Halal Cart Chicken Over Rice (Halal Guys Copycat)

This Halal cart chicken over rice recipe is anything but your average chicken and rice. It’s inspired by the classic New York City halal cart plates—you know, the ones with smoky, spiced chicken piled over yellow rice, drenched in white sauce, with pita and salad on the side. Here, juicy marinated chicken thighs are cooked until slightly charred, served over buttery yellow basmati rice, and finished with my homemade Halal white sauce, warm toasted pita, crisp lettuce, and tomatoes. It tastes like a Halal Guys–style chicken platter right at home, and the best part is it’s surprisingly easy to pull off on a weeknight.

Why You'll Love This Chicken Over Rice

If you love chicken and rice but are tired of bland, plain versions, this Halal cart chicken over rice is a complete game-changer. Instead of unseasoned chicken, you get deeply flavored, halal-cart style chicken marinated in lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and warm spices so every bite is juicy and seasoned all the way through. That chicken gets layered over buttery, savory yellow rice, then you add cool, crunchy lettuce and tomatoes, plus soft, toasted pita to scoop everything up. It hits salty, tangy, creamy, and fresh all at once—exactly what you want from a Halal chicken and rice plate.

I’ve tested and tweaked this recipe to taste as close as possible to a classic NYC halal cart platter, especially Halal Guys. Between the marinade, the yellow rice, and a properly garlicky, tangy white sauce, it really does give them a run for their money.

And even though the flavors are bold and complex, the method stays simple and repeatable: marinate and cook the chicken, simmer the rice, whisk together the white sauce, and assemble. You can have a full chicken over rice platter on the table in under 45 minutes, and it scales easily if you’re feeding a crowd. Whether you’re craving late-night street food or just want a new chicken and rice recipe in your rotation, this Halal cart chicken is one you’ll come back to over and over.

Ingredients You'll Need

For Halal cart chicken:

• 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

For fluffy yellow rice:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup long grain Basmati rice
• Salt

And for serving:

• Halal white sauce
• Pita bread, toasted with butter in the oven
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 ½ cup shredded lettuce
• Fresh parsley
• Lemon

How To Make Halal Cart Chicken Over Rice

Step 1: Marinate The Chicken

Add the chicken (thighs work best) to a large bowl. Pour in the lemon juice, dried oregano, dried basil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and half of the olive oil. Toss well so every piece of chicken is coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) so the flavors can soak in and the chicken stays juicy.

Step 2: Sear and Cook The Chicken

Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron pan over high heat until it’s very hot. Add the remaining olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (let excess drip off) and place it in the hot pan in a single layer. Sear until well browned on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the chicken for about 10–15 more minutes, or until it’s cooked through and reaches 165°F in the thickest part.

Step 3: Rest and Slice The Chicken

Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes to keep the juices in. Then slice it into thin strips or small pieces, just like the street cart style. Taste and sprinkle with a little extra dried oregano, basil, or a squeeze of lemon juice if you want to brighten the flavor.

Step 4: Toast The Rice with Spices

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the turmeric and cumin and let them bloom in the butter for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well so every grain is coated in the spiced butter. Cook for a minute or two, stirring, until the rice is lightly toasted and the edges of the grains start to look slightly translucent.

Step 5: Cook The Yellow Rice

Pour in the chicken broth and add salt to taste. Stir once, then bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff the rice gently with a fork.

Step 6: Assemble the Chicken Over Rice Bowls

My Expert Tips to Make The Best Halal Cart Chicken Over Rice

• Use chicken thighs for true Halal Cart flavor. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts and are closest to what you get from a NYC halal cart. You can use breasts if you prefer, but thighs are much more forgiving and soak up the marinade better.
• Give the chicken enough time to marinate. You’ll get the best flavor if you marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but 4–8 hours (or overnight) is even better. The lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices penetrate the meat and make your halal cart chicken taste like it’s been slowly seasoned all day. If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes is better than nothing—just don’t skip this step completely.
• Use a hot, heavy pan for real char. A cast-iron skillet or heavy stainless-steel pan is ideal for this recipe. Preheat it until it’s very hot before you add the chicken. That intense heat is what gives you the deep browning and little charred edges that make halal cart chicken so good. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the chicken will steam instead of sear.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches if needed. Overcrowding drops the temperature of the pan and prevents browning, which means less flavor. You want each piece of chicken to have enough room to make full contact with the skillet.
• Let the chicken rest before slicing. Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest on the cutting board for a few minutes. This helps the juices redistribute so the meat stays moist when you slice it into small pieces, just like they do at the halal cart. If you slice immediately, more juice will run out onto the board instead of staying in the chicken.
• Toast the rice with spices for extra flavor. Don’t skip the step of toasting the rice in butter with turmeric and cumin. Lightly toasting the grains and blooming the spices in fat gives the yellow rice a deeper, nuttier flavor and helps each grain stay more separate and fluffy. You’ll get much closer to that iconic halal cart rice than if you just boil rice with turmeric.
• Use good-quality chicken broth for the rice. Cooking the rice in chicken broth instead of water adds savory depth and makes the rice stand on its own, not just as a base. Taste the broth before adding salt so you don’t accidentally over-season the rice. Keep in mind that some broths are saltier than others.
• Adjust the lemon and herbs at the end. After you slice the chicken, taste a piece and adjust with a bit more dried oregano, basil, or an extra squeeze of lemon juice if it needs brightness. That last little hit of acidity and herbs right before serving makes the flavors pop and keeps the dish from feeling heavy.
• Make the white sauce in advance. The Halal white sauce is a huge part of the “chicken over rice” experience, and it actually tastes better after it sits. Make it while the chicken marinates or even a day ahead so the flavors have time to meld in the fridge. A properly seasoned, slightly garlicky, tangy sauce ties everything together.
• Meal prep friendly—store components separately. If you’re using this as a meal prep chicken and rice recipe, store the chicken, rice, and white sauce separately in the fridge. Reheat the chicken and rice gently in the microwave or a skillet, then drizzle the cold sauce over the top. Add fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and pita right before eating so they stay crisp instead of soggy.

Variations You Can Try

Halal Cart Chicken FAQS

Recipes To Try Next

• Kafta kabobs
• Poppy seed chicken casserole
• Broccoli rice casserole
• Pork chop casserole
  
• Chicken long rice
• Chicken divan
• Ranch chicken

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Halal Cart Chicken Over Rice (Halal Guys Copycat)

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This Halal cart chicken over rice recipe is anything but your average chicken and rice. It’s inspired by the classic New York City halal cart plates—you know, the ones with smoky, spiced chicken piled over yellow rice, drenched in white sauce, with pita and salad on the side. Here, juicy marinated chicken thighs are cooked until slightly charred, served over buttery yellow basmati rice, and finished with my homemade Halal white sauce, warm toasted pita, crisp lettuce, and tomatoes. It tastes like a Halal Guys–style chicken platter right at home, and the best part is it’s surprisingly easy to pull off on a weeknight.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Halal Cart chicken:

• 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Fluffy yellow rice:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup long grain Basmati rice
• Salt

For Serving:

• Halal white sauce
• Pita bread, toasted with butter in the oven
• 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
• 1 ½ cup shredded lettuce
• Fresh parsley
• Lemon

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a bowl with the lemon juice, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, salt and pepper, and half of the olive oil. Mix to combine. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron to high. Once it's really hot, add the rest of the olive oil.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook it until browned on both sides (around 6 minutes per side). Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken thighs until fully cooked (about 15 more minutes).
4. Transfer the chicken to a board and cut it into thin strips. Season with more dried herbs and lemon juice as needed.
5. For the rice, melt the butter with the turmeric and cumin in a pot. Add the rice and mix until it's well combined and until it toasts a bit (the edges of the rice will begin to look a bit transparent).
6. Add the chicken broth and salt, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer - cover with the lid and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until it dries out.
7. Serve in bowls with rice, chicken, halal sauce, toasted pita bread, tomatoes, fresh parsley, lemon, and lettuce.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 593Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 29g