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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Chicken » Chicken Machboos (Rice & Chicken Kabsa)

    Chicken Machboos (Rice & Chicken Kabsa)

    4.98 from 41 votes
    August 12, 2020 (last updated August 31, 2023) by Amina Al-Saigh

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Chicken Machboos, also known as "chicken & rice kabsa", is a popular rice dish from the Arabian Gulf. It is a fragrant one-pot rice dish that uses a lot of whole spices to infuse so much flavour! It is easy to make and typically paired with a salad to create a satisfying meal for the whole family. Let's walk through the simple steps.

    Chicken Machboos on a white rectangular platter with some parsley on top and in a white plate in the top corner with a green tea towel on a light coloured tiled

    5-STAR READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"So I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I am not very domestic and even I was able to follow this recipe and impress my family! These tips really helped. We added fresh bread from our local Arabic store which was the perfect addition. bialeafiata! - Lauren Holley"

    Table of Contents show
    1 What is Chicken Machboos or Kabsa Rice?
    2 Ingredients You Will Need for Chicken Machboos
    3 How to Make Chicken Machboos - Step by Step
    4 Tips for making the best Machboos
    5 How to serve Machboos
    6 Watch me make it!
    7 For more Middle Eastern Rice Dishes, check out:
    8 Chicken Machboos (Rice & Chicken Kabsa)

    What is Chicken Machboos or Kabsa Rice?

    The term 'Machboos' or 'kabsa' actually means 'pressed' in Arabic. It is the same word, but in two different dialects.

    I have had my fair share of kabsa rice from authentic Kuwaiti restaurants in Kuwait. If you haven't tried it and you love Arabic and middle eastern rice dishes, this version is a must try!

    I say "this version" because machboos or kabsa is cooked across all the gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. Each family may have its own version, but they all have a few things in common:

    • A red-ish base of rice, cooked in the same pot as the chicken to extract all the flavour.
    • Whole spices that must include the use of dry lime as a required ingredient! (But if you can't get your hands on it, it's still worth making this recipe without the dry lime.)
    • Browned bone-in chicken pieces on top!

    Now one thing to note: Machboos or Kabsa rice is different from Chicken Mandi. Both are rice and meat dishes, but they differ in the spices used and the colour of the rice. Mandi has a vibrant yellow colour and comes from Yemen, while Machboos is reddish brown in colour. I suggest you give Mandi a try too if you love Machboos.

    Kabsa Rice's Special Ingredient: Dried Lime

    Dried lime are what make Kabsa special. They are of Persian origin and widely used in Iraq and many gulf countries. Basically, they are limes that are boiled in a brine, then left out in the sun until they lose all of their moisture, turn a dark black colour, and become super hard!

    Dried limes are typically pierced with a knife a few times and dropped into soups, stews and rice dishes to impart their deep sour and earthy flavour. They can also be ground up into a powder and used as a seasoning. I use it in this kabsa recipe, as well as in Chicken Mandi.

    Three dried limes on off white ceramic plate.

    Ingredients You Will Need for Chicken Machboos

    chicken machboos ingredients including chicken drumsticks, chopped onions, olive oil, tomato sauce, basmati rice, spices, cinnamon sticks, dry limes, bay leaves and cardamom.

    Here are the ingredients you need:

    • Bone-in Chicken: You can use drumsticks, full chicken legs, or even a full chicken. It doesn't matter as long as you use bone-in chicken. I prefer to use pieces to make it easier to serve.
    • Basmati Rice: Long grain rice is the best type for Machboos since it can withstand more moisture.
    • Onions and garlic: finely chopped so they can melt away in the broth and flavour it.
    • Tomato sauce and tomato paste: that's how we'll achieve a red colour for the rice.
    • Whole spices: Bay Leaves, Cardamom, Cinnamon Sticks and Dried Lime. These are all essential to get a fragrant final dish, especially the dried lime! Try to visit your local middle eastern store to get some.
    • Ground spices: salt, pepper, cardamom, allspice and cinnamon, to intensify the flavours of the whole spices.

    How to Make Chicken Machboos - Step by Step

    Step 1: Cook down the onions and garlic and toast the whole spices.

    In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, then the diced onions and crushed garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the whole spices and toast them for a few minutes.

    TIP: Be sure to pierce the dry lime with a knife a few times to get optimal flavour.

    Large grey pot with green handles with chopped onions, dry limes, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks with a light blue spoon on a light coloured tiled background
    Cooked onions with tomatoes, dry limes, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves in a large grey pot with green handles and a light blue spoon on a light coloured tiled background

    Step 2: Add the tomato paste, sauce, and ground spices.

    Next, add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Then, add the tomato sauce, the ground spices, and 1 cup of water. Stir to combine.

    Step 3: Add the chicken and cook.

    Add the chicken into the pot and cover them with the sauce. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes.

    Chicken in tomato broth with dry limes and cinnamon sticks in a large grey pot with green handles on a light coloured tiled background
    Cooked chicken legs in a light blue square pan on a light coloured tiled background

    Step 4: Remove the chicken and strain the broth.

    Place the chicken in a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes when ready to serve. Broiling gives it a great colour.

    Strain the broth and discard the whole spices and onion. Keep the liquid for the next step.

    onions and dry limes in a strainer over a silver pot on a light coloured tiled background
    Tomato broth in a silver pot with a silver spoon on a light coloured tiled background

    Step 5: Cook the rice.

    Place the broth back into the same pot, then add the remaining water to it. Add the rice, and mix very gently to incorporate the rice. Cover and bring the pot to a boil for 1 minute.

    After a minute of boiling, bring the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, covered with a tight-fitting lid, and undisturbed. Do not open the lid while cooking the rice (this post on rice recipes explains why and many other tips on cooking rice!).

    tomato broth being poured into a green non stick pot
    tomato broth with uncooked rice inside a large green pot

    Step 6: Prepare the garnish and serve!

    Toast the almonds with a little of oil in a skillet until golden. Add the raisins and warm through.

    Serve the machboos by first adding the rice to a platter, then top with the chicken, then sprinkle with the toasted almonds and raisins.

    a covered large green pot, with a paper towel secured under the lid
    orange rice and browned cooked drumsticks being plated on a large rectangular platter.

    Tips for making the best Machboos

    Here are my tips to achieving the best Machboos or Kabsa! Following this recipe exactly to start with, but also the following:

    • Lots of onions, but finely diced. Onions are the secret weapon for imparting a depth of flavour in a lot of rice dishes. So don't skimp on the onion and make sure you give them some proper loving and get them nice and soft and caramelized.

    • Using good quality whole spices. This one is another major key, because that's where all the fragrance and flavour is coming from. Use fresh whole spices if you can from a good quality source.

    • Using dried lime. Dry lime can be hard to find if you don't have an Arabic grocer in the area, but they are a key ingredient in Machboos. They're used a lot in Iraqi cooking as well, and they give a citrusy yet earthy flavour to the broth. If you don't have whole dry lime, you can use dry lime powder. If you really can't find it, you can skip this. It'll still taste great - but do try to get them!

    • Cooking the chicken in the sauce. When the chicken is added to the sauce to cook, its picking up the delicious sauce flavour and also making the broth/sauce more flavourful. Bone-in chicken is preferred for extra flavour. Some people also keep the chicken in the pot and cook the rice with it, whereas in my recipe I remove it to broil it in the oven as we like it crispy.

    • The right water to rice ratio. I use Basmati rice in this recipe, and although its usually a 1:1.5 rice to water ratio, because we are also using a lot of onions which release liquid, as well as tomato sauce, we need to use slightly less water. I've found the ratio listed in the recipe to be perfect for fluffy rice that isn't mushy. Be sure to measure accurately and keep the rice pot covered for the duration of the cooking time.

    How to serve Machboos

    To plate the dish, spoon the rice in a large tray or serving dish, removing the whole spices as you go. Then add the broiled chicken on top. Garnish with the toasted almonds or pine nuts and raisins.

    Because there's so much flavour in the rice, I actually love to eat it as is. However, its typically also served with either plain yogurt, a yogurt cucumber salad, or with a simple Arabic chopped salad.

    chicken kabsa which is red rice, with full crispy chicken legs on top, garnished with raisins and pine nuts, with whole spices bay leaves, dried lime and cinnamon sticks

    Watch me make it!

    For more Middle Eastern Rice Dishes, check out:

    • Quzi which is lamb shanks served over yellow rice with almonds and raisins
      Quzi (Authentic Iraqi Lamb over Rice)
    • Chicken Biryani on a Plate
      Arabic Biryani with Chicken | Authentic Iraqi Recipe
    • Maqluba served in a platter garnished with almonds and parsley. Forks, water cups, a plate with almonds in it, and a bowl with cucumber and yogurt is on the right top side of the frame
      Maqluba (Makloubeh) with Lamb (Arabic rice dish)
    • Chicken and rice plated on a white ceramic platter topped with cilantro, almonds and raisins, with a green bowl and purple glass in the background.
      Chicken Mandi (Yemeni Chicken & Rice)

    If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

    chicken machboos served in a dish with chicken legs, pine nuts and raisins

    Chicken Machboos (Rice & Chicken Kabsa)

    This chicken Machboos is a popular Arabic rice dish. Onions, garlic, dry lime, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves are used to perfectly spice the rice to perfection. It's served with chicken that's been crisped up, along with toasted pine nuts and raisins. Such a soul satisfying dish and a must try for any lover of Arabic food!
    4.98 from 41 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Mains
    Cuisine: middle eastern
    Keyword: Arabic Rice, Chicken Machboos, Kabsa, Machboos
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 523kcal
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh

    Ingredients

    • 4 full chicken legs skin on, bone in (you can also use thighs - add 1-2 pieces per person)
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 3 medium onions
    • 4 medium garlic cloves
    • 3 cinnamon sticks
    • 3 dry limes substitute 2 teaspoons dry lime powder if unavailable
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 5 green cardamom pods
    • ½ teaspoon allspice
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2.5 teaspoons salt
    • 1 cup tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 3.5 cups basmati rice long grain
    • 4.5 cups water/broth *note 1
    • ⅓ cup raisins
    • ⅓ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts

    Instructions

    • Start by preheating the oven to 400F
    • Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic
    • To a large non-stick pot, add the oil and heat for 1 minute. Then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened
    • Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, dry lime, and bay leaves) along with the crushed garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes
    • Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, using a wooden spoon to smear the paste on the bottom of the pan and caramalize it
    • Add the ground spices (salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice) as well as the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes
    • Add the washed chicken legs and cover them in the sauce mixture. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through
    • Wash and rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear
    • Remove the chicken legs, sprinkle with extra salt and pepper (if desired) and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. To finish cooking them, bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until juices run clear. Broil for 2 minutes to crisp the skin
    • Add the rice to the pot along with the remaining 3.5 cups of water. Mix well but gently to incorporate the rice. Cover and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Once boiling, keep the rice covered, lower the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not uncover the rice before the 20 minutes
    • Turn off the heat and let the rice stand for 5 minutes
    • Toast the pine nuts in a skillet with ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium heat, stirring constantly until golden. This should take no more than 5 minutes
    • Remove the nuts and add the raisins using the same pan. Stir on high heat for 1-2 minutes to heat through and slightly caramelize
    • Open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve in a large dish, with the chicken legs on top and garnish with the pine nuts/almonds and raisins

    Video

    Notes

    1. The 4.5 cups of water is divided into: 1 cup to cook the chicken, then the remaining 3.5 after you strain the broth, add the broth back to the pot, then add the remaining water.
    2. If you don't have dry limes, you can skip it. It adds a unique depth of flavour that is hard to replace with other ingredients. I encourage you to find it from your local middle eastern shop!
    3. If you don't have full chicken legs, you can use thighs or drumsticks. I would not use chicken breast, dark meat will yield better results in this recipe

    Nutrition

    Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 988mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HungryPaprikas or tag #HungryPaprikas!
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      Comments

    1. Tee says

      July 05, 2023 at 6:57 am

      4 stars
      my friend i made this and it was soo delicious. ill deffo be making this solo to see if the flavour follows through a second time although im sure it will. im new to arab and middle eastern dishes and its a been a steady start to the journey with recipes from here

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        July 06, 2023 at 7:42 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Ellen says

      May 21, 2023 at 12:30 am

      The recipe says makes 8 servings, but there's only 4 chicken leg quarters. Is this enough chicken for 8 servings?

      Reply
    3. Aminah says

      April 02, 2023 at 1:12 am

      5 stars
      I made this dish tonight. My husband is Arabic so I love to try and cook middle eastern dishes. I kept it a secret when I was cooking. He absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for making our iftar dinner in Ramadan a success!

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        April 13, 2023 at 4:58 am

        Aww so glad your husband enjoyed your surprise! Such a great one 🙂

        Reply
    4. Nida I says

      January 19, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      Hi. Amazing recipie. Kabsa is delicious. Could you please clarify wether tomato sauce in this recipe is actually tomato ketchup or what?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        March 04, 2023 at 5:56 am

        Hi Nida! Tomato sauce would just be tomato passata. Like a runny tomato paste - it comes in jars or cans. Definitely not ketchup!

        Reply
    5. abdulkarim says

      October 08, 2022 at 6:24 pm

      Thanks for your blog Lots of nice words in this article , nice to read , Do not stop.
      https://jetskirentaldubai.com/

      Reply
    6. Lakna says

      September 11, 2022 at 9:18 am

      5 stars
      Just superb…. All loved it. Thanks alot

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        September 17, 2022 at 6:32 pm

        You're very welcome! Thanks for the review!

        Reply
    7. Fatima says

      August 20, 2022 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      It was my first time making kabsa and oh myyyy it turned out sooo goood.We devoured it completely. The only thing I did differently since I was running late was that instead of baking the chicken I pan fried it in a little oil at high heat to give it a slightly charred colour. Will definitely be making it again 10/10.

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        August 27, 2022 at 7:45 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it Fatima! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    8. Samira says

      June 10, 2022 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      yummy.....

      Reply
    9. Vera says

      April 22, 2022 at 3:38 am

      5 stars
      Hi, Amina 🙂 I would like to ask can if I add only 1 cup of rice how much water should I add to the sause?

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        March 04, 2023 at 8:03 pm

        For every 1 cup of rice, the liquid should be 1.5 cups!!

        Reply
    10. Fatema says

      April 17, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      I tried this recipe and my whole family loooved it! So quick, easy and delicious. Highly recommend

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        April 18, 2022 at 6:52 am

        Thanks so much Fatema! 🙂

        Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        April 18, 2022 at 7:06 am

        Thank you Fatema!! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Aliya says

      February 14, 2022 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Amina, can you cook the Machboos with diced breast pieces? Would you need to alter the cooking times?

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        February 20, 2022 at 7:26 pm

        I wouldn't recommend using chicken breast. It will be dry tasting and doesn't have fat that's required to give this dish its flavour!

        Reply
    12. Hanadie says

      January 09, 2022 at 11:08 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious as always! Ì just had to add one extra cup of water my rice to cook.

      Reply
    13. Heyam says

      December 14, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      Hi! Quick question, can you add kabseh spice to the chicken right before putting it into the oven? Or will that interfere with the taste? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        December 18, 2021 at 9:58 pm

        Yes absolutely - you can do that!

        Reply
    14. Serene says

      September 12, 2021 at 6:22 am

      5 stars
      Hi,

      I’m curious as to what you meant by tomato sauce? Is that ketchup or a can of tomatoes or?
      Help!
      Love this recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        September 18, 2021 at 5:14 pm

        Hi Serene! I mean a can of tomato sauce, sometimes referred to as crushed tomatoes 🙂

        Reply
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