The One-Pot Chicken Kabsa Worth Learning by Heart
There's a reason kabsa shows up at nearly every Saudi celebration: it does everything a great rice dish should, and does it in one pot. Bone-in chicken simmers in a fragrant, tomato-tinted broth until it's fall-apart tender, then gets pulled out and broiled until the skin turns deeply golden and crisp — a textural payoff that separates a good kabsa from a forgettable one. That same broth, laced with a warm, toasted spice blend you'll make from scratch, is what cooks the rice, so every grain carries the dish's flavor. A last-minute shower of raisins, slivered almonds, and shredded carrot bloomed in ghee gives the platter its signature sweetness and crunch. It looks like a production. It's really just patience, in the right order.
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
For the Kabsa Spice Mix
6 to 7 green cardamom pods
2 medium cinnamon sticks (about 4 grams)
½ whole nutmeg, grated
1¼ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (mild, for color more than heat)
1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Chicken and Rice
3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, divided
2 small cinnamon sticks
4 to 5 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
2 dried black limes (loomi), pierced through the middle
3 whole cloves
1½ cups chopped yellow onion
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 whole chicken, cut into 4 pieces
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1½ teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 45 minutes, then drained
For the Garnish
1 tablespoon ghee
½ cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Ghee, for brushing the chicken
Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Hard-boiled eggs, halved
Lemon or lime wedges
Thinly sliced raw onion
Method
Make the spice mix. In a mortar and pestle, grind the cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks to a fine powder. Pick out and discard the tough cardamom husks. Stir in the grated nutmeg, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and black pepper. Set the spice mix aside.
Build the base. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, bay leaves, pierced dried limes, and cloves, and let them sizzle for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden at the edges. Lower the heat, stir in the garlic and ginger paste, and cook for 40 seconds to 1 minute, until the raw smell fades.
Brown the chicken. Add the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and sear for about 4 minutes per side, until the skin change color a bit. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Build the broth. To the same pot, add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, the spice mix, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the oil begins to separate from the mixture — this is how you know the spices are properly toasted. Pour in 4 cups of hot water along with 1 teaspoon salt, then return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Cook the rice. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth and reserve it. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the now-empty pot, followed by the drained, soaked rice. Stir to coat the grains, then pour in 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth and 2 cups of hot water. Taste and adjust the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, until the surface of the rice is just visible above the liquid. Lower the heat, cover tightly, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Broil the chicken. While the rice cooks, brush the chicken pieces generously with ghee. Broil until deeply golden and crisp, watching closely so they don't burn. (No broiler? A hot skillet works just as well — fry the chicken skin-side down until crisp.)
Make the garnish. In a small pan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the shredded carrot, raisins, and slivered almonds, and cook until the carrots deepen in color and the raisins plump up, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
Assemble and serve. Spread the rice over a large serving platter and arrange the broiled chicken on top. Scatter the carrot-raisin-almond garnish over everything, then finish with chopped coriander, halved boiled eggs, lemon or lime wedges, and a scattering of raw onion. Serve immediately, while the rice is still warm and the chicken skin is at its crispest.
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