Spiced chicken & date pilaf
Prep
10 mins
Cook
45 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my go to weeknight dinners because it comes together in under an hour and delivers restaurant quality flavour without any fuss. The combination of warm spices like cinnamon and ras el hanout creates this deeply aromatic dish that feels fancy but honestly couldn't be simpler to make. I love using medjool dates here because they add natural sweetness and are packed with fibre, keeping you satisfied longer. The chicken stays tender and juicy when cooked gently in the stock, and everything cooks in one pot, which means minimal cleanup. It's comfort food with a bit of exotic flair, and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while it's cooking.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 250 gramswhite basmati rice
- 30 gramsunsalted butter
- 1onion(finely chopped)
- 1 clove/sgarlic(finely chopped)
- 380 gramschicken breast fillets(cut into bitesized chunks)
- 1 tbspras el hanout
- 4medjool dates(pitted and chopped)
- 1 tspground allspice
- 1cinnamon stick
- 500 mlsfresh chicken stock
- 260 gramsspinach
- 1dill(Roughly chopped dill and lemon wedges, to serve)
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Rinse the rice, then soak in a bowl of cold water until needed. Put the butter in a wide, shallow casserole dish (or roasting tin) and melt in the oven for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic to the dish, then cook for 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Meanwhile, put the chicken chunks in a bowl, rub in the ras el hanout and season.
- 2
Add the dates and spices to the onion mixture. Drain the rice and add to the dish, stirring to coat in the butter and spices; add the stock. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 30 minutes, then use a fork to fluff up the rice. Stir through the spinach, then nestle the chicken into the rice and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, no pink meat remains and the juices run clear
- 3
Cover with the foil again and stand for 5-10 minutes before serving with a scattering of dill and lemon wedges for squeezing.
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