Chicken kabsa
Non-vegetarian
كبسة · kabsa
Chicken simmered with tomato, onion and warm whole spices, then long-grain rice cooked in the fragrant broth until every grain is seasoned. The national dish of Saudi Arabia, shared from a single platter.
Chicken kabsa is a Saudi Arabian rice dish, ready in about 1 hour 45 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and basmati rice. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 15 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 667
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and cook the onion (opens in a new tab) until golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and the whole and ground spices and fry for a minute until fragrant.
- 10 min
- medium heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 2
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the spices, then add the tomato (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), salt and water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender.
- 35 min
- medium-low heat
Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone.
How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels Step 3
Lift out the chicken and put it on a tray. Measure the broth — you need about 800 ml for the rice; top up with water or boil down as needed.
- 3 min
Step 4
Add the drained rice to the boiling broth, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender. Meanwhile roast the chicken until browned.
- 22 min
- 220°C · for browning the chicken
- low heat
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than 1 hour.
Step 5
Rest the rice for 10 minutes, fluff and pile on a large platter. Top with the chicken, raisins (opens in a new tab) and toasted almonds (opens in a new tab).
- 10 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Saudi Arabia · Commonly attributedConsidered a national dish of Saudi Arabia; closely related machboos is made across the Gulf.Also popular in United Arab Emirates, YemenMore food from Saudi Arabia
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Simmered, Roasted
- Taste
- aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, mild
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · High-proteinWithout the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein - Good for
- One-pot · Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Chicken pieces, skin-on · Basmati rice · Onion · Garlic · Cardamom · Cloves
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom almonds
- May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
667 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 489 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 21%
- Carbohydrate 38%
- Fat 41%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 667 kcal | 136 kcal |
| Protein | 34.1 g | 7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 62.5 g | 12.8 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 59.3 g | 12.1 g |
| Sugars | 3.9 g | 0.8 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 3.2 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 30.2 g | 6.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 7.2 g | 1.5 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 113 mg | 23 mg |
| Sodium | 904 mg | 185 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.3 g | 0.5 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 633 mg
- Calcium
- 89 mg
- Iron
- 5.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 67 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 167 µg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 283 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: raisins, almonds.
- Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Add one or two pierced dried limes (loomi) with the water for the characteristic sour, musky note.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the soak and measuring — unsoaked basmati in too much broth turns broken and mushy.
Serve with
- With a tomato-chilli sauce (daqoos), yogurt and a simple salad.
Storage
- Keeps 2 days in the fridge; cool and refrigerate rice within 1 hour.
Reheating
- Reheat with a splash of water, covered, until piping hot throughout.
Variations
- Lamb kabsa: Made with bone-in lamb, simmered longer before the rice goes in.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Chicken pieces, skin-on, bone-in, skin removed, jointed into 8900 g
- Tomato, chopped2 piece · 240 g
- Tomato paste2 tbsp · 33 g
- Carrot, grated1 piece · 60 g
- Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes400 g
- Raisins, rinsed (optional)30 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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