What Does Halal Mean? A Plain-English Guide to Halal Food

Short answer: halal means “lawful” or “permitted” in Arabic. When people ask what halal means on a menu, they are asking whether the food follows Islamic dietary rules. Here is what those rules cover, what makes meat and chicken halal, and how to tell whether a restaurant really is.

What does halal mean?

Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. Its opposite is haram, which means unlawful or prohibited.

The word applies to far more than food, but food is where most people meet it. A halal label tells a Muslim diner that what is on the plate is permitted to eat.

What is halal food?

Halal food is any food that Islamic dietary rules permit. Most everyday food qualifies; the rules are mainly about what must be left out.

The things that are not halal:

• Pork and anything made from it, including lard and pork gelatin
• Alcoholic drinks and other intoxicants
• Blood and blood by-products
• Meat from an animal that was not slaughtered properly, or that died before slaughter
• Carnivorous animals and birds of prey
• Any food contaminated with the above

There is also a middle category called mashbooh, meaning doubtful. Ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes and some flavorings fall here, because they can come from either a halal or a haram source and you cannot tell from the name alone.

What makes meat halal?

The animal has to be a permitted kind, and it has to be slaughtered by a Muslim according to Islamic requirements. Beef, lamb, goat and chicken can all be halal; pork never can.

In broad terms, God’s name is said over the animal, the throat is cut swiftly, and the blood is drained. Scholars and certifying bodies differ on some details, such as whether machine slaughter or stunning is acceptable, which is why two products can both carry a halal label and still follow different standards.

What is halal chicken?

Halal chicken is chicken slaughtered under those Islamic requirements. Chicken is a permitted animal, so the question is always how it was slaughtered and handled, not the bird itself.

The cooking matters too. Halal chicken fried in a kitchen that also handles pork, or coated in a paste made with lard, is no longer halal. That is the catch with a lot of hot chicken, which we cover in is Nashville hot chicken halal?

What does zabiha halal mean?

Zabiha (also written dhabiha) refers to the Islamic method of slaughter itself. “Zabiha halal” is a way of stressing that the meat was slaughtered that way, not only that it is free of pork.

Some diners use the phrase to mean hand-slaughtered meat specifically. If that is your standard, ask how the meat was slaughtered rather than relying on the word.

For the full rules and the hand vs machine debate, read what is zabiha halal?

Is halal the same as kosher?

No, though they overlap. Both forbid pork and both require a specific method of slaughter that drains the blood.

The differences: kosher rules also forbid shellfish and mixing meat with dairy, and halal rules forbid alcohol, which kosher rules do not. The slaughter requirements and the blessings are different too, so kosher meat is not automatically halal and halal meat is not kosher. We compare the two side by side in halal vs kosher.

How do you know if a restaurant is really halal?

Ask where the meat comes from and who certified it. A restaurant that takes halal seriously can name its supplier and the certifying body without hesitating.

Then ask about the kitchen: is pork cooked there, and what fats and sauces go on the food? A halal sign on the door only tells you part of the story.

Is Asad’s Hot Chicken halal?

Yes. Our chicken comes from a halal poultry program certified by Halal Food Council U.S.A., our spice paste is made without lard, and no Asad’s kitchen handles pork.

We put the details, including how the chicken is slaughtered and what the certificate covers, on our halal page. All 19 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware serve the same chicken.

Halal questions

Can non-Muslims eat halal food?

Yes. Halal is a standard for how food is sourced and prepared, and anyone can eat it.

Is halal a type of cuisine?

No. Halal describes whether food is permitted, not where it comes from or how it tastes. Burgers, hot chicken, pizza and biryani can all be halal.

Is halal food healthier?

Not automatically. Halal is a religious standard rather than a nutrition standard, so a halal meal can be light or heavy like any other.

What is the opposite of halal?

Haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. Pork and alcohol are the best-known examples.

Looking for halal chicken near you? See halal chicken near me: 19 Asad’s stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

FRESH. HOT. ALWAYS HALAL. ORDER NOW →

Keep reading: halal vs kosher, is Nashville hot chicken halal, or see how Asad’s halal chicken is sourced and find your nearest Asad’s Hot Chicken location.