Steamed Chicken Breast And Rice Recipe With Vegetables

This Tunisian rice dish is my favorite chicken breast and rice recipe. The steaming keeps everything moist and full of flavor. What I love most is how the vegetables and rice cook together, soaking up all the spices. Let me show you how to make it.

Hey, check out my video below to see how I make this steamed chicken breast and rice recipe step by step! If you want more easy chicken dinners and tasty rice recipes like this one, please like and subscribe to my channel.

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What Is Rouz Jerbi?

Rouz Jerbi (or Rouz Djerbi) is a Tunisian dish that mixes rice, vegetables, and protein all cooked together by steaming. It is really flexible. You can make it with chicken like I am showing today, but it works just as well with beef, lamb, seafood, or completely vegetarian.

The steaming method makes this dish special. The rice comes out with a texture that is just right. Not soggy, not dry, and not greasy like it can get when fried. All the flavors blend together really well. It has a rich taste with just enough spice to make it interesting, but not too hot.

Ingredients You Will Need

You need a few basic ingredients for this rice dish that most people already have at home, except for some of the spices.

For 4 Servings:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups rice
• 3 medium carrots (about 1 cup when sliced)
• 1 cup pumpkin, cubed
• 3-4 green onions or 1/2 regular onion
• 1 medium zucchini (about 1 cup when diced)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1-2 cups fresh parsley, chopped

For The Spice Mixture:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon spicy red pepper paste (harissa paste)
• 1/2 tablespoon dry or fresh mint
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coriander and caraway seed mix
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

For the best flavor in this steamed rice recipe, I use this traditional Tunisian harissa paste with herbs and spices below, which gives the rice that perfect balance of heat and spice.

TAP ON IMAGE TO VIEW PRICE

Top Tip: If you cannot find harissa paste, you can use 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper mixed with 1 tablespoon tomato paste, though it will not taste exactly the same.

Tools You Need

For this recipe, you will need just a few basic tools:

• Cutting board and knife
• Large mixing bowl
• Steamer pot (any type will work)
• Wooden spoon for mixing

I cook everything in my 3.1-quart two-tier stainless steel steamer pot like the one below. It keeps the water separate from the rice mixture so nothing gets soggy.

TAP ON IMAGE TO VIEW PRICE

Note: If you do not have a steamer, you can use a pot with a colander or sieve that fits on top. Cover it with a tight lid or aluminum foil to keep the steam in.

How To Make Steamed Chicken Breast And Rice

Let us break down this recipe into simple steps. The prep work takes about 20 minutes, and then the dish steams for 30 minutes.

Getting The Ingredients Ready

Step 1: Cut the chicken. For 4 servings, take 2 skinless chicken breasts and chop them into small cubes about an inch big so they cook at the same time as the rice.

Step 2: Chop up 3 medium carrots into thin rounds that add sweetness and color to the dish.

Step 3: Cut about 1 cup of pumpkin into bite-sized cubes. Not too big or they will stay hard in the middle.

Step 4: Slice 3-4 green onions or half a regular onion. They add a nice flavor kick that makes the rice more interesting.

Step 5: Grab one medium zucchini and dice it up into medium-sized pieces that will keep some texture after cooking instead of turning mushy like they can when cut too small.

Top Tip: Try to cut all vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. The carrots and pumpkin should be slightly smaller than the zucchini since they take longer to soften.

Making The Spice Mixture

Step 6: Take a bowl and add about 4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Step 7: Add one and a half tablespoons of concentrated tomato paste and one tablespoon of spicy red pepper paste, which is also known as harissa.

Step 8: Add half a tablespoon of dry or fresh mint, half a tablespoon of turmeric, half a tablespoon of smoked paprika, and half a teaspoon of salt.

Step 9: Finally, add 1 tablespoon of coriander and caraway seed mix, and half a tablespoon of black pepper to complete your seasoning blend.

Note: The caraway and coriander mix is really important for the authentic Tunisian flavor. If you cannot find it premixed, use 1/2 tablespoon of each.

Putting Everything Together

Step 10: Give the spices a quick mix and then add chopped fresh parsley, using at least one to two cups for this recipe. The parsley might seem like a lot, but once it cooks down, you will not even notice how much went in. It just adds a nice fresh flavor and green color to the dish.

Step 11: Add about half a cup of chickpeas. Add about half a cup of peas too. Fresh or frozen, it does not matter, I usually go with frozen since I always have them.

Step 12: Then add all that chicken we cut up earlier. Also, let us add all the chopped vegetables. Get everything in there. All those carrots, the pumpkin chunks, your onions, that zucchini.

Step 13: And, finally, add rinsed rice, about two cups for four people. I like to use basmati rice for this dish because it stays fluffy when steamed, but regular long-grain rice works fine too.

Cooking Method

Now that everything is ready, we need to cook it all together.

Mixing And Steaming

Step 14: Now we need to mix all the ingredients really well. Get a big pot or bowl that gives you plenty of room to work with. I use my hands for this part because you can really get in there and make sure the spices coat everything. The chicken, vegetables, and rice. Just dig in and mix it all up, making sure the rice gets some flavor too.

Step 15: Put our rice and vegetable mixture into a steamer pot. Just put all this mixed stuff into the steamer, spread it out a bit, and put the lid on.

Step 16: Let it steam for about 30 minutes on medium heat. When the time is up, just take the lid off and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon. Break up any clumps and make sure it all looks cooked.

Top Tip: About halfway through cooking (15 minutes in), you can quickly lift the lid and check if the mixture looks dry. If it does, sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of water over the top, but do not stir yet.

Related Recipe: If you liked this recipe, I also make a really good Chicken Pulao recipe, you might want to try it next time you’re thinking about dinner.

Serving Ideas

This dish is a full meal by itself, but there are some nice ways to serve it that make it even better.

I like to serve this with a simple side of yogurt mixed with a little cucumber and mint. The coolness goes really well with the warm spices in the rice. Some people like to add a squeeze of lemon juice over the top right before eating for a bit of freshness.

For a full Tunisian meal, you could also serve it with a simple salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a little olive oil.

Different Ways To Make This Rice Recipe

This recipe is really flexible. Here are some ways you can change it up:

• Seafood version: Replace the chicken with about 1 pound of shrimp or chunks of white fish.
• Vegetarian option: Skip the chicken and use 1 cup of chickpeas for more protein.
• Different vegetables: You can use whatever vegetables you have. Bell peppers, green beans, or eggplant all work well.
• Spice level: If you like it spicier, add more harissa. If you are making it for kids, you might want to use less.
• Lamb variation: Use lamb cut into small cubes instead of chicken – the spices go perfectly with lamb.
• Beef option: Try using tender beef chunks for a heartier version of this dish.

Storing Leftovers

This rice dish keeps really well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I actually think it tastes even better the next day when all the flavors have had more time to mix together.

To reheat, just add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave until hot.

You can also reheat it in a pan on the stove with a little water to keep it from drying out.

More Rice Recipes To Try

If you enjoyed this chicken breast and rice recipe, here are a few more rice dishes you might like:

• Easy Indian Fried Rice Recipe With Masala Spices
  A flavorful and quick fried rice dish made with classic Indian spices—perfect for a weeknight meal.
• Chilli Garlic Fried Rice
  Spicy, garlicky, and packed with bold flavors—this one is for the heat lovers!
• Cauliflower Fried Rice (Healthy And Low-Carb)
  A low-carb alternative to traditional fried rice, made with riced cauliflower and lots of veggies.

Did you try making this steamed chicken and rice recipe? Have questions about any of the steps or ingredients? Leave a comment below! I would love to hear how yours turned out.