Saudi Chicken Kabsa
Saudi Arabia's unofficial national dish. Unlike biryani's layered architecture, kabsa cooks rice and meat together from the start. Loomi — dried black lime — is the soul.
Where it comes from.
Kabsa is the national dish of Saudi Arabia and a staple of Bedouin hospitality across the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic root k-b-s (to press or squeeze), referring to cooking all ingredients together in one pot. Unlike biryani's layered dum structure, kabsa is a true one-pot dish where rice absorbs the meat's broth from the first moment.
How to cook it.
- 01
Build the Aromatic Base
Heat ghee in a large heavy pot. Sauté onion until golden-translucent. Add garlic, tomatoes, whole spices, and ground kabsa spice mix. Cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce, about 8 minutes.
- 02
Brown the Chicken
Add chicken pieces to the pot. Brown lightly on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- 03
Add Stock & Loomi
Pour in the chicken stock. Add the pierced dried black limes. The loomi slowly releases sour, slightly citrusy notes throughout the cooking. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until chicken is fully cooked and tender — about 30–35 minutes.
- 04
Finish the Chicken
Remove the cooked chicken pieces. Optional: place them briefly under a hot broiler/grill for 5–8 minutes to crisp and colour the skin. This contrast of tender meat and crisp skin is a kabsa signature.
- 05
Cook the Rice in the Broth
Add the rinsed rice directly to the spiced chicken broth. Stir, bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on low heat until rice is cooked and all broth has been absorbed — about 20 minutes.
Pro tipThe rice absorbs every molecule of the spiced chicken broth from start to finish — this is the fundamental difference from biryani's separate-cooking approach.
- 06
Plate & Garnish
Mound rice onto a large communal platter. Arrange the chicken pieces on top. Scatter toasted almonds, pine nuts, and golden raisins generously across everything.
What goes on the plate.
- Daqous (Saudi tomato-chili-garlic sauce — blend fresh and serve cold)
- Green salad
- Plain yogurt
- Warm Arabic flatbread
Loomi — dried black lime — is unique to the cooking of Yemen, Oman, and the Gulf states. The limes are boiled in salt water then sun-dried for months until the interior turns completely black. The result is a concentrated, sour-smoky flavour impossible to replicate. Without loomi, kabsa is merely a spiced rice dish.