Saudi Chicken and Rice (Chicken Kabsa)

fragrant, golden, deeply-spiced

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love a good chicken and rice dish. You could say I’m on a mission to convince everyone that a chicken and rice dinner is anything but basic—and today’s proof comes straight from the Arabian Peninsula: Chicken Kabsa.

Kabsa is Saudi Arabia’s national dish, and once you catch that first whiff of cardamom and cinnamon wafting through your kitchen, you’ll understand why. Traditionally, it’s a one-pot feast of spiced rice and meat—often lamb or chicken—cooked low and slow, then served family-style on a giant platter so everyone can dive in together.

Just like with any traditional dish, there are many variations of Chicken Kabsa. My version is, I would say, 86% traditional with a few little twists that I’ve added throughout my Kabsa journey. Here’s a few notes:

• Orange Zest + Grated Carrot
  Not traditional, but the citrus keeps things bright while carrot melts into the rice for subtle sweetness and color.

• Optional Raisins
  Hear me out: they swell in the steamy pot and turn into little flavor bombs. I love the bursts of sweetness you get as you eat the spiced rice.

• Crispy Caramelized Onions
  I’ve seen some recipes include this, and I completely get why. It adds bits of crunch and sweetness that complement the spiced rice and chicken beautifully. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and store in the fridge for several uses.

And finally, hear me out with these tips to make your Chicken Kabsa extra spectacular:

• Soak the Basmati for 30 minutes. It’s the secret to long, fluffy grains that don’t clump.

• Bloom Your Whole Spices in hot oil before anything else; it releases their fragrant oils and sets the flavor base.

• Steal a Spoonful of Chicken Drippings and stir it into the rice—just trust me on this.

• Let the Pot Rest off the heat for 5–10 minutes before fluffing; the steam finish keeps the rice perfectly tender.

Now, on to the recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do. If you try it, let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS (4 - 6 Servings)

For the caramelized crispy onions:

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• 4 tablespoon olive oil

• Kosher salt

For the kabsa spice mix:

• 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• 2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the main chicken kabsa dish:

• 4 chicken legs, bone in skin on

• 3 tablespoon butter

• 2 bay leaves

• 5 cloves

• 3 cardamom pods

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 tablespoons minced ginger

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 white onion, minced

• 2 tablespoons kabsa spice mix (ingredients above; recipe below)

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 3 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and grated

• 1 tablespoon orange zest

• 1 green chile, seeds removed and cut lengthwise into 4 pieces

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 2 cups chicken stock

• Optional: 1-2 tablespoons raisins

• 2 tablespoons almonds, blanched and slivered (for garnish)

• ½ cup avocado oil (or another neutral oil) + more for cooking the chicken

• Kosher salt

METHOD

1. Fry and caramelize the onions: In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until onions have turned a deep golden color, about 30-40 minutes, stirring constantly so the onions don’t burn

2. Make the kabsa spice mix by adding all the kabsa spice mix ingredients to a bowl and whisking until well mixed

   

   Whole spices (left), and ground spices (right)

3. Soak the rice. Add the rice to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Allow the rice to soak in the water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the rice

4. Prepare the chicken. Preheat oven to 300F (150C)

Set side 2 tablespoons of the kabsa spice mix and season the chicken on all sides, making sure to get underneath the skin. Add a pinch more of salt and season the chicken on all sides with it

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. When the cast iron is very hot, add a drizzle of avocado oil (or whatever neutral oil you’re using). When the oil is hot, add the chicken legs skin side down. Sear for 3 minutes, undisturbed. After 3 minutes, flip and sear for an additional minute. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Carefully baste the skin of all the chicken legs with the butter as it melts for 1 minute.

Place the cast iron skillet with the chicken legs in the oven (make sure they are skin side up). Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken legs registers 165F (80C)

5. When the chicken legs have 15 minutes left in the oven, begin preparing the chicken kabsa.

Add ½ cup avocado oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid and turn the heat on to medium-high. Add the whole spices (2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 3 cardamom pods, and 1 cinnamon stick). Bloom the spices in the oil for 2-3 minutes.

When the spices begin to sizzle and the oil is very hot, add the minced ginger and the minced garlic. Immediately stir for 30 seconds to avoid burning the garlic (it will make a crackling sound - that is normal!). Lower the heat to medium.

Add the minced onion and saute for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Add two tablespoons of the kabsa spice mix and stir to combine for 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chopped tomatoes, the grated carrots, the green chile, and the orange zest. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the pre-soaked rice and stir to combine. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth and raisins (if using). At this time, the chicken should be ready or almost ready. Add 2 tablespoons of the chicken juices to the pot (if the chicken is still not ready, just return the cast iron to the oven after taking out 2 tablespoons of the chicken juices and adding them to the pot).

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the pot undisturbed for an additional 5-10 minutes.

After the rice has rested, uncover and fluff with a fork.

6. To serve, place the rice in a large serving platter and top with the crispy caramelized onions and almonds. Place the chicken legs over the bed of rice. You can also separate the thighs from the drumsticks by cutting them with a knife (this will increase the individual pieces of chicken from 4 to 8). Allow each guest to serve themselves some rice and chicken into their plates. Enjoy!