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Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice is marinated in a yogurt sauce with rich, warm spices. It is grilled and paired with an herbed basmati rice with vermicelli and topped with fresh tabbouleh for a fresh summer meal.
Grilling season is the best season! When grilling season arrives recipes like this Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice are a favorite in our house. The convenience, lack of dirty dishes and the fact we can hang out in our backyard during the warm summer months are just some of the reasons we love to fire up the grill.
When we grill meat I like to marinade the meat before grilling it, preferably overnight. Marinades help to flavor the meat, hold the juices in creating a more tender meat and adds variety to your typical grilled meats. One of my go-to types of marinades is creating yogurt marinades, especially if the meal is Mediterranean inspired. The yogurt is a great base to pair with rich, warm spices, like the cinnamon, cumin, paprika, nutmeg and cardamom in today’s recipe. I mostly use plain yogurt but you could use Greek yogurt for a slightly tangier marinade. If you like chicken recipes you also might like this Grilled Chicken Greek Salad, Greek Chicken with Tzatziki Orzo Salad or this Chicken Souvlaki Recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of simple ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- yogurt: this recipe uses yogurt for the marinade. You can use regular yogurt or a Greek yogurt for a tangy flavor.
- spices: the spices add so much flavor to this recipe. It mixes cumin, paprika, cayenne red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. You can add additional spices like turmeric, garlic powder or onion powder.
- chicken: I used chicken drumsticks but you can use any cut of chicken you like. I think skinless chicken thighs or skinless chicken breasts are also a great option.
- basmati rice: if you want to pair this recipe with the basmati rice you will need basmati rice, sweet onions, vermicelli and dried cranberries. It makes a great side for the chicken!
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken
Step 1: Marinade Chicken: Put the chicken drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag. In a medium mixing bowl add the yogurt, cumin, paprika, cayenne red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the yogurt marinade over the chicken, seal the bag making sure to let out any air and use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken, making sure to coat all of the chicken. Put the Ziploc bag on a baking sheet or a big plate and refrigerate for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.
Step 2: Grill Chicken: Be sure to brush your grill grate with olive oil to prevent any sticking. Heat the grill to 300-350°F. Remove chicken from the Ziploc bag and place on the grates and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180°F making sure to turn a few times so they evenly cook. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 3: Create Basmati Rice: In a large pot, heat the 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the basmati rice, vermicelli and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions begins to soften. Add the water according to the basmati rice instructions {for me I used 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken broth} and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Using a fork, fluff the rice. Stir in the fresh parsley and dried cranberries. Serve the Mediterranean Chicken over a bed of the basmati rice, garnish with fresh parsley and top with fresh tabbouleh. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat you can heat in the microwave, the oven or a skillet.
More Chicken Recipes
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Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds Chicken Drumsticks
- 1 cup yogurt , {you can use Greek yogurt for a tangier sauce}
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 garlic , grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the basmati rice:
- 2 Tablespoons butter , or ghee
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1/2 cup vermicelli , {or you can use finely broken angel hair pasta}
- 1/4 cup sweet onions, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley, freshly chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries , {you can also use raisins or golden raisins}
Instructions
- Put the chicken drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag. In a medium mixing bowl add the yogurt, cumin, paprika, cayenne red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour the yogurt marinade over the chicken, seal the bag making sure to let out any air and use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken, making sure to coat all of the chicken. Put the Ziploc bag on a baking sheet or a big plate and refrigerate for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.
- Be sure to brush your grill grate with olive oil to prevent any sticking. Heat the grill to 300-350°F.
- Remove chicken from the Ziploc bag and place on the grates and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180°F making sure to turn a few times so they evenly cook. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- In a large pot, heat the 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the basmati rice, vermicelli and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions begins to soften.
- Add the water according to the basmati rice instructions {for me I used 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken broth} and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Using a fork, fluff the rice. Stir in the fresh parsley and dried cranberries. Serve the Mediterranean Chicken over a bed of the basmati rice and top with fresh tabbouleh. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use raisins or golden raisins instead of the dried cranberries in the basmati rice or you can leave it out all together.
- For the chicken, I use plain yogurt but you could use Greek yogurt for a slightly tangy marinade.
- I top our chicken with fresh tabbouleh. If you don’t want to make actual tabbouleh using bulgur wheat you could just chop up some fresh tomatoes, parsley and mint and a squeeze of lemon juice and use that as the topping.
- This marinade would also work great on chicken thighs or chicken breasts at equal weight {1.25 pounds}.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am making a meal plan up for my mom and she has chicken drumsticks that need used–your timing was perfect. I saw on facebook and am now including this!!
That is great! I hope she likes them. We loved this meal for a summer dinner.