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Chicken kabsa is the rice and meat dish with tomato base stock
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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Kabsa

Learn how to make chicken kabsa with this easy and foolproof method
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keyword: Chicken Kabsa, Chicken Machboos, Saudi's National Dish
Servings: 5
Calories: 765kcal
Author: Saba Ahmad

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs chicken bone in and skin on (use up to 3 lbs)
  • 1/3 cup oil olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped

Whole Spices

Ground spices

  • 2.5 tsp salt 1/4 tsp to baste the chicken
  • 1.25 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp to baste the chicken
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp all spice powder

Other ingredients

  • 2 cups rice
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • 4.5 cups water or more, (see note)
  • Almonds for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Wash and soak the rice.
  • Peel and chop the onion. In a pan, add whole spices and chopped onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, all the ground spices, and mix it well. Now add chicken with the skin side down. Cook for a minute. Turn to the other side and cook for another minute over high heat.
  • Your goal is to sear the chicken then add 4 cups of water and let the chicken boil for about 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • After 15 minutes take out the chicken and reserve 2 tbsp of chicken juices.
  • In the reserved chicken juices, add 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of paprika, and brush it all over the chicken and let it bake for 20-25 minutes
  • In the remaining broth, add your soaked rice. You want to measure the broth at this point because you need a total of 3.5 cups of broth. If you have less than that, then add more water.
  • Cook your rice on high heat until it comes to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook until most of the water is dry, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye out to avoid burning.
  • Once most of the water is dry and you can see holes forming on the surface, cover the pot with foil paper or paper towels and the lid. Steam the rice for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
  • Fluff up the rice with the fork.
  • Meanwhile, the chicken is done baking, broil for the last 2 minutes for coloring.
  • Add a layer of rice and top it with the chicken, and enjoy.
  • You can garnish with toasted almonds and raisins.

Video

Notes

Start with 4 cups of water, cook the chicken in the broth for 15 minutes, or until it's halfway done. Then take out the chicken and measure the broth; you should have 3.5 cups left. If you have less than that, then add water. 
You can use any pieces of chicken, but red meat is recommended. 

Nutrition

Calories: 765kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 1415mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg