Skillet Chicken With Cumin, Paprika and Mint

By Sarah Copeland

Updated December 19, 2018

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
5(1,404)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken shawarma, a rotisserie favorite heady with spice and flavor, is usually cooked on a spit, then shaved into sandwiches and salads. But it also belongs on a bed of rice, cooked in a pan for a filling family meal that’s easy to return to again and again. White rice does a fine job rounding out this meal, and cooks quickly. But, if brown rice is more your speed, look for the sprouted short-grain variety, which cooks faster than regular brown rice and reaches al dente just as the chicken begins to split into tender morsels. (To cook the rice even faster, soak it while you marinate the chicken.) Cooking this on the stove yields crisp rice bits along the bottom of the pan, especially nice against the tender, flavorful chicken. Since even the best shawarma is only as good as its bright flavors, be generous with mint, parsley, yogurt and lime: the more, the better.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 lemons, juiced

  • ⅓ cup olive oil

  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika

  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4)

  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

  • 1 ½ cups long-grain white or sprouted short-grain brown rice

  • 2 ¾ cups boiling water

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • ½ cup raisins

  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint, for serving

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving

  • Plain yogurt, for serving

  • Lime wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

82 grams carbs; 169 milligrams cholesterol; 906 calories; 26 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 876 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the lemon juice, ¼ cup of the olive oil, the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and turmeric in a large resealable plastic bag along with the chicken pieces. Seal and shake the bag to coat chicken and distribute the spices evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook until lightly golden, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Add the onion to the pan, and stir to coat. Decrease heat to medium and cook until softening, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and remaining salt, and stir to coat. Add the boiling water; stir, cover and cook until the liquid is partly absorbed, 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon stick and raisins, top with the chicken thighs and their juices, and continue cooking, covered, over medium heat, until the rice is al dente and the chicken is completely tender, about 25 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Remove from the heat and scatter the mint and parsley all over the top. Serve warm, with yogurt and lime.

Tip

  • Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,404 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Cathie

This is a good idea, but it needs help. I used basmati rice and chicken broth to boost flavor as well as adding the marinade to the rice. Also, I used half-hot paprika for half the paprika and smoked paprika for the remaining portion. I might add Aleppo pepper next time. I used golden raisins and reduced the quantity slightly. It was too fruity with the entire amount. It doesn’t need lime if you add the marinade to the rice, it’s plenty tart. The yoghurt is a nice, creamy addition.

Will

Delicious, but way underseasoned! I salted the chicken aggressively on both sides and set it aside for a few minutes before marinading, in addition to salting the marinade to taste. I also added a full teaspoon kosher salt along with the boiling water and a ladle or two of the leftover marinade. The herbs and yogurt really bring this to life as well so don't skip them!

Rachel

Very tasty. Use chicken broth instead of water and add the marinade to the rice.

Stephanie

As others suggested, I used broth instead of water and added the marinade to the (brown) rice. I only had one lemon, so I also used the zest in the marinade. I didn’t have raisins, so I chopped up dried dates and slab apricots. I love veggies, so I diced cucumber and mixed with the yogurt, a dash of salt, and more mint. The rice didn’t crisp up on the bottom for me, maybe I should have cooked it longer, but it was great the way it was, too. Served over a bed of wilted spinach. It was delicious, definitely will make again.

Kristine

This is one of the most tasty NYT dishes I've made! The brightness of the lemon juice (I used probably 1/2 cup) with the plump raisins reminds me of dishes my family used to make for Jewish holidays. I was out of cumin so I subbed ginger powder and I think it worked out just fine. Also, I didn't want the carbs, so I just skipped the rice and reduced the amount of hot water I added. Terrific!

GI Doc

After cooking this dish, and actually following the recipe to a letter (which is unusual from my reading of the comments!) I had a disastrous outcome. The rice/raisin combo was charred to a crisp during the 25 minute cooking phase. My review of most of the comments reveal similar, but not as extensive results such as "charred" etc. Heat was low but enough to cook the chicken and the pan was heavy bottom with enough water to cook the rice. Burnt to a crisp on the bottom.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.