- There are chicken and rice casseroles,
and then there's this turmeric chicken and rice casserole,
which I think you'll agree
is definitely an elevated version.
It's the perfect weeknight dinner recipe
that nestles whole chicken breasts
into the most vibrant golden rice
that's infused with warm and earthy flavors.
And then I've added some grated carrot as well
for a little extra veggie boost.
The whole thing bakes together in the oven,
and when it's done,
you simply have to fluff the rice with a fork,
scoop out a chicken breast, and serve it up.
It's easy, healthy, and super delicious
with curry-like flavors.
So let me show you how to make it.
To get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
or 177 degrees Celsius,
and then lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish
with olive oil.
You can just drizzle a little oil straight into the pan
and use a paper towel to wipe it all around,
and then set that casserole dish aside.
I'm excited to use
my new seven-inch Zwilling chef's knife today
to slice and dice this onion
because the knife is brand spanking new and super sharp.
And you have to know that I am a sucker
for that gorgeous white handle.
I also have an eight-inch chef's knife,
but to be honest,
I prefer this new seven-inch knife to my eight-inch knife,
as it just fits better in my smaller hand.
This isn't sponsored at all.
I'm just sharing the tools I love to use in the kitchen.
And if you follow me on Instagram Stories,
you saw me unboxing this knife last week.
And if you're not following me on Instagram Stories,
well, I think you should go do that.
All right, back to the onion.
Once you've got it all diced up, transfer it to a bowl,
as you'll take it over to the stove here in a second.
Next up, you're gonna peel and grate one large carrot.
Once it's peeled, use the large holes on a box grater
to grate the carrot up,
and you'll end up with about this much.
Place the grated carrot in a bowl or on a plate,
and just move it to the side for now.
You'll need four garlic cloves for this recipe.
And if you've watched my anti-inflammatory foods video,
you know I'm a big fan of garlic
in addition to the turmeric and ginger,
which also happen to be in this recipe.
Give the garlic a good smash with the side of your knife
to help remove the papery peels,
and then take those over to the stove,
as you'll mince them straight into the pan.
Because this recipe moves fairly quickly,
I'm going to prep a couple of other ingredients
before I move to the stove,
and that includes rinsing 1 1/4 cups of basmati rice.
I like to use basmati rice in this recipe
as it's relatively low in starch,
so the grains come out light and fluffy
rather than sticky and clumpy.
If you don't have basmati rice, though,
you can use another long grain rice like jasmine rice.
And once that's rinsed, just set it to the side.
Lastly, juice one fresh lime.
You should get about two tablespoons of juice
from an average size lime.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil
to a large pan on medium-high heat,
and then toss in the diced onion.
Stir that around for about three to four minutes
or until the onion becomes softened
and slightly translucent.
And then mince those four garlic cloves
that you peeled straight into the pan.
(gentle music)
Now comes all of the spices,
and together they add the most robust flavor
to this chicken and rice casserole,
and that includes two teaspoons of ground turmeric,
one teaspoon of ground ginger, one teaspoon of kosher salt,
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper,
and 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin.
Give that a quick stir for about 30 seconds,
just to blend the spices into the onion
and lightly saute that minced garlic.
Then add one can of full-fat coconut milk.
If you're making this recipe in the summer
and your coconut milk is really liquidy and blended,
you can just give the can a shake
and add it straight to the casserole dish and not this pan.
But because it's wintertime
and my coconut milk is a little bit chilled,
it has separated into hardened cream and water,
so I'm adding it to the pan on the stove first
so that the heat can break down those coconut lumps
into a creamy consistency.
Take the onion mixture over to your casserole dish
and carefully pour it in.
And I do say carefully because keep in mind
that turmeric stains like nobody's business,
and you don't want splatters on your countertop
or on your clothing.
Add 3/4 cup of water, along with the fresh lime juice,
the rinsed rice, and the grated carrot.
Then give that a gentle stir
to combine all of the ingredients.
And pro tip, if you do happen to splatter
on your countertop,
clean it up right away with a baking soda and water paste
to remove any stains.
Add four boneless skinless chicken breasts
to the casserole dish side by side.
And ideally the chicken breasts would all be
about the same size so that they cook evenly.
Just nestle the chicken on top,
and then use tongs to flip them over
and coat the other side.
This makes sure that that delicious spice mix
gets all over the chicken
so that when you bite into it when it's done,
it's loaded with flavor.
And if any rice grains get stuck to the top of the chicken,
just scrape those off so that they can fully cook
in the liquid base.
(bright music)
cover the dish with aluminum foil
to retain moisture inside the pan,
and then bake it for about 45 to 50 minutes
or until the chicken is cooked through
and the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid.
When you remove the casserole from the oven,
the chicken will be plump and juicy,
and you'll notice that the onions
and carrots tend to rise to the surface.
So I like to just fluff the rice with a fork,
which remixes it all together.
This is similar to how the onion
and spinach rises to the surface
on my one-pan Mediterranean chicken and rise recipe.
Before serving,
sprinkle the chicken breasts with a little salt
and freshly cracked black pepper.
And for a fresh pop of green,
chop up about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro,
and add that to the top of the casserole dish.
If you're not a fan of cilantro,
you could use parsley as well.
(gentle music)
What you end up with is this incredibly easy
and healthy chicken and rice casserole
that's loaded with vibrant flavor
and a hefty dose of anti-inflammatory ingredients.
This is a great weeknight recipe,
and leftovers are just as delicious
as the day you made them,
so feel free to meal prep this recipe as well.
I actually gave leftovers of this casserole to my brother
so that his family could enjoy it,
and my 14-year-old nephew gave it two thumbs up,
so I'm happy to report that it's also kid-approved.
When you're ready to eat it, add a generous amount
of that golden turmeric rice to a plate,
and then scoop out a chicken breast and add it on top.
I hope you and your families enjoy this recipe.
Hit that thumbs up if you'd like
to see more casserole recipes in the future.
Make sure to subscribe to my channel if you're not already,
and I will see you again in the next video.
(bright music)