Saffron Chicken and Rice with Dates

3 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup rice and 2/3 cup chicken mixture)
By Dana McCauley
November 2004
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

North African staples transform this simple supper.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed and divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 6 whole pitted dates, quartered
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Lemon wedges (optional)

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 273
  • Caloriesfromfat 12%
  • Fat 3.5g
  • Satfat 0.7g
  • Monofat 0.8g
  • Polyfat 1.6g
  • Protein 20.8g
  • Carbohydrate 38.6g
  • Fiber 2.5g
  • Cholesterol 44mg
  • Iron 2.8mg
  • Sodium 500mg
  • Calcium 43mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, and sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Step 2

Add onion, 1/8 teaspoon saffron, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in reserved chicken, tomato juice, and dates; cover. Reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes. Uncover; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Step 3

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon saffron, 2 cups water, and rice in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken mixture over rice mixture. Garnish with sliced green onions and lemon wedges, if desired.

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Ratings & Reviews

3 1/2 stars

daneanp
June 27, 2015
I thought this was just ok, but DH and my teenager loved it.  I used chicken thighs and cut back on the oil a bit.  I also made the saffron rice in my rice steamer.  Family has requested to add this to the regular rotation.

CatieIrishRose's Review

pealsmom
June 08, 2014
This is a great recipe! The dish is full of flavor. I used an organic Moroccan saffron I purchased from Amazon, which enhanced the flavor of the dish. If you are interested, you can check it out here http://www.amazon.com/Moroccan-Saffron-LLC/dp/B00JX1QZRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402273446&sr=8-1&keywords=organic+moroccan+saffron Thanks! Keep these great recipes coming!

pealsmom's Review

CatieIrishRose
March 31, 2010
Loved this. Doubled the amount of dates and used 2 cups of tomato soup instead. Also used saffron AND turmeric. The sauce came out perfectly carmelized. Would definitely make this again. For a dinner party would use boneless, skinless thighs instead. Served with green beans sauteed with garlic and tossed w/feta.