Lebanese chicken and rice
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
3 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
48 mins
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Servings
4 (or
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Calories
824 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Lebanese
Lebanese chicken and rice
Description
This dish consists of several components: the nut topping involves toasting almonds, pine nuts, and cashews separately in olive oil until golden and fragrant, providing a variety of textures and flavors. The chicken is poached gently with onion, parsley, and bay leaf in water, yielding tender meat infused with aromatic notes. Alternatively, leftover cooked chicken can be shredded and reheated.
The rice base is prepared by sautéing onion and ground beef or lamb with Lebanese seven-spice (baharat), salt, and pepper, then combined with long grain rice, butter, and chicken stock to cook until fluffy and flavorful. This mixture features savory and warmly spiced elements characteristic of Lebanese cuisine.
Assembling the dish involves topping the rice with the poached or reheated chicken, finishing with the nut mixture for crunch and contrast. This dish provides a balanced meal with protein, fragrant rice, and rich nuts. It is suitable as a main course for lunch or dinner and can incorporate leftovers for convenience.
For flexibility, pan-fried chicken thighs can substitute poached chicken, and homemade seven-spice blend offers personalization. Nuts can be toasted ahead and stored at room temperature to save preparation time on serving days.
Ingredients
For nut topping
- ¼ cup almonds or can use halved blanched almonds, slivered
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 3 tablespoon cashews
- 1 tablespoon olive oil approx
For chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast or can use boneless thighs (see notes)
- ⅛ onion
- 2 tems parsley
- 1 bay leaf
For rice base
- ½ onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ lb ground beef beef or lamb mince, or lamb
- 2 teaspoon lebanese seven spice (baharat)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 ¼ cups long grain rice eg basmati
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
For nut topping (can do ahead)
- Warm the oil in a small skillet/frying pan over a medium head and add the nuts, one kind at a time (since they can take different times to cook). Keep a close eye on them as they cook and turn occasionally so that they cook on each side. The nuts can take around 1 - 4 minutes depending on the kind and size. Once the nuts are brown but not burnt, remove from the skillet, draining excess oil, then transfer to kitchen paper to remove any more oil.
- Add the next kind of nut to the oil and repeat until all are toasted. If you don't seem to have enough oil as you add the second or third kind of nut, add a little more. These can be made a day or two ahead and stored at room temperature
For chicken (can do ahead)
- If using fresh chicken, place in a pot and add the onion, parsley and bay leaf. Add water so that the chicken is covered by a good 1in/2-3cm, cover then place on a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly to simmer/low boil and cook for around 10 minutes, testing now and then, until the chicken is cooked through (if using an instant-read thermometer, you are looking for around 165F/74C in thickest part). Remove from cooking water.
- If cooking as you are about to eat, start cooking the meat and rice as the chicken is poaching and then keep chicken warm and shred before serving. If you make it ahead, let cool then refrigerate to store a day or two.
For rice
- Dice the onion into a relatively small dice.
- Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or other relatively large pot with a lid over a medium heat then add the onion. Cook for a few minutes to soften the onion.
- Once the onion is translucent but not browning, add the ground beef/lamb. Cook the meat, turning and breaking up the chunks regularly.
- Once the meat has browned, add the Lebanese seven spice, salt and pepper and stir to mix through. Add the rice and butter and mix both through the meat so that the butter melts and the rice becomes well coated.
- Add the stock to the meat and rice mixture, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers rather than boils and leave to cook, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Serve the meat and rice mixture topped with the chicken and then some of each of the toasted nuts. You can either place all on one platter to serve from or layer up each on individual plates (a platter is more typical). Great served with salad on the side.
Notes
- Leftover rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken can replace freshly poached chicken; shred and reheat with a bit of stock to keep moist.
- Pan-fried chicken thighs are a suitable alternative to traditional poached chicken in this recipe.
- To save time, nuts for topping can be toasted a day or two in advance and stored at room temperature before serving.
- Making your own Lebanese seven-spice blend is easy and allows customization; follow specialized recipes for preparation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4(or
Amount Per Serving
Calories 824 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 824kcal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 57g | 19% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Fat | 43g | 66% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 148mg | 49% |
| Sodium | 693mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 993mg | 21% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 172IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 68mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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