Zankou Chicken’s legendary Garlic Sauce is served with this Brown Rice Pilaf Bowl. Crispy chicken thighs and lemony roasted carrots make this chicken bowl an amazing meal you’ll eat for dinner and then won’t be able to wait for lunch the next day for leftovers!
The sauce used in this meal is the Copycat Zankou Garlic Sauce that was one of the first recipes I ever posted (that is how much I love it, I couldn’t wait to make it!). I keep a jar in my fridge at all times, but if you make it for this meal, please make sure the sauce is made at least 8 hours before you plan to use it.
A note about the garlic sauce that just about everyone in LA is obsessed with (including Zagat). It is raw garlic and it is STRONG. So if you LOVE garlic, you will love this sauce. If garlic is just sort of “eh it’s ok I guess” I don’t recommend this sauce.
The fun thing about this meal is the rice goes in for an hour and halfway through cooking you put in a tray of chicken and carrots. When the timer goes off everything is ready to be eaten at the exact same time.
If you want to use white meat chicken for the recipe, use bone in skin on and roast for the same amount of time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Garlic Paste (Zankou Copycat)
- 6 chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 pounds carrots , peeled and sliced into 1 inch diagonal coins
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 3 cups chicken broth*
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a baking dish add chicken broth, rice, butter, salt and pepper (I use ¼ teaspoon of each for the rice)
- Bake rice in the oven for 60 minutes.
- About thirty minutes into the rice cooking time, start the chicken and carrots.
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken, carrots, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons canola oil and lemon zest.
- Spread onto a pan and roast in the oven along side the rice, for about 25-30 minutes.
- Everything should be done and ready to come out of the oven at the same time.
- Serve the pilaf with chicken and carrots. Top with garlic sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sabrina, I just want to clarify, you bake the rice uncovered, correct? and it’s long grain brown rice? I love brown rice, but’s it’s always hit or miss for me when cooking it, whether on the stove or baked in the oven. Alton Brown’s recipe is the only one that consistently works for me. I’ve read so much about this Zankou Chicken and it’s garlicky sauce. I’m so making this! Thank you.
Sabrina – Thank you so much!
I moved from LA 9 years ago and it looks like we all miss the same food. I’ve been roasting a whole chicken (Kanji’s spatchcocked recipe) almost every Sunday night and enjoying it through the week, tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, more tacos… Stumbled across this recipe when I Googled “Pollo Loco copycat.” That led to the Pioneer Chicken recipe, and I thought if she has those she must have a Zankou recipe. Oh Baby, I am so excited.
Not sure what to do first.
If you need me I’ll be in the kitchen.
So glad to have helped out with your cravings! Enjoy!!
This recipe is so delicious. I’ve never had the original because I live in New York, but this recipe makes me think I’d love it. The garlic sauce is fantastic. The chicken comes out perfectly, and the carrots are so great. I’ve struggled with the baked brown rice, but now that I have an instant pot, I might try it in there using your seasonings or serve with basmati. The sauce, chicken, and carrots are so craveable.
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks so much for the 5 stars, Sara!
Is that an error in step # 2- put 1/4 tsp broth etc into the dish with the rice and bake for 60 mins?
Thanks. Will try once I have this clarified.
Helen
Thank you for catching that…yes, it should read 1/4. I’ve updated it so hopefully it sticks.
yummyyy! you photos are mouth watering. i love garlic sauce and this just looks like it takes this dish to another level.
Thank you! The garlic sauce really is super flavorful!
I’ve never heard of zankou sauce! I need to give that a try – love anything garlicky!
Zankou is one of my favorite southern California restaurants! That garlic sauce is loaded with flavor!
Your chicken dish looks so good. That garlic paste sauce looks particularly amazing. I love garlic and I plan to make your recipe soon.
The garlic sauce is out of this world! I hope you enjoy it!
This sauce looks DIVINE!!!! I love a good garlic sauce!
Thanks, Mila! This is a really special one!
Thanks for the tip to make it the day before. I love when the flavors have time to really come to life!
The extra day to let the flavors marinate really does make a huge difference!
This recipe sounds so flavorful. I have some chicken thighs in the fridge. I am making this tonight!
It’s from one of my favorite restaurants! The sauce really does taste amazing!
This looks like a really delicious meal, I would totally eat it right up! I must make it, specifically because GARLIC!
YES GARLIC AMAZINGNESS!
My oh my, that looks mouth watering. I love a good garlic sauce. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
This really is the best garlic sauce I’ve ever had! It’s bursting with flavor!
This chicken recipe looks delicious! Your photography is always so beautiful!
Thanks!
Oh, that is sounds so good! I love garlic so I know I will love this.
You’d have to – the garlic flavor is really strong!
Wow, what a tasty way to prepare chicken! I LOVE recipes with chicken, totally going to add this to my menu!
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
I am a huge fan of a strong garlic flavor. I think I would adore this sauce! I will have to try this recipe out.
The garlic sauce has as strong of a garlic flavor as you can get! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh my, this recipe would definitely warm us up. I think I would really like the garlicy taste of the sauce.
I love garlic, so this sauce is one of my favorites!
This sounds amazing. I love copycat recipes. THank you for sharing because I will copycat this. My husband won’t eat this so I’ll have to make it for my friends.
I searched for years for a good copycat recipe for that sauce! After letting the flavors marinate for a day, this one is spot-on!
Oh my goodness, this looks and sounds amazing. Something that my whole family would love. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh wow, this looks like the perfect meal! We’re making some chicken thighs right now, but I’m wishing I’d made the dish this way – next time!
If you like garlic, then you definitely need to give this recipe a try!
This looks and sounds delicious – love that garlic paste!
Thanks! I love the garlic paste too!
This recipe looks amazing! It all looks nice and fresh and delicious!
Thank you!
I think that I’m going to have to give this sauce a whirl. I am a garlic lover. I bet this makes your kitchen smell delicious.
Not going to lie, I slather that sauce on almost everything! Try it on deli meat sandwiches too instead of mayonnaise! I even sometimes toss it in pasta and add some crushed red pepper to it with a bit of melted butter. I am telling you if you love strong garlic flavor you’re going to be in heaven.
That looks delicious! I’ve never tried a copy cat recipe before, but this looks like it would be a yummy place to start. It’s also a whole meal my family would enjoy. Thanks for the tip on doing the garlic sauce the day before.
My pleasure! I hope you love it!!
This recipe sounds like something my family and I would enjoy. I’d really like to try the lemon scented carrots!
Thanks! Just that bit of lemon zest makes such a big difference in the recipe!
Wow this is so different than anything I’ve ever had before. It looks SO good, I will have to try this with my hubby.
Thanks! Let me know what you guys thought of it!
I needed an idea for dinner tonight! This is PERFECT I am going to do this! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!! I hope you love it!
This looks so good! I love to make copy cat recipes with how many family members we have it can add up for us to eat out.
Copycat recipes are so much fun – really nailing a flavor like the ones you remember from your favorite restaurants is a great feeling!
I’ve never heard of this but I do love me some garlic. I guess I’ve been sheltered living in the middle!
This is some of the most powerful garlic flavor you’ll find!
Really like how you timed the dishes together. A complete dinner done at the same time is a winner in my book!
Aww thanks Chrisy!
That looks so yummy! I can see using that garlic sauce in a lot of different dishes.
It’s a delicious sauce but it tends to dominate the flavor profile of whatever you put it on!
That sounds really good. I love that garlic sauce.
Thanks!
Sabrina, I just want to clarify, you bake the rice uncovered, correct? and it’s long grain brown rice? I love brown rice, but’s it’s always hit or miss for me when cooking it, whether on the stove or baked in the oven. Alton Brown’s recipe is the only one that consistently works for me. I’ve read so much about this Zankou Chicken and it’s garlicky sauce. I’m so making this! Thank you.