A flavorful chicken and rice speciality, Machboos will show you the beauty and flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine. Dive right into Bahraini culture by making this insanely delicious dish at home!
“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”
I’ve been experimenting a lot with rice recipes lately, including some of my favorite dishes on the blog, Kabuli Pulao from Afghanistan and Vermicelli Rice from Armenia.
This chicken and rice dish, while flavorful in its own unique and delicious way, reminds me a lot of these two recent favorites! It is comforting, warm, and truly takes plain ol’ rice to an entirely new level. I can’t wait for you to try making this one at home!
Recipe Origins
Machboos is a chicken and rice dish popular in the Middle East including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
We are making this Chicken Machboos today as a way to celebrate Bahrain, a 277 square mile country located near Qatar and the Persian Gulf. Machboos is the national dish of the country, and it features some really lovely and unique flavors that you will love trying out.
Keep in mind that different countries and families have different versions of Machboos, but this is a common and basic variation that is a good starting point.
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Bahrain: Whether you’ve been to Bahrain before or have always wanted to go, this dish is for you! You can experience the tastes and culture of the country without ever leaving your own kitchen.
- New Flavors: I love this dish because it really got me out of a spice rut. The flavor combination in the rice is amazing!
- Crowd Pleaser: This dish has basic enough ingredients that it will feed your picky eaters, but flavorful enough that it will excite your adventurous diners!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter popular in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is made by removing the milk solids from butter, leaving only the non-dairy part of butter behind. You can find ghee in the oil section of your grocery store or at an Indian market. If you are not able to find ghee, you can also use olive oil (pictured above).
- Baharat Seasoning: Baharat seasoning is a blend of 8 different spices that form the base for a lot of Bahraini cuisine. You can make your Baharat Spice Blend at home or you can buy it from the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Chicken: Use bone-in, skin on chicken. I used a combo of thighs and legs. You can also use breasts.
- Loomi: Dried lime. See “Loomi” section for more information on this ingredient. You can replace it with the zest of ½ of a lemon if necessary.
Tools
- Large Saucepan/Pot: With a lid. You can also use a dutch oven.
- Wooden Spoon
- Tongs: And a plate if you need to brown the chicken in batches
- Cookie Sheet
- Spice Grinder
What is Loomi?
Loomi is a black lime often used as flavoring in Bahraini dishes. It is created by drying a lime out in the sun until all of the moisture evaporates and the lime turns black.
Other names for Loomi include dried lime, black lime, and black lemon. You can find these at many Middle Eastern or Indian food markets. You can also purchase them online.
Grinding your Loomi
Loomi will usually come in their whole form, instead of pre-ground. This is good because it preserves the flavor for quite a while, keeping the spice fresh. In order to use your lime in this recipe, you will need to use a spice grinder to grind it up.
Some other recipes call for cutting slices into the dried lime and adding the whole thing into the recipe. You can then remove it from the pot once the meal has finished cooking. You can certainly follow this method, but I like the flavor better when it has been ground up into the base of the dish.
Substitutions
Loomi certainly is delicious! If, however, you are not keen on going shopping for this unique ingredient, you can always substitute the zest of ½ lemon instead.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Cook the Onions
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onions for about 5-7 minutes or until they turn translucent.
Stir in the Baharat and turmeric and cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove the onions to a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the Chicken
Add the chicken pieces into the saucepan and brown lightly. You may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
When the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and then work on the next batch until complete.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Add the tomatoes, cloves, ground loomi, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and salt to the pot.
Pour in 3 cups of water, then add the browned chicken and the cooked onions back into the pot. Put a lid on it and turn the heat to high.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it and bring it to a simmer. Allow the chicken to simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked through (and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
Step 4: Cook the Rice
Add the rice and herbs into the pot and bring back to a simmer. Cook, covered, on low for about 30 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
When done, remove the mixture from the heat and leave it to sit for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
Step 5: Broil the Chicken
While the rice is resting, turn your oven to a broil. Put the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler until they are brown and crispy.
Add the rice to a large platter and top with the chicken pieces. Enjoy!
How Else Can I Cook the Chicken?
There are plenty of other methods for finishing up the chicken. In this recipe, I put the chicken under the broiler to crisp up the skin. You can also do any of the following:
- Grill the chicken
- Shallow fry the chicken in some oil until it crisps up
- Continue cooking it in the pot with the rice until the rice is finished
I find the broiling option to be the best as it keeps the chicken from getting overcooked and it is the simplest/least amount of active work!
Expert Tips
- Some countries/recipes serve this dish with toasted nuts on top. Feel free to do this if you wish! Toasted almonds and pine nuts are a good choice. Raisins are also popular!
- Keep an eye on your chicken while under the broiler, as it can burn easily.
- If you can, try to find the cinnamon sticks and cloves before digging into your meal!.The cloves may be tricky to locate.
- Use whole spices when you can, as it adds a lot of flavor to this dish.
Recipe FAQs
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, put the Machboos in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to a month. If you leave it longer, the rice could lose some of its moisture.
Yes, machboos is sometimes cooked with meats other than chicken. Other options include beef, lamb, goat, fish, and even camel!
Yes, machboos is sometimes cooked with meats other than chicken. Other options include beef, lamb, goat, fish, and even camel!
To serve your Chicken Machboos, pile the rice high on a platter and place the chicken on top of the rice pile. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this Chicken Machboos Recipe from Bahrain? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you!:
- Baba Ganoush
- Muhammar Sweet Rice
- Maamoul Cookies with Date Filling
- Pigeon Peas and Rice from The Bahamas
- Chicken Paprikash from Hungary
- Indonesia: History, Background, Culture and Food
If you make this recipe at home, leave a review/comment on this post letting us know what you thought!
And don’t forget to share a photo of your finished product on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
Chicken Machboos Recipe
Equipment
- Large Saucepan/Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Tongs
- Cookie Sheet
- Spice Grinder
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp ghee or olive oil
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Baharat seasoning
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2.5 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, I used thighs and legs
- 1 15 oz diced tomatoes, can, drained
- 3 whole cloves
- ½ tsp ground loomi, dried lemon/lime, can also use the zest of ½ lemon
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the 4 tbsp oil in a saucepan and fry the thinly slice red onion for about 5-7 minutes or until they turn translucent. Stir in 1 tbsp Baharat and 1 tsp turmeric and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the onions to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the 2.5 lb chicken pieces into the saucepan and brown lightly. You may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. When the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and then work on the next batch until complete.
- Add the 15 oz diced tomatoes, 3 whole cloves, ½ tsp ground loomi, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp cardamom, and 1 tbsp salt to the pot.
- Pour in 3 cups of water, then add the browned chicken back and the cooked onions back into the pot. Put a lid on it and turn the heat to high.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it and bring it to a simmer. Allow the chicken to simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked through (and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the 2 cups Basmati rice and 2 tbsp cilantro and parsley into the pot and bring back to a simmer. Cook, covered, on low for about 30 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. When done, remove the mixture from the heat and leave it to sit for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
- While the rice is resting, turn your oven to a broil. Put the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler until they are brown and crispy.
- Add the rice to a large platter and top with the chicken pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter popular in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is made by removing the milk solids from butter, leaving only the non-dairy part of butter behind. You can find ghee in the oil section of your grocery store or at an Indian market. If you are not able to find ghee, you can also use olive oil (pictured above).
- Baharat Seasoning: Baharat seasoning is a blend of 8 different spices that form the base for a lot of Bahraini cuisine. You can make your Baharat Spice Blend at home or you can buy it from the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Chicken: Use bone-in, skin on chicken. I used a combo of thighs and legs. You can also use breasts.
- Loomi: Dried lime. See “Loomi” section for more information on this ingredient. You can replace it with the zest of ½ of a lemon if necessary.
- Some countries/recipes serve this dish with toasted nuts on top. Feel free to do this if you wish! Toasted almonds and pine nuts are a good choice. Raisins are also popular!
- Keep an eye on your chicken while under the broiler, as it can burn easily.
- If you can, try to find the cinnamon sticks and cloves before digging into your meal!.The cloves may be tricky to locate.
- Use whole spices when you can, as it adds a lot of flavor to this dish.
Melissa Torres says
The spices were new to me in this combination. I ordered baharat from amazon and realized I didn’t have cardamom right as we prepared it. But I liked the one pot method and a good way to use bone-in chicken. The rice was liked by all but the chicken did crisp up enough so some of the fam wouldn’t eat it. I ended up salvaging it though by shredding the meat off and just chopping it up into the leftovers for the next day.