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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Turkish-Spiced Chicken Rice Bake with Seed Crust

Tender cumin-paprika chicken thighs and spinach-flecked rice set under a tangy garlic-yogurt layer, finished with a crunchy sesame and pumpkin seed crust.

Turkish-Spiced Chicken Rice Bake with Seed Crust

Ingredients

  • 1¼ lb560 gChicken thighs, boneless skinlesscut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1¼ cups220 gLong-grain white rice, dryrinsed
  • 2¼ cups540 gLow-sodium chicken brothheated until steaming
  • 1½ medium150 gYellow oniondiced
  • 1 cup chopped150 gRed bell pepperdiced
  • 4 cloves12 gGarlicminced, divided
  • 4 cups loosely packed120 gBaby spinachroughly chopped
  • 1½ tbsp20 gOlive oildivided
  • 2 tsp4 gGround cumin
  • 1¾ tsp4 gPaprika (sweet or smoked)
  • 2 tbsp30 gTomato paste
  • ¾ tsp5 gSaltdivided
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper
  • 2 containers (6 oz)300 gPlain Greek yogurt, nonfat
  • 1 large50 gEggsbeaten
  • 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
  • 1 cup sprigs8 gFresh dillchopped
  • 2 tbsp20 gSesame seeds
  • ¼ cup30 gPumpkin seeds (pepitas)roughly chopped

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little of the olive oil (use about one quarter of it).
  2. Toss the chicken thigh with the cumin, the paprika, the black pepper and half of the salt.
  3. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken thigh for 5 minutes; it will finish cooking in the oven.
  4. Add the onion and the bell pepper to the skillet and cook 4 minutes until softened, then stir in two thirds of the garlic and the tomato paste for 1 minute.
  5. Stir in the rice, the spinach and the remaining half of the salt until the spinach wilts, then spread the mixture in the baking dish.
  6. Pour the hot chicken broth over the rice, cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
  7. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: whisk the Greek yogurt, the egg, the lemon juice, the dill and the remaining one third of the garlic until smooth.
  8. Make the seed crust: toss the sesame seeds and the pumpkin seeds with the remaining quarter of the olive oil.
  9. Uncover the dish, spread the yogurt sauce evenly over the rice, scatter the seed crust on top, and bake uncovered 15 minutes more, until the yogurt layer is set at 160°F (71°C) in the center and the seeds are toasted.
  10. Rest the casserole 10 minutes before cutting into 4 portions.

Check labels: Gluten-free when you buy low-sodium chicken broth labeled gluten-free.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Sesame. Some brands contain gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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