Flavorful Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Herbed Basmati Rice and Fresh Tabbouleh: A Wholesome Summer Meal
Embark on a culinary journey to the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean with this exquisite recipe for **Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice**. This vibrant dish features tender chicken drumsticks, deeply infused with a rich and aromatic yogurt marinade, then perfectly grilled to juicy perfection. It’s elegantly paired with a fragrant herbed basmati rice pilaf, studded with delicate vermicelli, and crowned with a bright, fresh tabbouleh. This combination creates not just a meal, but an experience – a healthy, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying summer feast that will transport your taste buds straight to the heart of Mediterranean cuisine.
The Irresistible Allure of Grilling Season
Grilling season truly is the best season! As the warm summer months arrive, there’s nothing quite like the sizzle of food on the grill and the joy of dining outdoors. Firing up the grill transforms mealtime into a delightful experience, allowing us to spend more time in our backyards, enjoying the beautiful weather and the company of family and friends. Beyond the sheer pleasure, grilling offers incredible convenience, significantly reducing the pile of dirty dishes and making cleanup a breeze.
For our family, recipes like this **Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Basmati Rice** become a perennial favorite once the grilling fires are lit. The unique smoky char that grilling imparts to poultry is simply unparalleled, elevating simple chicken to a gourmet delight.
Mastering Flavor and Tenderness with Yogurt Marinades
A crucial step in preparing mouthwatering grilled meats is proper marination, and we wholeheartedly recommend doing it, preferably overnight, for the best results. Marinades serve several vital functions: they deeply infuse the meat with flavor, help tenderize it, and lock in moisture, ensuring every bite is succulent and tender. This preparation method adds exciting variety to your typical grilled dishes, preventing monotony.
Among our preferred methods, **yogurt marinades** stand out, especially for dishes inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. The natural acidity in yogurt works as a gentle tenderizer, breaking down the chicken’s muscle fibers without making it tough, as some other acidic marinades can. It also provides a creamy, rich base that beautifully carries a complex blend of warm, aromatic spices.
In this particular recipe, we utilize a harmonious blend of earthy cumin, vibrant paprika, a hint of spicy cayenne red pepper, fragrant cardamom, warm nutmeg, and sweet cinnamon. This combination of spices creates a depth of flavor that is truly characteristic of the region. While plain yogurt is our standard choice for its balanced tang, you could opt for Greek yogurt if you desire a slightly more pronounced tartness in your marinade. Whichever you choose, allow the chicken ample time to absorb these wonderful flavors – the longer, the better!
A Heritage of Flavor: My Lebanese Roots
For those who have been following A Cedar Spoon, you likely know about my cherished connection to my Mom’s Lebanese family. Growing up, our home was a constant celebration of the rich, diverse, and utterly delicious flavors of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. These culinary traditions instilled in me a deep appreciation for vibrant ingredients and aromatic spices, influencing many of the recipes I develop and share today.
This **Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice** is a perfect opportunity to revisit and incorporate those beloved dishes and flavors from my childhood. It’s a testament to how traditional tastes can be adapted into a wholesome and accessible meal, bringing a touch of my heritage to your dinner table. The health benefits and fresh ingredients inherent in Mediterranean cooking make it a wonderful choice for any meal, and especially for a refreshing summer spread.
Our Commitment to Quality: Featuring Just BARE Chicken
We are delighted to once again partner with Just BARE Chicken Drumsticks for this recipe! Many of you might remember the delicious creations we developed in collaboration with the brand last year, and we’re excited to continue showcasing their exceptional products.
There are so many reasons why we appreciate and choose Just BARE chicken. A top priority for us is their commitment to raising chickens without antibiotics, ensuring a cleaner, more natural product. Furthermore, their chickens are fed an all-vegetable and grain diet, which we believe contributes to the superior flavor and texture that truly shines in dishes like this Mediterranean chicken. These standards are important to us when selecting ingredients for our meals and recipes.
Just BARE chicken goes beyond just quality ingredients; the brand demonstrates a strong ethical obligation to the wellbeing and humane care of its chickens. This responsibility is taken with the utmost seriousness, reflected in their comprehensive policies. From the earliest stages of breeding and hatching to the final processing, Just BARE maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any abuse or mistreatment of their animals.
Their dedication to humane and responsible animal welfare practices is a source of pride for the brand, and it’s reassuring for consumers like us. This commitment is independently verified, as Just BARE is certified annually under the American Humane Certified® Farm Program. This rigorous third-party certification provides peace of mind, knowing that the chicken we’re serving meets high standards for animal care.
Discussing the origins of our food can also be a valuable and engaging activity, especially for children. It’s a wonderful exercise to help them learn where their food comes from, fostering an appreciation for the animals involved and the entire process of food transitioning from farm to table. This awareness enriches their understanding and enjoyment of every meal.
The Aromatic Foundation: Herbed Basmati Rice Pilaf
To perfectly complement the richly spiced Mediterranean chicken, we’ve prepared a fragrant basmati rice pilaf that is reminiscent of a cherished family recipe from my Grandma. We affectionately call it “Lebanese Pilaf,” though variations of this delightful rice dish are known by numerous names throughout the Middle East and beyond. This particular version transforms simple basmati rice into a dish bursting with texture and flavor.
The preparation involves a crucial step of sautéing the basmati rice alongside delicate vermicelli (finely broken angel hair pasta is an excellent substitute) and finely chopped sweet onion in a small amount of butter or ghee. This toasting process, a hallmark of many Middle Eastern rice dishes, imparts a beautiful nutty flavor to the rice and helps each grain cook up separate and fluffy. Once golden, the mixture is simmered with water (or chicken broth for an added layer of savoriness), salt, and pepper until the rice is perfectly tender.
The final touch involves stirring in a generous amount of freshly chopped parsley for a burst of herbaceous freshness, along with dried cranberries for a subtle, sweet-tart counterpoint. If dried cranberries aren’t your preference, golden raisins or regular raisins make equally delicious alternatives. For a purely savory experience, you can, of course, omit the dried fruit entirely. This aromatic, flavorful rice pilaf creates an ideal, comforting base upon which the grilled chicken truly shines.
The Essential Fresh Finish: Tabbouleh and Beyond
To complete this vibrant Mediterranean feast, we top the grilled chicken and rice with a generous serving of freshly made tabbouleh. This classic Middle Eastern salad, with its abundance of fresh parsley, mint, ripe tomatoes, and a zesty lemon-olive oil dressing, provides a refreshing and bright contrast to the warm spices of the chicken and the comforting rice.
If you find yourself short on time or simply prefer a quicker option, you can easily create a simplified, deconstructed version of tabbouleh. Just chop up some fresh tomatoes, parsley, and mint, then toss them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. This effortless topping delivers much of the same vibrant, herbaceous flavor without the need for bulgur wheat, making it an excellent shortcut for a busy weeknight.
For an even more authentic and comprehensive Mediterranean spread, consider adding a selection of classic sides. Creamy hummus, warm and pillowy pita bread for dipping, or a cool, refreshing dollop of tzatziki can perfectly complement the rich flavors and varied textures of the meal. A simple side of briny olives or a crisp cucumber and tomato salad would also be wonderful additions, ensuring a truly unforgettable **fresh summer meal** that offers a burst of flavor and freshness with every bite!
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Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice
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Ingredients
- 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
- 1.25 pounds Chicken Drumsticks, Just BARE
- 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
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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.
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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.
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Put the Ziploc bag on a baking sheet or a big plate and refrigerate for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.
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Be sure to brush your grill grate with olive oil to prevent any sticking. Heat the grill to 300-350°F.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender.
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Using a fork, fluff the rice. Stir in the fresh parsley and dried cranberries.
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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.
Disclosure: This post is created in partnership with Just BARE Chicken. As always, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. Your support for the brands and companies that make it possible for me to continue sharing delicious recipes with you is greatly appreciated!