This one-pan cardamom chicken and rice dish is full of Middle Eastern flavors. It features the bright notes of cardamom and the burst of fresh herbs, along with onions, carrots, and dried currants.
Middle Eastern cuisine is some of my favorite food to cook. It took me a while to realize this, but in hindsight, it makes sense. With a Lebanese family heritage, I've known some of these dishes since I was a kid. At family gatherings, my grandfather's siblings—my great aunts and uncles—would often bring items like kibbeh, stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh, and pita bread.
Of course, as a kid, I never actually appreciated these foods. I'd opt for pizza at family parties, but today, I wish I had some of their old recipes and a chance to talk to them about the foods they ate at home growing up.
Middle Eastern cuisine is bright, fresh, and flavorful. It often focuses on seasonal fruits and vegetables, like figs, pomegranates, eggplants, grains, beans like bulgur, lentils, chickpeas, and bold herbs like dill and mint. I’ve also come to love their warm, fragrant spice combinations, such as cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway, and nutmeg.
Although I don't have my old family recipes, I do have a copy of Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This cookbook isn't just a compilation of wonderful recipes. It's also a fascinating look at the complex history and culture of Palestinian, Israeli, Greek, Libyan, French, Moroccan, and others that have influenced the foods of Jerusalem.
I've enjoyed several recipes from the book, including one for cardamom chicken and rice. I simplified their recipe a little in my adaptation here to make it more accessible for everyday cooking, but the dish's spirit is the same. If you like this dish, you'll definitely want to get yourself a copy of the book as well.
😍 Why You'll Love This Cardamom Chicken
- The chicken stays tender. After browning, it finishes cooking in the pan with the rice, vegetables, and plenty of liquid.
- Warm spices and fresh herbs keep the dish flavorful. And that's what I love about Middle Eastern cooking. There is never a lack of flavor.
- It's a one pan meal. I love how to rice and chicken cook together on top of the stove. And I'm always a fan of fewer dishes to wash.
Another fantastic one-pan chicken meal is my Chicken Tagine with Apricots recipe. But if you're in the mood for pasta, try this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta. Or for something different, how about Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes?
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🐔 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this cardamom chicken recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are my preferred cut because they won't dry out like chicken breasts. They're also easier for portion sizes. Use about two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for four servings.
- Basmati rice: A nutty tasting rice common in Middle Eastern cooking, it stays light and fluffy while absorbing the flavors of the spices and the chicken as it cooks.
- Dried currants: These tiny dried grapes - they're actually a grape and not a currant - add a nice sweet and tart flavor. Their small size incorporates easily into the dish
- Cardamom: Bright, floral, warm, and fresh, cardamom is the prominent flavor of this chicken dish and a staple in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. I choose to use ground cardamom so that I don't have to fish out cardamom pods
- Carrots: Not traditional, but I include carrots to make this a one pan meal without having to cook another vegetable on the side.
- Parsley and cilantro: Added after cooking for plenty of fresh flavor to balance out the spices.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
🍇 Substitutions & Variations
- Dried currants: Instead of currants, you can use raisins or dried cranberries.
- Basmati rice: You can substitute any long-grain white rice instead. Jasmine is another flavorful option.
- Herbs: In addition to or in place of the parsley and cilantro, you could try mint and dill.
🔪 Instructions
How to make cardamom chicken and rice.
- Step 1: Slice the carrots and onions.
- Step 2: Season the chicken with cardamom, pepper, salt, and cloves.
- Step 3: Heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Brown chicken about 4-5 minutes per side. Then, remove and set aside.
- Step 4: Add remaining oil to the pan along with the sliced carrots and onions. Cook, stirring occassionally, for about 8 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
- Step 5: Add the rice and currants. Stir to combine well with the vegetables in an even layer.
- Step 6: Add the chicken back to the pan and set over the rice.
- Step 7: Add the cinnamon sticks.
- Step 8: Pour over 2 ¼ cups of boiling water.
- Step 9: Cover and cook on top of the stove over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Step 10: Serve topped with the fresh herbs.
✨ Helpful Tips
- The chicken only needs to brown at first. It will finish cooking with the rice.
- Make sure the water you add to the pan is boiling, which helps speed up cooking.
- If you don't have a cover for you pan, you can cover it with foil instead.
🍳 Equipment
- A heavy pan, skillet, or Dutch oven. A thin pan may cause the rice to burn and stick to the bottom. A large cast iron pan is a great option and even better if it has a cover.
🥡 Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
Cardamom is a spice with a bright, warm, and lightly sweet flavor with hints of orange. It's like a lighter, fresher cinnamon and works well for both sweet and savory dishes. Some people also describe cardamom as having a pine-like flavor.
Cardamom pairs well with other warm spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. So it's a good addition to a range of baked goods. It also lends a bright spice flavor to savory dishes and meats, like chicken.
Cardamom has a distinct flavor, but the closest replacement is cinnamon or nutmeg. If you can also pair it with a little orange zest, even better.
Cardamom brings freshness and complexity to chicken, which is mild in flavor and often needs enhancing. It pairs well with other spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, which may be used for seasoning chicken in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking.
🧅 Pairing
Any of these recipes would go great with this cardamom chicken:
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📖 Recipe
Cardamom Chicken and Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This one-pot cardamom chicken and rice dish is full of Middle Eastern flavors. It features the bright notes of cardamom and the burst of fresh herbs, along with onions, carrots, and dried currants.
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions
- 2 large carrots
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ⅔ cups basmati rice
- ¼ cup dried currants
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 ¼ cups boiling water
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 1 small bunch of cilantro
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Thinly slice the onions. Peel and thinly slice the carrots. Season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon of cloves. The remaining ½ teaspoons of salt and cardamom will be used in step 3.
- Brown the chicken, Heat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and when hot, add the chicken thighs. Brown on each side for 4-5 minutes. They will finish cooking with the rice. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the reamaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, then the sliced onion and carrots. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and cardamom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Assemble the dish for cooking. Stir the rice and currants into the vegetables. Spread into an even layer. Add the two cinnamon sticks into the rice mixture. Arrange the chicken thighs over top, gently pressing them just a little into the rice. Slowly pour the boiling water into the pan.
- Cook. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook let cook for 30 minutes undisturbed. Meanwhile, roughly chop the herbs.
- Serve. After 30 minutes, remove the cover. Serve the chicken and rice topped with the fresh herbs.
Notes
The chicken only needs to brown at first. It will finish cooking with the rice.
Make sure the water you add to the pan is boiling, which helps speed up cooking.
If you don't have a cover for your pan, you can cover it with foil instead.
Recipe adapted from the Jerusalem cookbook.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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