20 Min Chicken & Yellow Rice
A go-to meal for lazy weeknights.
By Ethan ChlebowskiI make this spicy chicken and yellow rice whenever I’m feeling lazy. Start the yellow rice in a rice cooker, and make the rest of the components while you’re waiting. Feel free to adapt the seasonings, vegetables, and sauce ingredients to whatever you have on hand.
The leftovers are amazing, so this is a great recipe to meal prep a large batch.
Ethan Chlebowski
Ingredients
The chicken
- chicken breasts, cubed1per 1-2 servings
- spice rub of choiceto taste
- saltto taste
- cooking oilfor searing
Yellow rice
- jasmine rice1 part~2 cups
- water1.25 parts~2.5 cups
- chicken bouillona spoonful
- turmeric powdera sprinkle
- whole cloves1-2
- aleppo peppera sprinkle
- cooking oila drizzle
Dill sauce
- low-fat sour cream3 parts60 g
- mayonnaise1 part20 g
- dried dilla sprinkle
- lemon juicea squeeze
- lemon zesta pinch
- black pepperto taste
To serve
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- cucumbers, cubed
- pickled onions
- hot sauce
Method
Step 1: Start the rice
Add the rice, water, chicken bouillon, turmeric, cloves, and aleppo pepper to a rice cooker.
Mix everything together so the spices are evenly dispersed, then start cooking.
- If you don't have a rice cooker, you can steam the rice on the stove or use your favorite rice cooking method.
Step 2: Prep vegetables and sauce
Thinly slice the iceberg lettuce for a light, crunchy base. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop your cucumbers, and gather pickled onions and hot sauce, if using.
In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, dried dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Mix until smooth, taste, and adjust if needed.
Step 3: Cube & sear the chicken
Cut the chicken breast into small, even cubes.
- Smaller pieces = faster cooking and more surface area for seasoning.
Heat a pan over high heat, then add a small drizzle of oil. Add the chicken and let it undisturbed to develop .
Once one side is browned, add your spice rub (+ salt, if your spice mix isn’t salty) and toss to coat.
Continue searing until fully cooked through, about 4–5 minutes total. Reduce heat or add a splash of water if anything threatens to burn.
- Taste and adjust final seasoning with salt, if needed.
Step 4: Fluff & finish the rice with oil
Optional: Once the rice is done, drizzle in about 10 g of oil before fluffing.
- Mix the cooked rice thoroughly to coat the grains and distribute the oil.
- The enhances texture and helps carry the spice aromas.
Step 5: Assemble and serve
Start with a base of yellow rice. Add the chicken to one side, then layer on lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and pickled onions to taste.
Drizzle the dill sauce over the chicken and finish with hot sauce if desired. Enjoy.
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