Halal Chicken: What It Is, Benefits Plus Recipe
There’s certainly a lot of confusion amongst consumers and a lot of misconceptions about what halal chicken really means.
From how the halal chicken is produced, to the welfare of the chicken, to even the price and how the chicken is sold.
Like kosher food, Halal food is guided by religious criteria that govern everything from how the animals are to be eaten, are fed and raised, to how they are slaughtered and prepared for consumption.
One of the main pillars of Halal food is that it can never contain pork or pork products (that includes gelatin and shortenings), or any alcohol.
Animals must be fed vegetarian diets, which means that many chickens and cows raised on U.S. farms don’t qualify (some feed contains animal byproducts).
Halal animals also can’t be treated with antibiotics or growth hormones, since the hormones may contain pork-based ingredients.
Halal animals must be slaughtered by a Muslim, who says a blessing, and by hand, not by machine (which is the way many chickens in the U.S. are killed.)
Once killed, the animal’s blood must drain completely since Muslims who eat Halal does not consume the blood of animals.
What is Halal Chicken?
To be a halal chicken is simple as long as it follows the rules and regulations laid out above. After the above conditions have been met the halal chicken must be alive and healthy without defects before the slaughter can take place.
Because of the strict guidelines to halal food, most U.S halal chickens are organic and have been raised in human conditions.
The following steps are taken to ensure the Halal chicken has been processed and prepared according to Islamic law.
- prayer is spoken at the commencement of slaughtering in the processing plant;
- the person supervising the slaughtering process must be of Muslim faith;
- a sharp knife must be used with a quick and strong slice to the jugular
- no chicken can witness the slaughter of another chicken.
The preference under halal standards is to require poultry to be slaughtered by hand. Slower hand slaughter lines make it easier to assure each chicken is properly blessed at the exact moment of slaughter.
Afterward, the blood should be completely drained from the animal. It is the blood that carries toxins, germs, and bacteria and when left inside the body of the animal, could potentially make people sick.
At the very least, it could make the cooked meat quite tough. An amazing result of cooking and consuming halal meat is a healthy meat in which the resulting texture is tender and the meat delicious. Some people say they can “taste the difference”.
Unlike a machine, a human is capable of reason and understanding that is needed to respect the life of the animal to be consumed as food.
What are the Benefits of Halal Chicken?
Instead of seeing the impermissible as a closed-door on food choices, one can embrace an entire world of an exciting, delicious and healthy variety of foods.
Islam enjoins us to treat our bodies well as it has a right over us and will testify against us on the Day of Judgment for any injustices we may have caused it during our lifetime.
Treating our bodies with wholesome foods free of harmful ingredients — pesticides, toxins, pollutants, filth, etc. — is not just a value desired by Muslims, it’s desired by all of humanity.
It’s a common need, a common desire, and a common right, and that means everyone can benefit from consuming halal foods and avoiding what is not.
If you truly care about animal rights and want to know which animals are healthier for consumption those that have died through Electrical Stunning/ Gas Stunning / Percussive Stunning or those that have been slaughtered in a halal way, then dig into the matter the scientific way even if you are not a scientist.
Is Chicken Halal?
No, not all chickens are halal.
The word “halal” means “lawful” or “permitted” in Arabic, and when it comes to foods like chicken meat, it refers to those that are allowed under Islamic law.
There are certain conditions that must be met in order for a chicken to be considered halal, such as how the animal is raised and slaughtered.
For example, the chicken must be killed by being hung upside down and having its throat slit with a sharp knife. Additionally, the chicken must be blessed before it is killed.
Once the chicken is dead, a Prayer is recited over the carcass. All of these conditions must be met in order for a chicken to be considered halal ie halal certified.
When buying chicken, look for a label that says “halal.” You can also ask your butcher or grocery store if they sell halal chicken.
Finally, you can check online databases that list which stores sell halal meat. By following these steps, you can be sure that you’re getting the chicken that you want.
Halal Chicken Recipe
Course: entree Cuisine: middle eastern Servings: 4 people
Prep Time – 30 mins
Cook Time – 30 mins
Total Time – 1 hr
Ingredients:
- White sauce
- ½ cup yogurt regular or greek
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp vinegar distilled is fine
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt and pepper
- ½ tsp dried or fresh parsley
- Red hot sauce
- 1 small tomato roughly chopped
- 5 dried red chilies
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Chicken
- 4 chicken breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp adobe seasoning
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- Rice
- 2 cups chicken/ veggie stock or water
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
Halal Chicken Recipe Cooking Instructions
White sauce
Mix everything in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Red hot sauce
Put all ingredients in a blender, blend together until a smooth paste
Halal Chicken Over Rice Recipes
In a medium bowl or glass Tupperware with lid, mix all the seasonings for the chicken marinate
– olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic (minced), dried parsley, oregano, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, and adobo seasoning.
Place your chicken in this marinade, and coat both sides. Let this marinate for at least 30 mins or best overnight!
While the chicken is marinating you can make the rice. In a medium-size pot with a lid, melt the butter.
Once butter is melted you’re going to add the rice and let that toast for 2-3 mins, stirring continuously.
Add the spices to the rice, mix well, and add the water or broth of choice. Give it one final stir and bring to boil, lower the heat, place the lid, and let this cook for 15- 20 mins.
Make both of the sauces while the rice is cooking and chicken is marinating. If you already have done this the day or night before skip this and move to step 4.
While you’re waiting for your skillet to heat up, take the chicken out of the fridge for at least 10 mins before cooking, bringing it to room temperature helps to cook the chicken evenly.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, place 1 tbsp of oil and place the chicken, you will hear a nice sizzling sound which ensures the temperature is perfect. If you don’t hear the sizzle let the oil heat up a little bit more. Cook both the front and backside of the chicken for 5mins each. (total 10 mins) Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and cover with a lid.
Heat up your naan with a little bit of butter and chop up your lettuce and tomatoes. (Optional)
Chop your chicken up into bite-sized pieces just like how you get at the karts and it’s ready to be severed!
Summary:
There you have it. A guide to understanding what makes chicken halal plus tasty recipes you can try today. And if you are wondering where to buy halal chicken from the comfort of your home, try Wehalal. You can purchase Zabiha halal chicken, chicken thighs, chicken pieces and more. Best of all, they are all heathier than regular chicken and with halal accreditation. So order today and get it delivered to your doorstep.
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