Grilled Chicken with Vegetable Rice

Grilled Chicken with Vegetable Rice is a hearty and colourful main dish that combines warmly spiced chicken legs with fragrant vegetable rice. The chicken is coated in a biryani-style spice blend and grilled until juicy and lightly charred. Meanwhile, the rice cooks with potatoes, peas, carrots, sweetcorn, and onion to create a comforting and flavourful base.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings Portions

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

For the Vegetable Rice:

250 g long grain rice
1 medium potato peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 medium carrot cut into julienne strips
80 g peas
80 g sweetcorn
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500 ml chicken stock
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried mixed herbs or chopped fresh herbs

Optional Garnish:

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken:

Place the chicken legs in a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic and grated ginger.
4 large chicken legs, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh ginger
Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, salt and black pepper.
1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
Mix everything well so the chicken becomes evenly coated.
Cover the bowl and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Longer marinating will deepen the flavour.

Start the Vegetable Rice:

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Set the rice aside.
250 g long grain rice
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 3 minutes until it softens.
2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 small onion

Add the Vegetables:

Stir in the chopped potatoes and cook for 4 minutes. The potatoes should begin to soften slightly.
1 medium potato
Next add the julienne carrots, peas and sweetcorn. Stir everything together so the vegetables mix evenly.
1 medium carrot, 80 g peas, 80 g sweetcorn

Cook the Rice:

Add the rinsed rice to the saucepan. Stir the rice with the vegetables for about 1 minute so it becomes lightly coated in oil.
Pour in the chicken stock. Add the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
500 ml chicken stock, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the rice to simmer for 15–18 minutes until tender and the liquid has absorbed.

Grill the Chicken:

While the rice cooks, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Place the marinated chicken legs onto the grill. Cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally so the chicken cooks evenly.
The skin should become lightly charred and fragrant. The internal temperature should reach 75°C when fully cooked.

Finish the Rice:

Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork.
Sprinkle the herbs over the rice and stir lightly to distribute them.
1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Assemble the Dish:

Spoon the vegetable rice onto a large serving platter or into individual bowls.
Place the grilled chicken legs on top of the rice.

Garnish and Serve:

Sprinkle fresh herbs over the dish if desired. Add lemon wedges or chilli flakes for extra flavour.
Fresh coriander, Lemon wedges, chilli flakes
Serve immediately while hot.

Equipment

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Cut the potato into small cubes so it cooks at the same speed as the rice.

Allowing the chicken to marinate for one hour will deepen the spice flavour.

For extra aroma, add a pinch of saffron or a small cinnamon stick to the rice while cooking.

Nutrition