Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe

This old-fashioned Chicken and Yellow Rice is an easy dish packed with an earthy, sweet taste of turmeric. A juicy chicken breast and fluffy basmati rice flavoured with turmeric and baked to perfection.

This simple one-pan recipe is easy to put together, and it takes only 40 minutes in the oven. I like to serve this dish with Malfouf Salad or Rocket Salad with Parmesan for a full meal.

Check also, chicken and potato casserole and Chicken Puffs.

Jump to:

• Easy Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe
• Homemade Vs Restaurant Bought
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• What Kind Of Rice To Use
• Which Cut Of Chicken Is Best
• The Star Of The Recipe (Turmeric)
• Ingredient Notes
• Variations & Substitutions
• How to Make Chicken and Yellow Rice?
• Top Tips!
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Easy Rice Recipes
• Recipe Card
• Comments

Easy Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe

The chicken is juicy and tasty, and the fluffy yellow rice is perfectly cooked and incredibly silky, making this a delicious main dish.

The whole dish is well-seasoned with paprika, turmeric, pepper, and salt, and the combination of rice and chicken really gives you the perfect combo to make yourself full until the next meal is due.

Personally, I like serving this dish for dinner. However, You may serve it for lunch or dinner, depending on your preference. It can also be served as it is, or you can pair it with Buttered Peas or Sauteed Whole Mushrooms With Garlic. This dish is so delicious that you will surely get more and more servings until you are bursting full.

Homemade Vs Restaurant Bought

This Chicken and Yellow Rice might be just another homemade dish for some, but its quality and taste really compete with that of the restaurant-bought version of the recipe.

It is just as delicious and satiating. Why go to an overpriced resto to have a taste of this dish if you can make your own at home with even better quality?

The chicken is well seasoned, and the rice is nothing but a fluffy, flavorful pair for the meaty and tender chicken.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

For me, this dish is not just another chicken recipe to be stored away in my recipe notebook. This dish has so much to offer, which makes it a must-try. Here are some of the things that can convince you to make this recipe at home:

• It is a very flavorful and delicious dish that can improve your meals at home.
• The dish is a full meal that can be served without any side dish.
• This dish may offer a lot, but you can make this without having to spend much because it is made of budget-friendly and pantry-staple ingredients.
• This is the kind of recipe you can make for a typical weeknight meal or a fancy dinner with family and friends.
• Make this recipe any time of the year! There is no such thing as making this dish only for a particular season because you can definitely enjoy it anytime you wish!
• It can be made as your comfort food when you are feeling down. The comforting fluffy rice and tender chicken will really give a boost to your mood!
• A perfect lunch to prepare for your kids to bring to school. This dish is delicious and satiating, hence your kids will have a good time digging into their lunchboxes in school.

What Kind Of Rice To Use

You can use whatever rice you have at home; this dish is versatile. You may use brown rice, jasmine rice, long-grain or even short-grain rice.

However, the amount of water used in this recipe is based on using basmati rice, so if you use a different kind of rice, just adjust the amount of water you add.

Which Cut Of Chicken Is Best

This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, chicken thighs also work well.

You can also use bone-in chicken breasts, thighs or Drumsticks! However, you will have to adjust the cooking time accordingly; Learn more about chicken cooking time here.

The Star Of The Recipe (Turmeric)

There is no doubt that the star of this dish is turmeric, which not only gives this dish a bright yellow color, but it also has so many health benefits; According to this article published on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov it has anti-cancer and inflammatory properties and helps in treating depression. Read more about the health benefits here.

Turmeric also has a distinctive flavor, and it gives your food an earthy and sweet taste.

You can buy this popular spice from any local supermarket or Indian store.

Ingredient Notes

Olive Oil. The olive oil should be divided because you will use it in frying the chicken breasts, and in sauteing the garlic and onion.

Chicken Breasts. Chicken breasts are perfect for this recipe; it is boneless, making it the ideal meat to use for this recipe. It is also juicy when cooked properly!

Onion. Sauteing onion gives our recipe an umami and mildly sweet taste. It also allows for an aromatic scent to the dish.

Garlic. With sauteed garlic in the mix, the recipe will have a potent nutty and mellow taste that will make the dish more appetizing.

Basmati Rice. Basmati rice is popular in Southeast Asian cuisines. It is the most common type of rice to be used for yellow rice because of its nutty flavor, and pleasant aroma. In my opinion, this is the best rice to use for the recipe!

Turmeric powder. Turmeric powder will make your basmati rice become the yellow rice that this recipe needs.

Paprika. I like to use paprika because it gives a warm and spiced flavor to the whole dish.

Salt and pepper: Will season the chicken breasts to perfection.

Frozen Peas. It is good to have some green veggies in this recipe, and frozen peas will do good for the baking process.

Chicken Broth. Chicken broth should be used to make this recipe dish more like a chicken recipe indeed.

Boiling Water. We need boiling water to cook the rice thoroughly; otherwise, we will not have the fluffy texture of it that we desire.

“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”

Variations & Substitutions

• You may use boneless chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts if it is the most available for you.
• Use poultry seasoning instead of salt and pepper before frying the chicken. It has a combination of thyme, sage, and sometimes nutmeg, which will be the best seasoning for your chicken.
• Use lemon juice alongside your boiling water to cook the yellow rice. Lemon juice will give a fresh and citrusy taste to the dish, it also complements the taste of turmeric.
• Although chicken is the best meat to use in making this recipe, you can replace it with beef or shrimp.
• Garnish this dish with fresh basil or cilantro instead of parsley.

How to Make Chicken and Yellow Rice?

One (Prepare The Chicken): Wash the chicken and then pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper over the chicken breasts to season on both sides.

Two: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add chicken breasts and fry until lightly brown on both sides; remove from the skillet and set aside.

Three: In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil, add the onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.

Four: Preheat your oven to 180C / 357F.

Five: Add the sautéd onion and garlic to a baking pan, and add rice, turmeric, paprika and salt. Mix everything well.

Seven: Stir in the peas and add the chicken to the baking pan, and pour in chicken broth and boiling water.

Eight: Cover the pan with a foil sheet and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, garnish with fresh parsley and serve!

Top Tips!

• If you have chicken breast with skin on, you can use them; you don't have to remove the skin because it will give you a slight crisp once fried and baked with the rice.
• Measure the boiling water. Too much water in this recipe will make the rice sticky and mushy instead of having a tender and fluffy texture.
• Double the recipe to accommodate more servings!
• Don't forget to pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel before seasoning and frying.
• Add more veggies such as green beans, zucchini or bell peppers.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this recipe with a green salad on the side! You can also serve it with Baked Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes since its rich, buttery flavor and creamy texture will go well with the meaty, tender, and fluffy texture of this dish.

A cold Chocolate Bubble Tea, Strawberry Milk Tea or Iced White Chocolate Mocha will be a perfect beverage for the meal as well.

Recipe FAQs

Easy Rice Recipes

• Easy Baked Chicken And Rice
• Chicken Breast And Rice Recipe
• Old Fashioned Chicken And Rice Soup (Easy Recipe)

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