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Home » Recipes » Chicken and Rice

Chicken Kabsa

Modified: Mar 7, 2024 · Published: May 4, 2019 by Famidha Ashraf · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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Get ready to impress your loved ones by serving this delicious Chicken Kabsa! This national dish of Saudi Arabia brings together juicy chicken and flavorful Kabsa rice for a meal that's perfect for any occasion. It's the ultimate choice when you want to impress your friends and family. So, why not channel your inner chef and whip up a delicious feast that'll have everyone asking for seconds?

Chicken kabsah served in a plate.

Having dined out in Saudi Arabia, I've discovered that Kabsa varies from one restaurant to another. Upon delving deeper, I realized that there are multiple ways to prepare this dish. Today, I'm excited to share a simple one-pot chicken Kabsa recipe using readily available ingredients. If you're familiar with cooking ghee rice, you'll find this chicken Kabsah recipe a breeze to master—it's even easier than preparing biryanis... well I feel most of the Arabic rice recipes are much easier than our dum biryani! 🙂 

Jump to:
  • What is Kabsa?
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Top Tip
  • Storage
  • Related
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments

What is Kabsa?

Kabsa, known as the national dish of Saudi Arabia, features a delightful combination of rice and meat, served alongside fried raisins, almonds, yoghurt sauce, and green salads. Its name derives from the cooking technique of "pressing," showcasing its flavorful blend of spices distinct from those used in Machboos and Mandi.

Ingredients

Here is a list of the key ingredients to make this pot of chicken kabsa:

  • Rice: I have used basmati rice. You may use sella basmati but make sure you soak them overnight.
  • Oil: I have used a mix of olive oil and butter. You may use any cooking oil like sunflower or canola etc.
  • Almonds: I used almonds blanched, peeled and slit. You may use store-bought halved almonds.
  • Raisins: Large black raisins are the best option. I didn't have it when I made it for the blog.
  • Whole spices: You will need green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon sticks, loomi (dried black lime) and bay leaf. If you don't have the black dried lime, you can use the brown.
  • Veggies: You need red onions, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, and carrots.
  • Chicken: a whole chicken with or without skin, cut into 4 or 8 pieces
  • Ground spices: black pepper powder, coriander powder, allspice powder or you may replace all of this with store-bought or homemade Kabsa spice mix.

Scroll down to see the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

How to make chicken kabsa?

  • fry the garnishes
  • boil the chicken in the kabsa spiced tomato broth
  • remove the chicken roast with butter to brown them in pan or oven
  • cook the rice in the prepared tomato chicken broth
  • top the cooked rice with browned chicken, fried nuts and fresh herbs

Fry and Saute

Removing fried almonds using slotted spoon.

Warm oil or ghee in the cooking pot for the kabsa. Fry the almonds until they turn golden, then remove them from the pot.

Removing fried raisins using slotted spoon.

Fry the raisins till puffed remove and keep them aside.

Whole spices in hot oil in a wide bottomed pot.

Add more oil or ghee if required and then add all the whole spices. Saute until fragrant.

Finely chopped red onions in the pot.

Next, add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent.

Adding ginger garlic paste.

Now, add the ginger-garlic paste, and saute until the raw smell of garlic wades off (~ 5mins)

Adding a spoon of tomato paste.

Then the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste go in.

Adding a small bowl of grated carrot.

Add the grated carrot and mix well (~ 5 mins)

Ground spices to chicken in the pot.

Add the cut chicken along with all the spice powders and salt. (You can also use one whole chicken cut in half)

Boil and cook

Cooking covered

Cook covered on medium flame until chicken turns white and oil surfaces (~10 mins)

A pot of chicken and tomato rich broth.

Add enough water (2 to 2 and ¼ cup) and adjust the salt. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked completely (~15 mins)

Boiling halved chicken in kabsa broth.
Removing cooked chicken from the broth.

Remove the chicken pieces and keep them aside.

Adding soaked and drained basmati rice to kabsa broth.

Add the drained rice, more hot water if required and adjust the salt. (make sure there is water little less than an inch above the grains)

Cooking kabsa rice in chicken broth.

Cook on medium to high flame until you can see the grains on the surface (~ 5 mins). Reduce the flame to the lowest.

Sealed with foil and then lid to steam cook the rice.

Place a foil or clean kitchen cloth and then cover with the tight lid. Slide a flat pan under the pot - this prevents the burning of food and distributes heat evenly. Cook for 10 minutes on the lowest flame. Switch off and don't disturb for another 10 minutes.

roast and serve

Pan roasting the kabsa chicken.

Take the chicken pieces and grill or broil them in the oven or stovetop with some butter.

Pot of kabsa rice fluffed using rubber spatula.

Open the pot, and stir the rice.

Serve Kabsa topped with the grilled chicken pieces and the fried almonds and raisins along with salads and yoghurt.

Chicken kabsa served on a large platter.

Top Tip

  • For perfectly cooked rice without the risk of it becoming mushy, it's better to start with less water. I prefer boiling the chicken in 2 cups of water initially, then adjusting the water quantity when adding the rice.
  • If you haven't soaked the rice, it may require more water; if soaked for too long, less water will be needed. Remember, the rice continues to cook in steam after being turned off, so allow it to sit covered for a few minutes before serving.

Storage

Any leftover chicken kabsa rice or chicken pieces can be refrigerated in a container for 3 to 5 days. When ready to eat, reheat the chicken kabsa thoroughly by steam method to prevent rice from drying.

What should I do if the rice becomes dry when reheating chicken kabsa?

If the rice becomes dry when reheating, you can add a little bit of water or chicken broth to moisten it. Cover the dish and continue reheating until heated through.

What is the difference between biryani and Kabsa?

Biryani and kabsa are both rice dishes, but they originate from different regions and have distinct flavor profiles. Biryani, from South Asia, features basmati rice, meat, and a blend of spices cooked together using the "dum" method. Kabsa, from Saudi Arabia, incorporates basmati rice, meat, tomatoes, onions, and a unique spice mix, cooked in a single pot for a subtly spiced flavor.

What is the difference between Mandi and Kabsa?

Both are popular Middle Eastern rice dishes, but they differ in origin, ingredients, and cooking methods. Mandi originates from Yemen and features rice and meat cooked together in a tandoor oven with a Hawajj spice blend, while Kabsa is a Saudi Arabian dish cooked in a single pot with tomatoes, onions, and a kabsa spice mix. Mandi has a smoky flavour from the tandoor oven, while Kabsa offers a subtly spiced taste with a balance of savoury and tangy notes.

Related

Looking for other recipes using basmati rice?

  • A plate of served chicken tikka biryani
    Chicken Tikka Biryani
  • machboos rubyan served in a large platter along side a bowl of salad.
    Machboos Rubyan (Prawns and Rice)
  • A serving plate of lebanese vermicelli rice.
    Lebanese Vermicelli Rice (Riz bi Sharieh)
  • yemeni chicken mandi recipe
    Yemeni Chicken Mandi | Baked Smoky Chicken Rice

📖 Recipe Card

Chicken kabsah platter

Chicken Kabsa

A delicious Saudi Arabian one-pot dish with aromatic spices, golden-brown chicken, and fragrant basmati rice.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 860.14kcal
Author: Famidha Ashraf
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Ingredients
 

  • 1½ cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 mins and drained completely
  • ¼ cup cooking oil, olive oil or sunflower or canola etc.
  • ⅓ cup almonds, blanched, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ cup black raisins, fried till puffed
  • 4 green cardamom
  • 4 to 6 cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 dried black lime, (loomi)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 medium-sized red onions, diced finely
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 300 grams tomatoes, chopped or pureed (2 large)
  • 60 grams carrot, grated (half of a small carrot)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 800 grams skinless whole chicken, or with skin (cut into 2 or 4 pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice powder, or cinnamon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • salt to taste
  • 2¼ cups water, see notes

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a wide-mouthed and deep pot with a flat heavy bottom on a medium flame.
    ¼ cup cooking oil
  • Fry the prepped almonds until golden brown and remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
    ⅓ cup almonds
  • Fry the raisins till puffed remove and keep them aside.
    ¼ cup black raisins
  • Add all the whole spices and saute until fragrant.
    4 green cardamom
    4 to 6 cloves
    2 inch cinnamon stick
    1 dried black lime
    1 bay leaf
  • Add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent.
    3 medium-sized red onions
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions start to brown. ( 5mins)
    1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • Add the cut chicken skin side down and cook until browned. Cook on high partially covered until chicken turns white.
    800 grams skinless whole chicken
  • Add all the spice powders and salt and give it a good mix. Here you can also add a teaspoon of orange zest.
    1 teaspoon black pepper powder
    1 teaspoon coriander powder
    1 teaspoon cumin powder
    ¼ teaspoon allspice powder
    ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
    salt to taste
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and grated carrot (optional) and cook until oil surfaces.
    300 grams tomatoes
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
    60 grams carrot
  • Add at least 2 cups of water and adjust the salt.
    2¼ cups water
  • Cover and cook on low to medium until chicken is cooked completely.
  • Remove the chicken pieces and place them in a pan.
  • Add the drained rice, more hot water if required and adjust the salt. (make sure there is water above the grains)
    1½ cups basmati rice
  • Cook on medium to high flame until you can see the grains on the surface. (5 mins)
  • Reduce the flame to the lowest. Place a foil or clean kitchen cloth and then cover with a tight lid. Slide a flat pan under the pot - this prevents the burning of food and distributes heat evenly. Cook for 10 minutes on the lowest flame.
  • Switch off and don't disturb for another 10 minutes.
  • Take the chicken pieces and grill or broil them in the hot oven or stovetop with some butter until browned.
  • Serve Kabsa topped with the roasted chicken pieces and the fried almonds and raisins along with salads and yoghurt.

Notes

Allspice powder: allspice is not garam masala. You may use nutmeg powder or cinnamon powder instead or skip it. You may skip all the spice powders I have used and use store-bought Kabsa spice mix instead. Use 2 teaspoons of Kabsa spice mix for this recipe.
Water: The total amount of water will depend on the rice quality and how long it was soaked or not soaked.
Orange rinds: You may add some orange zest or rinds along with shredded carrots for a different flavour.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 860.14kcal | Carbohydrates: 92.18g | Protein: 52.88g | Fat: 32.96g
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern
Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

Update: Some of the images and content were updated for the better.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashna says

    November 09, 2024 at 1:59 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, this One Pot Chicken Kabsah looks absolutely delicious! Love how simple and flavorful the recipe is. Definitely adding this to my must-try list!

    Reply
  2. Rajduth Ramsurun says

    April 09, 2023 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent

    Reply
5 from 2 votes

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Mr.F and Famidha

Hey, I'm Famidha

An Indian chai lover in the UAE. As a passionate food blogger, I share a diverse collection of recipes spanning the Middle East and South Asia. With each dish, I aim to spark your culinary curiosity and encourage you to try new flavours and cooking methods.

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