This Chicken and Yellow Rice is my new favorite dinner. The foundation is fluffy and beautifully seasoned yellow rice that’s topped with sautéed onions, vegan chicken, and greens. To add some richness, a big dollop of coconut yogurt contrasts the savory components nicely while some fresh lime juice provides a bright finish. The best part is that while the rice bakes, you make the rest of the dish and by the time the rice is done, dinner is ready. Not to mention, each serving offers a solid 30 grams of plant protein! A great weeknight meal that is satisfying and delicious.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS CHICKEN AND YELLOW RICE
The inspiration for this recipe stems from a few different places. The halal carts in NYC definitely come to mind. You can find these on the streets of Manhattan and they serve mediterranean food, including seasoned chicken with bright yellow rice. I remember seeing many of my co-workers eating this on their lunch breaks at my first job. I was always skeptical of how vegan-friendly the food was, so I never got to try it. So I guess this is me scratching that itch? Aside from that, this dish also stems from the classic stir-fried chicken and vegetables that seems to be a staple in many households. The combination of juicy, well-seasoned chicken, sautéed onions (shallots would also work well here), and freshly wilted greens really hits the spot. Served with a grain and you have a complete meal.
USING PLANT-BASED CHICKEN
Luckily these days, there are many great vegan chicken options from which to choose. For this Chicken and Yellow Rice, you can use your favorite brand or I highly recommend using my Soy Curls Recipe from the blog. I also love to use Abbot’s Chick’n. (Not sponsored.. I just love it!) Their chick’n is made with pea protein, making it gluten and soy free, while also being seasoned nicely. It’s also protein-dense and shockingly similar to traditional chicken in texture. It works very well with this dish!
RICE PREPARATION & BAKING
For the rice, I am using my Easy Baked Rice method (which is baking the rice) but I am upping the flavor by starting off with sautéing some shallots in plant butter before adding the rice. Then seasonings like turmeric, shallots, garlic, black pepper, and bay leaves make the rice robust in flavor while bursting with a bright yellow color. Nutrient-dense and beautiful!
SEASONING THE CHICKEN AND YELLOW RICE
For the chicken, you’ll start of by sautéing a good amount of onions (or shallots) and some seasonings along with some freshly sliced hot pepper. You could use Serrano, jalapeño, or Thai chili peppers. Just something to offer some heat. Of course, a big pinch of red pepper flakes would also work nicely. For added flavor and some extra juiciness, I like to add a little but of golden BBQ but you could use any sauce such as your favorite traditional BBQ, teriyaki sauce, or even Sriracha or hot sauce. You can always add a little more over top when serving, as well.
GREENS OF YOUR CHOICE
I love to throw in a few handful of fresh greens to the sautéed chicken. Use any mixed greens, spinach, kale, or swiss chard. I have even used shredded brussels sprouts for this recipe (which is fantastic) and broccoli would work, too. Once the greens are cooked until bright green and juicy, I suggest giving it a taste and seasoning with more salt and pepper to your liking. Then you are ready to serve with the rice!
PLATING THE CHICKEN AND YELLOW RICE
Once rice is baked and fluffy, the sautéed chicken and greens will be done! To plate, add a pile of rice and spoon over the sautéed chicken and greens over top. To finish, I love to add a big dollop of thick and creamy coconut yogurt (neutral and plain flavor, y’all… I love Cocojune or Culina) along with some fresh herbs such green onions, cilantro, or parsley and a fresh squeeze of lime juice. Then dig in!
ENJOY THIS CHICKEN AND YELLOW RICE!
I am so happy to finally share this dish with all of you. It’s been on heavy rotation in my kitchen and I look forward to hearing what you think. If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. It greatly helps the health of my site and makes me oh so happy to read. Thank you for being here and happy cooking, y’all.
-Timothy
IF YOU LIKED THIS CHICKEN AND YELLOW RICE, CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES
Zuppa Toscana
Gumbo
Cheesy Rice & Beans
Yellow Rice 2 cups white basmati rice Chicken & Greens Prepare the oven and rinse the rice: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 450°F (232°C). Then rinse the rice thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs almost clear. Set aside to drain while you prepare your aromatics. Sauté the aromatics and toast the rice: Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add the minced shallots and garlic, along with a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring every so often, until the shallots have softened. Reduce the heat to medium and add the turmeric, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Toast for a minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Then add the rinsed rice, mix well, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add the water, rice vinegar, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bake the rice: Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. At this point, remove it and taste some of the rice to check for doneness. If it’s not fully tender, place the cover back on and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Once tender, remove from the oven and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Crack the lid over top and set aside. Prepare the spice blend and stir fry sauce: To a small bowl, add the nutritional yeast, cumin, and oregano, and set aside. To a separate, larger bowl, add the water, tamari (use less if you are sensitive to salt), barbecue sauce, rice vinegar, and chilies or red peppers flakes (if using). Stir to combine and set aside. (The dish comes together quickly, so having your dry and wet ingredients already measured out helps ensure the process is smooth and stress-free.) Sauté the onions and chicken: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring every so often, or until the onions just begin to soften around the edges. Then add the plant-based chicken and let cook, undisturbed, for another 4 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Use a thin metal spatula to toss, scraping up all the brown bits, and cook for 4 additional minutes, until there’s a good amount of browning all over. Toss and scrape the bottom again, then add the dry spice blend. Stir constantly for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the sauce and finish: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the set-aside stir fry sauce. Stir to combine, and let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Once the stir-fry sauce has thickened and thoroughly coats the chicken pieces, turn off the heat and add the greens. Let the greens wilt for a minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish and serve: To plate, scoop some of the freshly baked yellow rice into desired bowls, then top with the chicken and greens. Add a dollop of coconut yogurt, a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onions or desired fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy! This recipe serves 2 but you could easily double the chicken and greens portion if you wanted to serve 4. There will be plenty of rice and any leftovers will keep beautifully in the fridge.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons plant butter
1 medium shallot, minced
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 fresh (or dried) bay leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ tablespoon ground cumin
Big pinch dried oregano
½ cup water
2-3 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons golden barbecue sauce (or other desired sauce)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 small hot chilies, minced (or 1 tsp red pepper flakes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion (or 2 large shallots), chopped
Pinch sea salt, more to taste
Few cracks black pepper, more to taste
1 (10 oz) package Abbot’s Chick'n (or desired vegan chicken)
2 large handfuls desired greens (such as kale, spinach, or sliced brussels)
Coconut yogurt, to garnish
1 green onion, thinly sliced (or desired herbs)
1 lime, cut into wedgesInstructions
notes
If you don’t have an oven-safe pot with a lid, you can sauté the initial part of the rice recipe in a skillet and transfer it to a baking dish once everything is cooked and wrap it tightly with foil to bake.
12 comments
I made this today with soy curls for my non-veg parents and they absolutely loved it! (My husband and I did, too.) Thank you so much for this recipe. Cheers!
So, so happy to hear this Amanda! Thank you for making my night!
Delicious and packed with layers and layers of flavor! I used a full bag of Butler soy curls and doubled the sauce recipe to serve 4. The rice was to die for! I used a combo of spinach and baby kale for the greens, which was perfect. The only thing I will change for next time is using less salt and/or tamari, because the dish was a little on the salty side.
Thanks for letting me know!! So happy to hear you liked it. I will take a look at the salt content ASAP.
I can’t wait to try this!
I just made it again today! It’s bomb! Enjoy.
This looks divine! I can’t wait!!
It’s a good one!! Enjoy!
Should I disregard the instructions about coming the chicken if I use soy curls? Thanks!
Hi Jessie- I’m sorry, I think a word got auto-corrected and I’m not sure what you mean? If you want to use soy curls, simply use the base recipe from the blog and cook them off until golden. Then add them to the dish when this particular recipe calls for chicken, they’ll be ok if you brown them a bit more! Enjoy!
This was really tasty! I was so relieved when the rice came out perfectly. I’ve had so many mishaps with stovetop rice recipes, so it was nice to finally try a version of your baked rice and get awesome results.
We had so much leftover rice that I made another batch of the chicken to go with it. The first time I used Abbot’s, the second time I used Alpha Homestyle Chik’n Strips. Both were really good! The Alpha turned out saucier because it was 8 oz and less absorbent than Abbot’s. It was fun to try both.
It didn’t need any sides necessarily, but I had some crisp romaine on hand and with a zingy fattoush-style dressing, it made for a really nice pairing. I also did some roasted delicata.
Thank you for your recipes as always. I’m always excited to try them, and I appreciate that you take your time developing them.
So happy to hear the rice came out perfectly for you, Molly! I love baking it… I find that it has the best texture that way. Also, have you ever had soy curls? I have a base recipe for them on the blog and they also work beautifully with this recipe. Thank you for the lovely comment and for being here. Happy holidays!