Even if you've never been to New York, you've probably heard of The Halal Guys. This eatery started out as a humble food cart in the streets of New York City selling chicken and gyro served with rice. While the cart originally catered to Muslim cab drivers looking for a quick meal, word spread about the delicious food, and over the years it became a must-try eatery not just for those looking for a halal meal but for any visitor to the city! The Halal Guys now has restaurants not just across the US but even internationally (including in Seoul and Jakarta!). While there have been rumours about The Halal Guys expanding into KL, so far we haven't heard of concrete opening dates yet ☹️But fret not, you can still enjoy the yummy taste of this iconic eatery by making The Halal Guys food right at home! We have a recipe for the chicken and rice platter to share ?
The recipe is not difficult to make, but you'll need to make at least three components: the chicken, the rice, and the iconic white sauce (which makes the meal!). The Halal Guys is also known for its spicy red sauce - you can make this from scratch, or alternatively just use your favourite chilli sauce if you'd like to skip this step.
There are a few recipe sources for recreating this dish - one of the most popular ones being this written recipe from Serious Eats. We've made this recipe before and can attest that it tastes pretty darn close to the real thing! Get some pita bread to complete the look (or make your own!).
For those that prefer to see how the process is done, we'd also recommend this recipe from Mr. FlavorSavor on Youtube - the technique and flavours are quite similar to the Serious Eats' recipe, with just some slight variations in the herbs and spices used. To note, he uses adobo seasoning for the chicken - if you can't find that use cajun seasoning or just whip up your own adobo seasoning! He also has a recipe for the red sauce if you'd like to make it from scratch.
Making this dish will require some time and effort (to marinate the chicken and cook the rice), but the pay-off will be so worth it! We totally recommend making some extra white sauce - it's a yummy condiment you definitely won't get enough of. Set aside some time this weekend to make this awesome meal for yourself!
