Lebanese Chicken and Rice

Yumna Jawad

Updated Mar 07, 2026

4.97 from 29 votes

Lebanese Chicken and Rice (Roz a Djej) made with shredded chicken, long grain rice cooked in chicken broth with ground beef and 7 spice, topped with nuts.

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Comments
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Large oval platter with Lebanese shredded chicken and rice with ground beef crumbles throughout, topped with toasted pinenuts, cashews, and almonds, and garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
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An Iconic Lebanese Chicken and Rice dish!

Lebanese chicken and rice, also known as roz a djej, is one of those meals I grew up seeing at a lot of Lebanese gatherings and holiday meals. It’s a Lebanese-style rice hashweh (which means stuffing) that I make with juicy shredded chicken and finish with lots of toasted almonds, pine nuts, and cashews. The nuts are honestly my favorite part.

Even though the spice blend makes it taste really special, I actually make this chicken and rice recipe with mostly everyday pantry ingredients. The only thing you might need to pick up or mix yourself is 7 Spice, which I use in a lot of Lebanese recipes.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Lebanese Chicken and Rice Ingredients

  • Chicken and stock. Chicken thighs, onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and water. I use chicken thighs when making Lebanese chicken and rice because they stay tender and shred easily after simmering. The onion, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves flavor the broth while the chicken cooks, which becomes the stock used later to cook the rice. If you only have boneless chicken thighs, those will still work, but bone-in adds more flavor to the broth.
  • Nuts topping. Butter, cashews, slivered almonds, and pine nuts. I toast the nuts in butter so they turn golden and fragrant. Stir them frequently because pine nuts brown quickly and can burn fast. If you don’t have all three nuts, you can use any combination you have on hand.
  • Rice and beef. Butter, onion, lean ground beef, 7 Spice, salt, black pepper, and long grain rice. I like using lean ground beef so the rice doesn’t turn greasy. The 7 Spice is what gives the dish its signature flavor, so it’s worth using if you can find it. Long-grain rice works best because the grains stay separate after cooking. Make sure to rinse the rice well before cooking to remove excess starch.
  • For serving. Fresh parsley. I like adding chopped parsley at the end to bring a little freshness to the dish and balance the richness from the beef and toasted nuts.

How to Make Lebanese Chicken and Rice

Chicken thighs, onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, added in a large stockpot without water before cooking.
Step 1: Place the chicken thighs, onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a large stockpot on high heat.
Slotted spoon with chicken thigh coming out of pot.
Step 2: Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board.
Chicken shredded on cutting board.
Step 3: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred into bite-sized pieces.
Strained stock in a measuring cup with the removed aromatics sitting in a bowl on the side.
Step 4: Strain the chicken stock and discard the aromatics. Reserve a few cups of the stock to use to cook the rice and store the remaining stock for another use.
Cashews, almonds and pine nuts with melted butter in a large pot before toasting.
Step 5: Melt the butter and add the cashews, almonds, and pine nuts and toast,
After toasting still in the pot.
Step 6: Stir frequently, until they’re golden-brown and fragrant before transferring to a bowl for the final garnish.
Onions, ground beef and 7 spice in pot before cooking.
Step 7: In the same pot used to cook the nuts, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef and season with the 7 Spice and salt.
Beef mixture after browning.
Step 8: Cook until the onions are soft and the ground beef is browned, breaking into small pieces while cooking.
Rice added with reserved broth.
Step 9: Add the rice, remaining salt, and reserved chicken broth.
Beef and rice mixture after cooked and fluffed.
Step 10: Mix all the ingredients together, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the rice is done. Remove from heat and let the rice rest, covered, for a few more minutes before fluffing with a fork. 

Step 12: Transfer the rice and beef mixture to a large serving platter, add the shredded chicken on top, and scatter the cooked nuts over the top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately. 

Spoon scooping up a serving of Lebanese chicken and rice topped with toasted nuts on a large oval platter and garnished with fresh parsley.
Lebanese chicken and rice recipe.

Lebanese Chicken and Rice Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad
4.97 from 29 votes
Lebanese Chicken and Rice (Roz a Djej) made with shredded chicken, spiced rice with ground beef, and topped with toasted almonds, pine nuts, and cashews.
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Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Servings8 servings
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Ingredients
 
 

For the Chicken

For the Nuts Topping

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup cashews
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoon pine nuts

For the Rice and Beef

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons 7 Spice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups long grain rice rinsed
  • Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

Cook the Chicken & Make the Stock

  • Place the chicken thighs, onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large stockpot on high heat. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
  • Remove the cooked chicken and use two forks to shred into bite-sized pieces. Strain the chicken stock and discard the aromatics. Reserve 3 cups of the stock to use to cook the rice and store the remaining stock for another use.

Cook the Nuts Topping

  • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cashews, almonds and pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, until they’re golden-brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Cook the Rice and Beef and Serve

  • In the same pot used to cook the nuts, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef and season with the 7 Spice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are soft and the ground beef is browned, 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the rice, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to combine. Pour the reserved chicken broth on top. Mix all the ingredients together, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 more minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
  • Transfer the rice and beef mixture to a large serving platter, add the shredded chicken on top and scatter the cooked nuts over the top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

My Top Tip: Skim the broth if needed. As the chicken simmers, you may see some foam rise to the top. I usually skim that off with a spoon so the broth stays clear.
Storage: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water to prevent the rice from drying out. Make sure to stir occasionally and check that the chicken is heated through before serving.
Freezing: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat.

Nutrition

Calories: 524kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 895mg, Potassium: 621mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 307IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?
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Recipe Variations

  • Add vermicelli. For something a little extra, you can make my Lebanese rice that includes the vermicelli pasta but add ground beef.
  • Add vegetables. Add ¼ cup of chopped green onions, diced tomatoes, and diced bell peppers to the rice to add more texture. Cook them with the beef for added flavor.
  • Top with a yogurt sauce. Serve the dish with a bright and tangy yogurt made with garlic, and lemon juice for a creamy and tangy contrast to the rice and chicken. My garlic toum sauce or Labneh would work great with this recipe. You can also add a cooler sauce like my cucumber yogurt. 

Recipe Tips

  1. Don’t overcook the rice. Overcooking the rice can make it mushy and ruin the dish’s texture. Follow the instructions carefully and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
  2. Brown the beef. Medium to medium-high heat is the key to browning ground beef, which means more flavor for your dish. Plus, you’ll be using the same pot you used to toast the nuts, transferring some of that nutty flavor while cooking the meat and onions.

Serving Ideas

Bowl of Lebanese shreaded chicken and rice with a spoon dipped in and the serving platter nearby. The rice is garnished with toasted nuts and fresh parsley.

More Lebanese Recipes

4.97 from 29 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Esther says:

    This dish was delicious and smelled amazing! I loved it! It’s so good with the crunch of nuts.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      I’m so happy you loved it, Esther!

      Reply
  2. M C says:

    Brought back so many memories from my childhood when I was making this recipe – seeing my mama shredding the chicken, etc. She is gone now but it felt special to make and eat this recipe. Delicious and easy. Thank you Yumna!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that it brought up happy memories! Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  3. Rachelle says:

    I will be making this dish for a group of 50. If I want it ready at 1pm but will not eat it till 6pm, how should I store it till then? If I cook it the night before, will the chicken get dry when I reheat it?

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      I think you can make it ahead of time with no problems! I recommend covering it with foil or a lid to reheat in the oven. That way, it won’t dry out. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Margret says:

    Lovely but wondered if I can cook rice and cooked meat etc. in a rice cooker? Would I use basmati rice and ratio 2 cups rice to 3 to 3-1/2 cups stock.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      I haven’t tried making this recipe in a rice cooker so I’m not sure if it would work well. But I’d love to hear how it goes for you if you end up trying it!

      Reply
      1. Margret says:

        Hi Yumna, I tried cooking the meat and rice in a rice cooker and it turned out well. I must admit, I did it in batches and doubled up the recipe, so ended up with 1/2 the cooked meat with 2 cups of washed basmati rice and 3/12 cups of water. I also added some ghee. Nice recipe but I feel it needs some more flavour from the Middle East. Will be trying more of your recipes in future. Thanks

        Reply
        1. Yumna J. says:

          Thanks for coming back to let me know how it went, Margret! So happy to hear you were able to make it in your rice cooker! It sounds like you used water instead of chicken stock to make the rice, which adds a lot of flavor. You can always add more 7 spice to get that Middle Eastern flavor you’re craving, too. Hope that helps!

          Reply
  5. Ghada says:

    A classic. This is exactly what I was looking for today.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you, Ghadaโ€”so glad you enjoyed!!

      Reply
  6. Rony says:

    This was delicious and a hit with my kids.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay, I’m so glad to hear that!!

      Reply

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