James’s kitchen

Street Cart Chicken & Yellow Rice

Probably the best street food in NYC is chicken and yellow rice. Why not make it for yourself at home?

⏱ 1 hour🍽 3-4 servings

Ingredients

•Chicken (marinade)
•4 boneless chicken thighs, about 1 lb
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•5 whole cloves, crushed
•5 g cumin seeds, about a spoonful
•2 g dried oregano, a sprinkle
•Black pepper, 20 cranks
•Juice of 1/4 lemon
•30 g mayonnaise, 2 spoonfuls
•Salt, a sprinkle
•Yellow rice
•200 g basmati rice
•250 g chicken broth or water
•15 g unsalted butter
•1/8 onion, finely diced
•5 g cumin seeds, about a spoonful
•5 g turmeric powder, about a spoonful
•5 g smoked paprika, about a spoonful
•1-2 bay leaves
•Salt, to taste
•White sauce
•100 g mayonnaise
•50 g Greek yogurt
•10 g white vinegar, a splash
•Juice of 1/4 lemon
•Black pepper, a sprinkle
•Dried oregano, a sprinkle
•Smoked paprika, a sprinkle
•Salt, to taste
•Red hot sauce
•100 g water
•50 g white vinegar
•15 g cayenne pepper
•5 g red pepper flakes, about a spoonful
•Juice of 1/2 lemon
•10 g sugar, about a spoonful
•Salt, to taste
•For serving
•Pita bread
•Lettuce, thinly sliced
•Tomatoes, diced

Instructions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and set them aside.

Crush the cloves and cumin in a mortar and pestle. Add the oregano, black pepper, and garlic cloves into the mortar with the spices and crush into a rough paste.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and spice mixture. Add the chicken thighs and mix to thoroughly coat the exterior. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours, or cook right away.

Step 2: Start the rice

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Bloom the aromatics until fragrant but not burnt, about 30 seconds.

Add the rice to the pan with the aromatics and mix. Lightly toast the rice, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Simmer the rice

Add the chicken broth, turn up the heat, and cover the pan to bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the rice gently simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, feel free to cook the chicken or mix the sauces (next steps).

Uncover and taste the rice. Add salt as needed, or stir in a little more butter to make it richer.

Step 4: Make the red sauce

Add all the red sauce ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.

Add the sauce to a pot and simmer over medium-low heat to develop the flavor and reduce.

Taste and adjust for salt and vinegar. Note: this will be hot.

Let it cool before storing in a bottle in the fridge.

Step 5: Mix the white sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, white vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, and salt in a bowl and mix together.

Taste it and adjust the salt or any spice and herb additions as you see fit.

Step 6: Cook the chicken

Place a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the chicken thighs on both sides until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 F.

Chop the chicken into pieces in the pan, or let it rest, then slice.

Step 7: Assemble and serve

Serve a portion of chicken and rice on a plate and drizzle with both of the sauces, as desired.

Optional: serve with pita bread or fresh vegetables and herbs for garnish.

Last updated Sep 7, 2026← James’s recipes