Sayadieh
Updated Feb 25, 2026
Sayadieh rice and fish made with caramelized onions, warm spices, and crispy pan-fried cod topped with toasted nuts.
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sayadieh is one of my fav LEBANESE fish dishes!
I grew up eating sayadieh (also spelled sayadiyeh), a classic Lebanese fish and rice dish full of Mediterranean spices, sweet caramelized onions, and flaky pieces of fish. Authentic Middle Eastern sayadieh recipes often call for coating the fish with flour and deep-frying it, but in my family, we pan-seared or baked the fish for a lighter, yet still delicious version. Serve the fish whole on top of the rice or cut it into chunks and mix it with the cooked rice; your choice. Just add a vegetable or easy salad, and dinner’s made.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Sayadieh Ingredients
- Base: Olive oil + onions! The caramelized onions are the backbone of sayadieh, so I cook them until deeply golden, not just soft. That color is what gives the rice its flavor. If they’re pale, the dish will taste flat. I slice them thin so they caramelize evenly.
- Rice + spices: Basmati rice, 7 spice, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, salt & black pepper. I rinse the basmati well until the water runs mostly clear so the grains stay separate. Toasting the rice with the spices for a few minutes before adding water makes a noticeable difference. If you don’t have 7 spice, add a pinch of allspice and a little extra cumin and cinnamon.
- Liquid: Water is traditional, but seafood stock works if you want a deeper flavor. Just keep the same ratio so the rice cooks properly. Let the rice rest covered after cooking so it finishes steaming and doesn’t turn mushy.
- Fish: Cod, cumin, salt, pepper & flour. Cod is firm and flakes nicely, but haddock, halibut, or snapper work too. I avoid delicate fish. Pat the fish dry before seasoning so the flour sticks, and keep the flour coating light so it browns without getting heavy.
- Crunchy topping: Slivered almonds. I toast them until golden and stir often because they burn quickly. Pine nuts are an easy substitute if that’s what you have.
- Finishing touch: Fresh parsley. I sprinkle it on right before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t wilt into the hot rice.
How to Make Sayadieh
Recipe Video Tutorial
Sayadieh Recipe
Sayadieh made with spiced basmati rice, caramelized onions, and pan-fried cod topped with toasted almonds and parsley.
Video
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 onions chopped
- 2 cups basmati rice rinsed
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups water
For the Fish & Toppings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ cup toasted silvered almonds for serving
- 1 ½ pounds cod fillets
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and fry the chopped onions until lightly golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the rice on top of the onions and season with 7 spice, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine the rice with the spices and onions. and toast the rice lightly with the spices, about 5 minutes.
- Add the water, 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 10 more minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until they’re golden-brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. (this will be just like the “How to Toast Almonds but in a bigger pot, so I recommend just transferring it from the big pot to a small skillet for the tutorial or vice versa)
- Use paper towels to pat the fish dry, then season with salt, pepper and cumin on both sides. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dip the cod fillet in the flour lightly on both sides.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the same skillet used to cook the almonds over medium-high heat.
- Add the fish into the skillet and cook the first side for about 3-4 minutes then flip and cook the other side for about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the cooked fish on top of the rice mixture and garnish with toasted almonds and parsley.
Notes
My Top Tip: Pat the fish dry, and don’t overcrowd it. For the crispest, most golden crust, pat the fillets with a paper towel before breading and cooking them. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t overcrowd your fillets, which could result in steamed fish instead of crispy pan-seared pieces. It’s better to cook the fish in two batches vs. trying to cook too much fish in one.
Storage: Allow the fish and rice to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave leftovers until heated through.
Freezing: You can freeze the sayadieh for up to 3 months. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 394kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 351mg, Potassium: 555mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 114IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Use long grain rice. Compared to short-grain rice, long-grain rice like basmati has a firmer texture and less starch, for cooked rice that’s tender without being sticky.
- Give the rice time to steam after cooking it. This is my rule of thumb whenever I cook rice. I always turn the timer on for 5-10 minutes (depending on the quantity of rice I make) and allow the rice to steam in the pot to absorb any extra liquid. It helps to let the grains separate to yield a more fluffy consistency.
- Blitz the onions in the food processor for faster prep. While I prefer dicing the onions by hand for a more uniform size, it’s a lot of chopping! If you prefer, you can chop the onions in your food processor.
Serving Ideas
FAQs
Can I use brown rice in this sayadieh rice recipe?
I recommend using long grain white basmati rice for best results. However, if you want to use brown rice, be sure to add an extra 30 minutes of cooking time to the recipe since brown rice needs more time to become tender.
Can I meal-prep this fish and rice recipe?
Yes, you can prepare some of the ingredients beforehand for easier assembling at dinnertime, such as chopping and cooking the onions so they’re ready to go. You can also completely prepare this Lebanese fish and rice recipe then separate into individual portions in airtight containers. Microwave on high to warm. Sayadieh lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.
Comments
Hi Yumna! Do you think I can use fish stock to cook the rice?
Yes, absolutely! Fish stock would be a great swap for the water and will add even more savory seafood flavor to the rice. I would use the same amount, 3 cups fish stock, and just keep an eye on the salt since fish stock can vary a lot in saltiness. If it’s salted, you may want to reduce or skip the ½ teaspoon salt in the rice. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Another wonderful recipe. I’m glad I bought the Feel Good Foodie cookbook – for the recipes – and as thanks for the delicious and free dishes that Yumna provides to everyone online. I have followed many of your recipes and they always are so yummy!
I love that you have my cookbook! I’m so happy you’ve tried so many of the recipes and that you liked the sayadieh. So glad they turn out well for you!
I’ve made this several times and love it! But 1.5 lbs of fish feeds 4, at most. And the serving size is only 1 cup? Something needs to be updated…
Good point, I think the 1 cup was for the rice only. I just updated it to 2 cups.
Sounds good
Hope you enjoy it!
What a beautiful dish. We paired it with a Tabbouleh salad that we’d had the night before. Delicious.
Yum! Thank you so much, Jinny! So happy you loved the recipe!!
I made this recipe multiple times and loved it every single time!
Yay, I’m so glad! Thank you, Katia!!
Fellow Metro-Detroiter here 😉 I’m planning to make this for the first time this week. Why did you choose to reduce the amount of turmeric so much from the original? Based on comments or your personal preference?
Easy to make with huge results, absolutely delicious. Also, made the tahina sauce 🤤
Thank you for the great recipe, really enjoy your recipes. 🥰
Yum, so good! Thanks for your feedback!
I made only the Sayadieh rice from the recipe. Instead of water i used vegetable broth and added about a teaspoon of fish sauce, it turned out excellent.
I really like your site Yumna, large variety of recipes and easy to make.
Thanks so much!
I made this exactly as written. It was so flavourful! A keeper! Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear!
I want to do the recipe for someone that cannot have gluten. Can i use cornstarch instead of flour for the fish?
I can’t even explain how good this was! I pan fried the fish with flour in a bit of oil, it had nice crunch, in addition to the nuts. I also made a creamy tahini salad with parsley, tomatoes, onions, tahini, garlic and lemon. Just sooo good!
Yum! So glad you enjoyed!
Wish you included in the recipe that the meal is best served with Tahini sauce. I only read the recipe section of the blog & when I went to make it I hadn’t picked up the ingredients to make the tahini sauce. The meal was still good, but a bit bland without the sauce.
Thank you for your feedback! I believe this recipe can be just as good without the Tahini Sauce due to the seasonings, so if you don’t have the ingredients for the sauce, next time I recommend adding larger quantities of the seasoning. Let me know how it goes if you decide to give this another try but with the Tahini Sauce!
Can’t wait to make this day after tomorrow for my sister’s graduation dinner! One question, how many grams of chopped onion do you use? If that’s hard to answer then, are your onions small, medium, or large in size?
Thank you!
That’s so exciting! I would use around 3-4 large onions.
Your recipe’s look
Yummy
Thank you so much!
what are the spices you used to make this dish?
Turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon! The exact amounts can be found on the recipe card.
Awesome recipe thank you for sharing! My rice was a little wetter than I like. Should I just cut back the water? I even let it cook 20 minutes with a 5 minute rest time. Maybe removing the cover while it sets might work?
Thank you so much! I always turn the timer on for 5-10 minutes (depending on the quantity of rice I make) and allow the rice to steam in the pot to absorb any extra liquid. It helps to let the grains separate to yield a more fluffy consistency.
Thank you for your reply Yumna! The recipe was really easy and tasted so delicious! Everybody agreed! Thanks again for sharing! Will definitely be using your recipe again soon, with halibut!
Of course! Yay! You’re so welcome!
Oh my goodness, this is such a delicious recipe! My husband I tried it this weekend and this was easy to make.
Thank you so much, Deborah! I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed it!
Had some cod in refrigerator and didn’t know how to prepare it. I came to your website and found this awesome recipe, of course! I couldnt believe how easy it was, so delicious and flavorful, my husband said it taste just like Moroccan bstilla! I blanched and fried the almonds. I will definitely be making again, just like all your recipes I try 🙂🙂 thanks Yumna! 💜💜
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for all your support, Marissa!
I just finished cooking this dish and serving it to my family. It was an instant hit and my kids have already asked me to make it again. And it was just so easy to make. I didn’t have cod, so I used talupa. I suspect this dish might taste amazing with anything. My wife almost passed out when our youngest got up from the table and said “Thank you daddy, that was yum”. She normally doesn’t like fish, but went back for seconds…and has probably never said “thank you” once in her life.
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed it with tilapia. That’s amazing!!
hi there–can you gv a bit more instruction on the fish. I used Haddock and put salt and pepper on the fish then fried in a pan for about 4 min on each side but it fell apart and my husband said it was bland ? thanks, Linda
Hi Linda, sure thing! I usually keep it very simple because I mix it in with the rice afterwards. But if you’d like more flavoring, I recommend coating the fish in all-purpose flour after seasoning with salt and pepper. That will help it hold well together and the breading gives it really good flavor. It’s more traditional to even deep fry the fish if you’d like! Hope that works 🙂
I had been craving sayadieh for a long time but always had the impression that it was a difficult recipe. Thanks to Yumna and this awesome recipe I made it and it tasted delicious. Extra points because my 2 picky eaters enjoyed it. This will become a staple in my house.
Thanks Yumna. I’m an avid follower of yours and enjoy trying out your recipes.
I’m so glad you finally made it and that you all loved it! Thank you so much!! Hope you continue to enjoy the recipes.
Made this last Sunday, I was looking for something different and came across this recipe on your Instagram. I didn’t know this dish, but since my family and I appreciate middle eastern food, decided to try! OMG it’s sooo good!!! Simple yet different from our everyday food. Loved it! Definitely doing again soon. Thank you Yumna 🙌🙌😘😘
Aww I’m so glad you experimented with something new and enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
Made this last night – very tasty.
a few (hopefully constructive) comments
1. 2 cups of rice doesn’t seem much for 8 people – I used 2 cups for 4 of us, expecting some leftovers, but it all got eaten. I’d normally use 1 cup of rice per 2 portions.
2. The web site allows you to change the number of portions and that automatically changes the quantity of ingredients required, but it doesn’t update the narrative, so, for example, however much rice you need, the narrative always shows “add 4 cups of water” – might catch someone out.
3. 18 minutes seems a long time to cook the rice, though I guess that depends on the age ?
Mine was perfectly cooked after 12 mins (plus 5 mins resting time)
4. The Tahini sauce was a definite must. Really lifted the dish 🙂
Hi there! Thanks so much for your feedback! Normally 1 cup of rice is 4 servings according to the ingredient labels for rice. So I just use that as the metric for all my rice dishes. Adding in the fish makes it a fuller meal. Good note about the portion change and the narrative instructions, I will update that! And I cook most of the rice 15-18 minutes for the texture I like, but I think 12 minutes sounds good too! Glad you liked the tahini!
Can you use fresh ginger here? I have a nub of it I’m trying to use before it goes bad ..
Absolutely. You can sub 1 tablespoon fresh for every teaspoon dried.
Thank you! I did go ahead and make this. I used 3/4 tsp fresh ginger. I made the rest of the rice to recipe. Really great flavor! I made with salmon but it wasn’t the best combo my opinion. I’m sure the white fish is better, but we don’t usually eat white fish. I will keep looking for another stand-in though because the rice alone was fantastic!
Delicious! Loved this recipe! Will definitely be making it again! (Maybe I’ll add raisins next time 🤔😍)
Love the idea of adding raisins! Thank you!
Good Evening! Made Sayadieh over the weekend and it was so good!! Tonight made a simple vegetable salad and added the leftover fish and rice! Thank you for sharing your recipes, your love of food and passion for cooking! So inspiring. 🤩
That’s amazing. Thank you so much!! I truly appreciate it
Delicious! Easy to make. I always appreciate the little notes (like storage) it help a lot!
So happy to hear that!! Thank you!
Super easy and super delicious! Loved it.
Thanks so much!!
Thanks for sharing! This was my second recipe that I followed of yours and you are 2/2. We are family of six and everyone of us enjoyed this dish. Keep posting, my next attempt will be the falafel.
Aww I’m happy to hear that!! I hope you enjoy the falafel too!!
This was delicious! We added a Handful of salad to it for some crunch ??
Oh perfect! I love serving it with salad!
This was super simple to make and as all FeelGoodFoodie recipes–DELICIOUS!
Thanks for the amazing recipe Yumna–you rock!
Aww thank you so much!! Glad you liked it!
Delicious and so easy to make. My daughter asked for seconds.
So glad to hear it. Thank you!
Was so delicious and easy to make!
So glad you liked it. Thank you!