A simple marinade coats the chicken with olive oil, pepper, turmeric, paprika, and cinnamon. This marinade gives the meat savory and sweet flavors, perfect for grilling or baking in a pan.

This Persian Chicken and Rice recipe is based on a traditional Iranian dish. It is rich in flavor but mild enough to be enjoyed by all.

Persian Chicken Spices

All the seasonings you need to marinate chicken breasts are common spices you likely already have in your cupboard or pantry.

The Persian chicken seasoning contains:

  • Tumeric
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne
  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients with olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Cover the chicken and let it marinate for up to 24 hours.

It is usually added to the morning marinade and then cooked for dinner.

How to make Persian Chicken

After the marinade has been applied to the chicken, it is time to remove the meat from the fridge and let the olive oil cool.

You can cook the chicken on a barbecue or in a skillet/frying pan. It takes only 3 minutes to cook the chicken. Once it is done, it will be tender and juicy. This is because we use chicken breast fillets. See below.

Ensure you cook it on high heat to get a beautiful color outside.

Filleting chicken breasts

This recipe requires two large chicken breasts. These will be cut into four fillets. If you’d prefer chicken fillets or escallops, you can purchase them from the butcher.

Chicken fillets are quick to cook and have a uniform thickness. This means the entire fillet remains tender and juicy when cooked and takes less preparation time.

Place the chicken breast flat onto a cutting board. Make sure the smooth side is facing up. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally through the chicken breast carefully. Keep your knife parallel to the board at all times. You will see the chicken breast open like a book. If you continue cutting through, you will end up with two fillets.

Easy Persian Chicken Breasts Recipe

These Persian Chicken Breasts can be made quickly and are a delicious, comforting, yet exotic dinner. They’re great for pairing with some jeweled rice. A simple marinade coats the chicken in olive oil, turmeric, and paprika. The marinade gives the meat a sweet and savory flavor that is perfect for grilling or baking on a pan. A traditional Iranian dish inspires this Persian Chicken and Rice recipe. It is full of flavor but mild enough to be enjoyed by all.

Ingredients

  • Two chicken breasts
  • Four tablespoons of olive oil
  • Two teaspoons turmeric
  • One teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • One clove of garlic
  • One tablespoon honey
  • Lemon
  • Parsley – For garnish

Instructions

Begin by filling the chicken breasts.

  • Place the chicken breast flattened on a cutting board, with the smooth side facing upwards. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally through the chicken breast carefully. Keep your knife parallel to the board at all times.
  • You will see the chicken breast open like a book. If you continue to slice through, you will have two fillets. Continue with the second chicken breast.

Marinate the chicken

  • In a non-metallic bowl, add olive oil, turmeric, salt, cayenne (if necessary), cinnamon, allspice, and pepper. Combine to make a paste.
  • Add the chopped garlic clove to the spice paste, and mix well.
  • Mix the chicken fillets with the oil and mix well.
  • Marinate the meat in a cover for at least 24 hours.

Cook the chicken

  • Let the chicken sit in the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking it.
  • Let a heavy-based skillet, frying pan, or griddle heat on medium-high heat.
  • Take the chicken out of the marinade and push off any garlic bits.
  • Cook the chicken breasts in a frying pan for 3 minutes. Cook the chicken for three more minutes or until it is cooked through.
  • Serve the chicken with honey, chopped parsley, and lemon slices.