Chicken Kabsa, an Arabian one-pot chicken and rice dish that is incredibly fragrant, with juicy chicken thighs and perfectly fluffy basmati rice cooked in earthy spices that elevate this dish and make it truly unique. It's a very popular dish in many Middle Eastern countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, where it is considered the national dish. Easy to make, a fantastic exotic dinner with a spicy kick.
A cross between a Chicken Biryani and Pilau Rice, this chicken kabsa is by far my favourite Middle Eastern dish. It's beautifully spiced and spicy packing so much flavour, that it's hard to refuse a second helping.
Unlike the traditional biryani, which can be quite time consuming, as it requires marinating and lengthy cooking in order to create layers of flavour, this Arabian chicken and rice recipe is a lot quicker to make, as it doesn't need any marinating, it's all cooked in ONE POT, and it's insanely delicious.
It's the kind of dish you try once, and they it's back on the table on rotation every single week. I have experimented with chicken only but I bet it's as good with beef, lamb or vegetables only for a vegetarian version.
Cooking the chicken and rice together adds to the richness and spectacular depth of flavours. Honestly, this is a dish you really want to give a try, I know for sure I will be having this again and again!
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Ingredients used
- chicken - I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as they have way more flavour than chicken breasts, but you can use breasts too, as well as bone-in, skin-on thighs or drumsticks
- rice - basmati rice is a sample dish throughout the Middle East, it really works well in this dish
- olive oil and butter - for frying the onion and garlic
- chicken stock / broth - for extra flavour, although water could be used too
- salt & pepper - to taste
- spices - ground cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cumin, chilli powder, curry powder & bay leaves - they make this dish stand out from any other chicken and rice dish out there
- tomato paste and tomatoes - we don't need a big amount here, just enough to add colour and taste
- parsley or fresh coriander - to garnish
Variations
While I wouldn't take any ingredient out, as together they blend nicely to create a plethora of flavours, you can add any dried fruit or nuts you like, or caramelised onions to garnish the dish.
For a more authentic touch, you can use ghee instead of butter and olive oil, I haven't got any around, but that would be my first choice.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- heat up a large pot over a medium heat, add the oil and butter, and allow the butter to melt
- add the peeled and chopped onion and garlic, and season generously with salt
- fry the onions and garlic until golden
- add the spices to the pan
- mix everything well, then let them spices cook for 1 minute to release their flavour
- add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, give everything a stir, and place the lid on for 3-4 minutes, so that the tomatoes can turn mushy
- add the chicken thighs, give everything a good stir, and place the lid on for the chicken to release its juices and cook until no longer pink ( see photo 8)
- add the rinsed and soaked rice to the pan together with the chicken stock, place the lid on and leave it to cook until all the liquid is evaporated
- remove the pan from the heat, but keep the lid on for an extra 10 minutes so the rice can turn super fluffy, and the grains can be perfectly separated
- remove the lid, and use a fork to fluff the rice up
- garnish with fresh parsley or coriander
Expert tips
Using a pan with a lid is extremely important to get the flavours right and perfectly cooked rice that is not a mush. Every single grain is nicely separated and the chicken is juicy and moist and aromatic.
Do not rush the dish by using a high heat, while it's not cooked on the lowest setting, a medium heat ensures a slower cooking that allows for the flavours to blend perfectly.
I also highly recommend soaking the rice for at least 30 minutes if you can, or at least while you gather all the other ingredients and start the prepping. Make sure the rice is rinsed well to get rid of the starch that can make it stick together.
It might look like list of ingredients is way too long, but trust me, these are spices that you most probably already have around, and they are common spices that you would use for a regular chicken curry.
Other chicken and rice dishes
Baked Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Chinese Chicken Egg Fried Rice
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Chicken Kabsa
Ingredients
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup basmati rice ( 200 g)
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock ( broth, 375 ml, 12 oz)
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 30 g butter ( 2 tbsp)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 4 cardamon pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tomatoes on the vine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or coriander
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, add it to a bowl, cover it with water, and allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes or while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat up a large pan over a medium heat, add the oil and butter, and allow the butter to melt.
- Add the peeled and chopped onion and garlic, season them with half a teaspoon of salt, and leave them to fry until golden.
- Add the spices: ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, chilli powder, curry powder, cardamom pods and bay leaves, give everything a good stir, and leave them to cook for 1 minute to release their flavours.
- Add the tomato paste and tomatoes cut into quarters, mix, then place a lid on the pan, and leave the tomatoes to cook for a 3-4 minutes to become mushy.
- Add the chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, give everything a good mix, place the lid back on, and cook the chicken to release its juices and until it's no longer pink, and all the liquid is evaporated.
- Drain the water in which the rice has soaked, and add the rice to the pan together with the chicken stock.
- Place the lid on, and cook everything until all the stock is absorbed completely.
- Remove the pan from the heat, but keep the lid on for a further 10 minutes so that the rice is nice and fluffy.
- Use a fork to fluffy the rice up, and garnish with freshly-chopped parsley or coriander.
Video
Notes
- Using a pan with a lid is extremely important to get the flavours right and perfectly cooked rice that is not a mush. Every single grain is nicely separated and the chicken is juicy and moist and aromatic.
- Do not rush the dish by using a high heat, while it's not cooked on the lowest setting, a medium heat ensures a slower cooking that allows for the flavours to blend perfectly.
- I also highly recommend soaking the rice for at least 30 minutes if you can, or at least while you gather all the other ingredients and start the prepping. Make sure the rice is rinsed well to get rid of the starch that can make it stick together.
Nutrition
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Mikey says
So delicious and fragrant, one of my new favorites.
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you, it's a lovely dish, I am glad you liked it!