Amba sauce uses green mangoes fermented with fenugreek for 6 months—Iraq's answer to Indian pickle that transforms boring chicken.
Amba Chicken and Rice
Dive into a flavor-packed adventure with our Amba Chicken and Rice! This one-pan wonder features tender chicken infused with the zesty kick of Amba sauce, complemented by perfectly fluffy rice. With just a handful of ingredients and a simple cooking technique, you’ll whip up a delicious meal that’s sure to impress!
Prep
15
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 scallions / green onions, chopped
- Chopped scallion / green onion (just the green part)optional
- 4 cups of boiling water (960 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 8 pieces of bone-in chicken thighs
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cups of basmati rice, washed and drained (480 ml)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)
- 1/4 cup of olive oil (60 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper (7.5 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon of flaky salt (1.25 ml)
- 1.5 teaspoons of salt (7.5 ml)
- 1 heaping teaspoon of turmeric (5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1/3 cup of Amba (79.2 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 package (10oz / 284g) of shredded carrots (284 g)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 420F / 220C.
- 2
In a 14-inch round oven-safe pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt.
- 3
Add the washed and drained rice, shredded carrots, and green onions to the pan. Spread it out evenly.
- 4
Place the chicken thighs on top.
- 5
Using a tablespoon, spoon the Amba sauce over the chicken thighs and spread it well.
- 6
Gently pour in 4 cups of boiling water.
- 7
Cover with wet parchment paper and then aluminum foil.
- 8
Bake in a preheated oven at 420F for 55 minutes.
- 9
Remove the cover and switch the oven to convection broil at 450F for 5–7 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- 10
Garnish with chopped green onion.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use wet parchment paper under foil to create a steam barrier that prevents rice from drying out while allowing even heat distribution at 420°F.technique420°F
- ✓Pour boiling water (212°F) rather than cold to maintain oven temperature and ensure rice cooks evenly in the 55-minute timeframe without temperature recovery lag.timing212°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio (4 cups water) for one-pot rice dishes because the chicken releases additional moisture and the high oven heat increases evaporation rate.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Choose a 14-inch oven-safe pan with thick bottom to prevent hot spots that cause uneven rice cooking and potential burning at the high 420°F temperature.equipment14-inch diameter
- ✓Bake uncovered for the final 5-10 minutes after removing foil to achieve proper Maillard browning on chicken skin at 420°F while allowing excess moisture to evaporate.timing5-10 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Amba sauce uses green mangoes fermented with fenugreek for 6 months—Iraq's answer to Indian pickle that transforms boring chicken.
Amba Chicken and Rice
Dive into a flavor-packed adventure with our Amba Chicken and Rice! This one-pan wonder features tender chicken infused with the zesty kick of Amba sauce, complemented by perfectly fluffy rice. With just a handful of ingredients and a simple cooking technique, you’ll whip up a delicious meal that’s sure to impress!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 scallions / green onions, chopped
- Chopped scallion / green onion (just the green part)optional
- 4 cups of boiling water (960 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 8 pieces of bone-in chicken thighs
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cups of basmati rice, washed and drained (480 ml)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)
- 1/4 cup of olive oil (60 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper (7.5 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon of flaky salt (1.25 ml)
- 1.5 teaspoons of salt (7.5 ml)
- 1 heaping teaspoon of turmeric (5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1/3 cup of Amba (79.2 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 package (10oz / 284g) of shredded carrots (284 g)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 420F / 220C.
- 2
In a 14-inch round oven-safe pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt.
- 3
Add the washed and drained rice, shredded carrots, and green onions to the pan. Spread it out evenly.
- 4
Place the chicken thighs on top.
- 5
Using a tablespoon, spoon the Amba sauce over the chicken thighs and spread it well.
- 6
Gently pour in 4 cups of boiling water.
- 7
Cover with wet parchment paper and then aluminum foil.
- 8
Bake in a preheated oven at 420F for 55 minutes.
- 9
Remove the cover and switch the oven to convection broil at 450F for 5–7 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- 10
Garnish with chopped green onion.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use wet parchment paper under foil to create a steam barrier that prevents rice from drying out while allowing even heat distribution at 420°F.technique420°F
- ✓Pour boiling water (212°F) rather than cold to maintain oven temperature and ensure rice cooks evenly in the 55-minute timeframe without temperature recovery lag.timing212°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio (4 cups water) for one-pot rice dishes because the chicken releases additional moisture and the high oven heat increases evaporation rate.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Choose a 14-inch oven-safe pan with thick bottom to prevent hot spots that cause uneven rice cooking and potential burning at the high 420°F temperature.equipment14-inch diameter
- ✓Bake uncovered for the final 5-10 minutes after removing foil to achieve proper Maillard browning on chicken skin at 420°F while allowing excess moisture to evaporate.timing5-10 minutes