spread the chicken in a single layer and cook, without stirring, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the chicken, then continue to cook until the chicken is fully cooked, golden and caramelized on all sides, another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve with yellow rice, white sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pita.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 256 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 142 mg |
| Sodium | 416 mg |
Reviews
Thought this tasted amazing and my daughter keeps asking for it again. Used the halal cart white sauce recipe which is a must! We paired it with store bought naan bread and it was excellent!
Has anyone tried the spices from the lamb, cardamon, cinnamon and sumac in the chicken halal?
This is the best recipe I’ve made in a long time! White sauce was delicious too!
Super flavorful and tender. Really enjoyed this.
I used all of the spices, etc., for the marinade, but grilled the chicken, and served it with garlic naan to wrap and lettuce, onions and tomatoes and a bit of spiced greek yogurt as a kind of sandwich. The seasonings were amazing, and since I used chicken breasts, 2 hours of marinating was plenty. I would definitely make it again…chicken breasts can be so boring!
White Sauce follows the recipe under the heading “Looking for Something Else”
whats white sauce? am i supposed to know how to prepare this stuff? wheres the recipes?
Look up halal cart white sauce and halal cart lamb for other recipes
The “halal cart white sauce” recipe can be found using the search bar
Where are the ingredients and preparation direections for the white sauce