Yemeni Chicken Mandi is a deeply flavorful and aromatic chicken and rice dish that’s quite special to serve up. Juicy, spice-rubbed chicken is cooked to perfection and served over fragrant yellow basmati rice, then topped with golden fried onions, toasted almonds, and sweet raisins. The dish is spiced using classic Yemeni hawaij spices which taste quite magical. This easy, authentic mandi recipe is a reader favorite—with many glowing 5-star reviews to prove it!

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.

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5-STAR READER REVIEW

“The recipe had limited yet the perfect amount of ingredients, and was so easy to follow! My family loved the dish (had been trying my hands on it since months but never came out as perfect as yesterday!) They all called it restaurant quality and the next time we want to have mandi, for sure its going to be your recipe than a take-away!! Thank you soo much!”

—Mahreen
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To really nail this dish, I like to think of it in three separate components: the chicken, the Yemeni spice mix called “Hawaij”, and the yellow rice. And although truly traditional mandi is slow cooked in an underground “oven” called a Taboon, this recipe is developed to recreate that flavour right at home. The best Yemeni mandi I’ve had is from a local GTA based Yemeni restaurant (Monasaba), and theirs has been my inspiration when developing my recipe.

Now I will admit: this recipe, especially because of the caramelized onions (which absolutely make the dish), can be a bit involved. I’ve tried to simplify, but if you’re a beginner and want to dabble with a “one pot” chicken and rice that’s also reminiscent of warm middle eastern flavours, take a look at my chicken machboos, then come back to this one. And once you make and absolutely fall in live with this one, the next one to tackle is my whole-shoulder fall-apart lamb mandi (now that one is a true treat!).

Getting the Hawaij Right

Hawaij is the classic Yemeni spice mix that carries the authentic flavours of mandi. Get it right, and you’re most of the way there. As with any spice mix, using freshly ground whole, toasted spices is always best. It’s a quick process if you have a spice or coffee grinder (I highly recommend this one). If you don’t want to go the extra mile – ground spices will also work.

You also need dried limes which you can grab from a local middle eastern store. I’ve tested the recipe without them a few times, and it does work, but using them adds a deep, earthy and tart flavour note.

Spice blend for chicken prepped on white ceramic plate.
Hawaij (top and clockwise): Bay leaves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamom.

Step by Step Instructions (You can do this!)

Grab all the ingredients and let’s get started!

Ingredient list for chicken mandi including rice, chicken, onions, almonds, dried lime, raisins, and spices.

To make the hawaij spice blend, place all the spices (except for the turmeric and bay leaves) into a pan and toast for 2-3 minutes on medium high until fragrant. Keep an eye out because they burn quickly.

Spices for chicken in brown bowl, including a cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander, black pepper, cardamom and cumin.

Place the spices in a spice or coffee grinder and grind until a fine powder forms.

Before and after of spices blended in coffee grinder.

Remove two teaspoons of the spice mix and set aside for the rice, then marinate the chicken.

Two steps of marinating chicken, first step mixing spices in white bowl with measuring spoon, then marinating chicken on white platter.
Create a paste with the spices and olive oil. Marinate the chicken overnight, or for a few hours.

TIP: I use a mandolin to slice the onions, which ensures they are all an even size. This means they will fry evenly. But if you don’t have one, use a sharp knife to thinly slice.

Sliced onions in stock pot.
Fry the onions in oil for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Fried onions layered on towel on top of black ceramic plate.
Remove and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Remove most of the onions but leave some along with the oil. Add the spices and the dried lime and toast for a few minutes.

TIP: To extract the most flavour from the black limes, place them in a bowl of boiled water and let them soften for 1 minute. Then, pierce them with a knife a few times before adding to the pot.

Two steps of chicken process including spice mix in stock pot and chicken placed on steamer rack.
Add the water and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a simmer. Place a steaming rack inside the pot and place the chicken on top. Cover and steam for 50 minutes. If you don’t have a rack that fits your pot, just add the chicken in the water.
Spiced chicken quarters on grill rack.
Place the chicken on an oven rack and broil.
Roasted chicken layered in green ceramic bowl with serving spoon.
Remove when golden brown.
Yellow rice in stock pot and then served on a white platter.
Cook the rice using the reserved chicken broth, and add the bloomed saffron and turmeric to achieve a golden hue.

TIP: To get fluffy basmati rice, use a 1:1.5 rice to water ratio. Soak the rice for 10 minutes. Bring the rice to a boil, then cover tightly and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

While the rice cooks, quickly fry the almonds and the raisins in a bit of olive oil to toast them. To assemble, start by spooning a bed of yellow rice on a large platter, then garnish with the fried onions, almonds and raisins, then add the chicken legs on top.

Smoking the Mandi (optional)

To replicate the smoky coal infused flavours of traditional chicken mandi, you can smoke the final dish. Add the chicken to the rice in the same pot once they are both cooked. Place a small bowl on top of the rice and add a bit of oil inside. Take a small piece of coal and light it using a lighter. Then drop the coal in the oil filled bowl, then quickly close the lid. Smoke for about 4-5 minutes.

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.

My Favourite Way To Serve

Traditionally, Mandi and many Yemeni rice based dishes are served with “Sahawiq” which is a spicy salsa like condiment made from chilis, parsley, coriander, mint, garlic, tomato, vinegar, and cumin. They are blended to create a salsa. I love to serve this rice dish with side salads like Jajik (cucumber yogurt salad), fattoush or my zahawiq recipe in this lamb mandi post.

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 and rice served on a white platter topped with cilantro, almonds, and raisins.
4.95 from 37 ratings

Chicken Mandi (Yemeni Chicken & Yellow Rice)

Yield: 4 people
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This chicken and rice dish is not your average recipe – a traditional Yemeni recipe that combines succulent chicken, perfectly seasoned with a warm spice blend and served with glistening yellow rice, topped with fried onions, almond and raisins. There's nothing like it!
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Ingredients
 

For the Spice Blend

  • 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (ground powder)

For the Chicken

  • 4 full chicken legs, skin on, bone in
  • 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, use 1 tsp if regular salt
  • 2 tablepsoons olive oil, divided

For the Rice

  • 3 cups basmati rice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons spice mix (from the spice blend)
  • 1.5 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, plus 2 tablespoons hot water (optional)
  • 3 dried limes, optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4.5 cups water and broth, see instructions

For the Garnish

  • 4 small onions
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • General note: Its best to prepare the spice blend and marinate the chicken for 24 hours for optimal flavour.

For the Spice Blend:

  • Start by placing all of the spices for the blend, except for the turmeric, in a small skillet and toast on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, moving them around constantly. Be careful as they burn fast! Remove them as soon as they start to become really fragrant.
  • Once toasted, remove and place in a spice or coffee grinder and grind until a fine powder forms.
  • Remove 2 teaspoons from the spice mix and set aside for the rice. Add the turmeric to the remainder of the spice mix and set aside to be used for the chicken.

To Marinate The Chicken:

  • To the chicken spice blend, add the 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and create a paste. Lather the paste onto the chicken legs and massage it in really well.
  • Place the marinated chicken in an airtight container and marinate overnight in the fridge for optimal results. If you can't do this, you can marinate for 30 mins to 1 hour to save time.

To Fry the Onions:

  • Thinly slice all of the onions evenly. I do this by hand but if you want to be precise you can always use a mandolin (even size helps them fry evenly)
  • Add the one cup of vegetable oil to the pot (the same pot you will cook rice in) and heat on medium heat
  • Add the onions in and fry them, stirring them every 3-4 minutes. This process will take 10-15 minutes, so be patient! But also be careful, towards the end, they will burn fast so keep a watchful eye and remove them quickly.
  • Remove the onions when they look golden brown, leaving approximately 3 tablespoons of onions in the pot for the rice. Spread on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the oil. As they cool they will crisp up (see notes). Set aside until ready to garnish.

To Cook the Chicken:

  • The chicken will cook by steaming. Start this process after marinating the chicken. To the pot that you fried the onions in (and with the remaining onions and oil inside), add the spice mix that was set aside for the rice
  • Carefully pierce the dry limes a couple of times using a sharp knife (be careful because they are round!) and add them to the pot along with the bay leaves
  • Cook the spices in the oil on medium heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water.
  • Place a steaming rack in the pot (if you don't have a steaming rack, use a small wire rack similar to an instant pot insert). Place the marinated chicken on the steaming rack.
  • Close the pot lid and steam the chicken for 50 minutes on medium heat. Check it every 10 minutes to ensure there is enough water and top it up if not.
  • Remove the chicken (reserve the broth) when cooked through and place on an oven baking tray (preferably on an over wire rack placed on top of a tray, but you can use a tray too).
  • Brush the top with the remaining olive oil and bake for 20 mins at 400F. Broil the top for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove and keep warm.

To Make the Rice:

  • Wash the rice really well multiple times until the water runs clear, then soak for 10 minutes
  • In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron to a fine powder then add 2 tablespoons of hot water (boiled water that has cooled slightly) and bloom for 5 minutes
  • Strain the broth that was used to steam the chicken. Using a measuring cup, measure out how much broth you have and add to it some water (if required) to get exactly 4.5 cups of liquid
  • Pour the liquid back into the same pot. Add to it the turmeric listed under rice, the salt and the bloomed saffron. Taste and ensure it is visibly salty (like sea water). Allow it to come to a boil.
  • Add the rice to the broth and stir a few times to combine. Allow it to come to a boil uncovered for a few minutes on medium heat.
  • Once bubbling, place a paper towel on top of the pot and then close the lid. Lower the heat to medium low and allow it to cook for 20 minutes, undisturbed.
  • After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and fluff with a fork. Close the lid and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.

For the Garnish:

  • The first layer of garnish will be the fried onions
  • To prepare the almonds, cook them on medium heat with the olive oil until golden. Stir continuously. Remove and set aside
  • Add the raisins in and toast for 2 minutes. Combine with the almonds.

To Assemble:

  • In a large platter, layer the yellow rice
  • Add the fried onions, almonds and raisins
  • Add the chicken, then add more onions, raisins and almonds. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired
  • Serve with a side of salad, yogurt, or Yemeni Zhoug and enjoy!

Notes

  • Here is the order I recommend you carry out the recipe steps for optimal efficiency:
    • Make the spice blend and marinate the chicken the night before.
    • On the day, start by frying the onions, then steam the chicken
    • Cook the rice
    • Prepare the garnish and assemble
  • For this recipe, I don’t find that you need super precise onion slices (which is typically required for perfectly crispy fried onions). I don’t believe the onions need to be super crispy. Instead of deep frying them perfectly, I prefer to shallow fry them and use the same onion-flavoured oil for the rice.
  • I know most people struggle with getting crispy fried onions; don’t worry! As long as you fry them per directions, you will get the exact same flavour, even if they are soft. The crunch in this dish comes from the almonds anyways!
  • If you don’t have dry lime, you can skip it. But it does add a wonderful flavour that can’t be replicated with any other ingredient.
  • I know saffron is pricey, so if you don’t have it, you can also skip it. Again, it adds a delicious flavour but won’t make/break your dish.
  • If you want to avoid soggy rice, make sure you measure out your broth precisely per the recipe directions
  • Yes the rice and this whole recipe requires a whole lot of oil. Trust the process. Enjoy the result.
Calories: 1418kcal, Carbohydrates: 131g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 84g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 37g, Monounsaturated Fat: 27g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 1578mg, Potassium: 754mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 143IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 131mg, Iron: 4mg
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