Sheet-Pan Turmeric Chicken and Crispy Rice
Updated April 13, 2025
Linda Xiao for the New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger (from 1 2-inch piece), finely grated or minced
3 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal or use 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, such as Morton), more as needed
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
5 cups cooked short-grain rice (such as sushi rice, see Tip)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
201 grams carbs; 209 milligrams cholesterol; 1423 calories; 21 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 1264 milligrams sodium; 58 grams protein; 1 gram 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.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place sheet pan on middle rack in oven and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Step 2
While the oven is heating, marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt, turmeric, coriander and pepper, and mix well. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the turmeric-ginger mixture to a small bowl and set aside for serving. To the large bowl, add chicken and toss until the pieces are well coated; let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Step 3
While the chicken is marinating, toss the cooked rice with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt, scallion whites and 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (the best way to do this is with clean hands). Add a little more oil if needed to fully coat the rice so that it crisps up in the oven.
- Step 4
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the chicken pieces, tossing well to coat.
- Step 5
Use a large spoon to carefully spread the rice out on the hot sheet pan, then make divots in the rice for the chicken, making sure the sheet pan is exposed. Place chicken, skin side up, in the divots touching the pan. Drizzle the rice and chicken with a little more extra-virgin olive oil.
- Step 6
Roast until the chicken is deeply browned on top, cooked through and the rice is crisp at the edges, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Step 7
Stir a little more lemon juice and olive oil into the reserved turmeric-ginger mixture to thin it out. Use a spoon to dab or drizzle it onto the rice (not the chicken). Stir up the rice on the baking sheet, so the crisp parts get mixed into the soft part of the rice, and the turmeric mixture gets distributed. (Taste rice and add a little more oil, lemon juice and salt if necessary; rice can take a lot of seasoning.) Top everything with scallion greens and chopped fresh cilantro, and serve.
If you want to substitute long-grain rice, watch it carefully; it browns (and can dry out) more quickly than plumper grains of short-grain rice.
Private Notes
Comments
I’m always confused when I see recipes calling for olive oil in ovens above 400 degrees. Isn’t that risking its smoking point? And does that not make the oil carcinogenic? Please correct me if I’ve understood this wrong all these years…
Delicious recipe. The cilantro is a nice addition but not critical. I forgot to buy scallions and substituted shallots instead. Otherwise followed it exactly. Crispy rice was great. Side note - I made roasted carrots on the same pan and added them 10 minutes after starting the chicken. Perfect.
I used this recipe to make firm cubed tofu instead of the chicken, marinated in the same sauce. I had leftover short grain, brown rice and barley, which worked out perfectly. Served with some steamed broccoli on the side and a sunny side-up egg, because I didn't want to crowd the sheet pan I was using. Excellent meal. Vegetarians be not afraid of the tofu or even seitan substitutions. For easier clean-up on the sheet pan, line it with aluminum foil and give it a swipe of olive or sesame oil.
This was great, even with (gasp) breasts instead of thighs. If using breasts, I’d cook the rice for ~15 min before adding the chicken, which cooked for me in 20 min when cut into large chunks. Made that way, it does need some kind of yogurt-y sauce, I think. Tzatziki worked well.
I misread the directions and added the tablespoon of marinade to the ingredients for the rice. And when I found out at the last minute that one of my dinner guests does not eat rice, I discovered that the accidentally enriched mixture went very well with emergency potatoes.
Most consistently good recipe I've ever made, whether with boneless or bone-in thighs. Like others have said, 20 minutes for boneless was perfect. Gave the rice a 10 minute start, also as others suggested. Love this recipe.