New York Street Cart–Style Chicken & Rice Is A Perfect Weeknight Meal

The following recipe and excerpt for New York street cart-style chicken & rice are from “EAT: Easy, Affordable, Tasty” by Frankie Celenza. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.

When you’re in New York City, no meal is more flavorful and consistently good than chicken and rice from the corner cart. Each vendor has their own spice blends for the meats, making each tray its own special experience. They’re often open into the wee hours of the morning—when I visit one, I like to chat with the vendor about their day, and often that camaraderie yields a few pieces of fried eggplant, or a 50/50 blend of lamb and chicken, and an extra squeeze of both the hot sauce and the white sauce. Since I no longer live in the City that Never Sleeps, I had to make my own version, and this one hits the spot.

New York Street Cart–Style Chicken & Rice Is A Perfect Weeknight Meal

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 45 minutesServings:4 servings

Ingredients

For the rice 

• 2 cups long-grain white rice 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

For the white sauce

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic 
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the chicken

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

For serving 

• Shredded lettuce 
• Diced tomato 
• Hot sauce

Instructions

1. Make the rice: Place the rice in a medium bowl and add water to cover by 2 inches. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, the butter, turmeric, paprika, salt, and granulated garlic. Add the rice and bring to a simmer over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes more. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, make the white sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and salt until smooth.
4. Make the chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 1- to 2-inch pieces and place them in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, oregano, cumin, sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Toss to coat and let marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour, or cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
5. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are firm and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. To serve it like the street vendors, on plates, create a row of rice, a row of chicken, and a row of lettuce and tomato, if using. Top it all with white sauce and add hot sauce to taste.

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