Lebanese-Australian Chicken and Rice
Fragrant spiced rice tossed with savoury mince, piled high with tender poached chicken, toasted pine nuts, and golden almonds.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 590 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based saucepan with lid
- •Small frypan
- •Medium saucepan
- •Tongs
- •Chef knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 62 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 590 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken in a medium pot, cover with lightly salted water, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 2
Poach the chicken for 15 minutes until fully cooked through and no longer pink in the centre.
- 3
Transfer the chicken to a board and shred into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
- 4
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a small frypan over medium heat.
- 5
Add the pine nuts and slivered almonds, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant, then set aside.
- 6
Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
- 7
Add the beef mince and cook until well browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon.
- 8
Stir in the Lebanese seven spice, ground cinnamon, and salt for one minute until aromatic.
- 9
Add the rinsed basmati rice and stir well to coat every grain in the spiced mince oil.
- 10
Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a rapid boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- 11
Reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, then rest off heat for 10 minutes.
- 12
Fluff the spiced rice, arrange on a serving platter, and top with shredded chicken, toasted nuts, and chopped parsley.
Chef's tips
Rinse your basmati rice thoroughly in cold water to remove excess starch and keep the grains distinct. Watch the nuts carefully while toasting in the frypan, as they can burn very quickly. You can strain and use the chicken poaching liquid as part of your stock for extra flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- beef mince → lamb mince
- Lebanese seven spice → equal parts ground allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- chicken breast fillets → boneless chicken thigh fillets
Storage
Store cooled chicken and spiced rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat in a frypan or microwave with a splash of water until steaming hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Lifting the lid while the rice is steaming, which releases heat and leads to unevenly cooked grains.
- •Leaving toasted nuts in a hot frypan off the heat, which causes them to over-brown and turn bitter.
- •Boiling the chicken too vigorously, making the meat tough rather than tender and succulent.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Lebanese-Australian Chicken and Rice?
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