Saudi national dish · One pot
Chicken Kabsa Recipe (Saudi One-Pot Spiced Rice)
Baharat bloom. Rice in the stock. Roast the chicken.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenKabsa is Saudi Arabia's everyday celebration dish: chicken simmered with tomato, dried lime and baharat, then rice cooked in that red, fragrant stock. It goes wrong when the rice turns mushy or the chicken is pale. The fix is measuring the stock to the rice, and giving the cooked chicken a few minutes under the grill before serving.
The 3 laws of chicken kabsa
Why this recipe works
Dry spices in water
Frying spices in oil releases the aroma.
Guessing
1.5 cups stock per cup of soaked rice.
Pale chicken
A few minutes under the grill adds colour.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Chicken and stock
Rice and topping
The NineFoods kabsa gauge
Is the rice ready for the lid?
Look at the rice after it has boiled uncovered.
Method · 4 stages
Step by step
Bloom the spices
- Fry onion in oil until soft, add garlic, whole spices and kabsa spice.
- Stir in tomato paste and grated tomato and cook 3 minutes.
Simmer the chicken
- Add chicken, loomi, salt and water and simmer.
- Lift chicken out and measure 4.5 cups of the stock.
Cook the rice
- Boil the measured stock, add drained rice and carrot.
- Use the gauge above, then cover and steam 15 minutes.
Grill and serve
- Brush chicken with oil and grill until golden.
- Serve on the rice with raisins and nuts.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Too much stock.
Fix next time
Use 1.5 cups stock per cup of soaked rice.
Why
Weak stock.
Fix next time
Season the stock well before adding rice; it should taste slightly salty.
Why
Loomi seeds released.
Fix next time
Pierce limes only once, and remove them before adding rice.
Why
Skipped the grill.
Fix next time
Grill or broil 5 minutes before serving.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Kabsa spice | Signature flavour | Baharat plus a pinch of nutmeg |
| Loomi | Sour, smoky note | Lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon |
| Chicken | Main | Lamb, simmer 1.5 hours |
| Basmati | Long grains | Sella basmati, add 0.25 cup more stock |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Daqoos (spicy tomato sauce), salad and yogurt.
Store
Fridge 3 days; store chicken and rice together.
Reheat
Sprinkle water over the rice, cover and steam on low.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the rice ready for the lid) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Chicken Kabsa FAQ
What is the difference between kabsa and mandi?
Kabsa is cooked in one pot with tomato and baharat; mandi is smoked and the meat is roasted separately.
What is loomi?
Dried black lime, used whole to give a sour, smoky flavour.
Can I make kabsa with lamb?
Yes. Simmer lamb for about 1.5 hours before cooking the rice.
What is daqoos?
A spicy Saudi tomato sauce served alongside kabsa.