Chicken Ouzi
65 Minutes
Middle East/Mediterranean
Serves: 6
Chicken Ouzi brings together fragrant Basmati, warmly spiced minced beef, and golden roasted chicken in a timeless Middle Eastern classic. Layered with aromatic broth, toasted almonds, and rich ghee, this dish delivers depth, comfort, and celebration in every bite.
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Broth
- 2 whole chicken
- 1 large onion, quartered
- black pepper seeds
- 3–4 bay leaves
- 5–6 cardamom pods
- 2 dried limes (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Rice Base
- 3 cups Royal chef secret Basmati Rice extra long grain
- 1 lbs minced beef
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 2 cup frozen peas & carrots
- 1 tbsp Arabic 7-spice blend
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- Salt to taste
- 4–5 cups hot chicken broth (strained from above)
Garnish
- Toasted almonds
- yogurt (optional)
Preparation
For the Chicken & Broth
- Place chicken pieces in a large pot with halved onions, black pepper seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, and dried lime.
- Cover with water, add salt & pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Skim off foam, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked (about 35–40 min).
- Remove chicken, reserving broth. Place on wire rack, pat dry, brush ghee and season with salt and pepper then place in a 380F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden. set aside.
For the Rice
- Rinse Royal Basmati rice until water runs clear.
- In a heavy pot, heat ghee/oil and sauté the minced meat until fully cooked.
- Add peas & carrots, then stir in the Arabic 7-spice, cinnamon, salt and black pepper. Here you can reserve a bit of the mixture if you want as garnish on top of the cooked rice when serving.
- Add rinsed rice to the pot; stir gently to coat with spices and onions.
- Pour in hot chicken broth (you want enough to cover the rice by about a finger’s width).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and perfectly fluffy (about 15–20 min).
For the Assembly
- Spoon rice onto a large serving platter.
- Arrange cooked chicken on top.
- Add the extra meat mixture if you reserved any.
- Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
- Serve with yogurt or a fresh Arab salad for brightness
