cinnamon raisin chicken with caramelized onions is a savory sweet meal that will please everyone in a flash!
As we all know, chicken dishes are a classic staple to go to whenever dinner roles around. So, we’re always trying to come up with different ways of having fun with the beloved chicken. In this case, we felt particularly inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s version of this dish. He actually gets a little more invested than we were willing to be this time, by using bone-in chicken. Nadia and I love to make things as quick, easy and delicious as possible;-)
In Damascus, you rarely catch the mamas and tetes (moms and grandmas) combining the sweet and savory worlds. So you don’t often see them creating dishes with raisins and dried cranberries and other fruits…but hey, that’s what makes this fun! Trying new things is what keeps life exciting…even in chicken dishes!
The key to this recipe are the onions. Good ol’ onions, they’re always there at the foundation of so many dishes and rarely receive the credit they deserve. Well, here it goes! Caramelized onions require patience, but the outcome is soooo worth it. They need to get this deep, golden amber color, which requires about 15-20 minutes. But the result yields this rich, caramel like sweetness that adds depth to whatever you add them to. Your dish will thank you, trust me! And the truth is, you can prepare the rest of the meal while they cook.
So we hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! And if you’re looking to try another version, check out Yotam Ottolenghi’s here!
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut in cubes
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 long cinnamon sticks
- 1 2/3 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups boiling water
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- yogurt to serve
- Put the raisins in hot water
- In a bowl add oil, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, salt and pepper to the chicken, set aside
- In medium saucepan add sliced onions to oil (do not heat oil) and lower heat and cover in Order to caramelize onions (10-15 mins) stirring every so often
- Remove onions and add chicken to the saucepan to lightly brown the chicken
- Add the rice, caramelized onions to the chicken, salt and pepper and drained raisins
- Pour the boiling water over the rice, cover and cook over very low heat for 17 minutes.
- Keep the pan covered for an additional 5 minutes
- Fluff fresh dill into the rice and serve with yogurt
I am always on the look out for new and different ways to cook rice. This recipe is lovely as it has a mix of sweet and savory ingredients and it also seems very rich in flavors that blend so well together. The rice looks great too.