Your next dinner needs to be this deliciously authentic Bukhari Rice and Chicken (Ruz Bukhari). It is the perfect kind of dish to wow family and any guests as it is packed with flavor. It is topped with a delicious, golden, saffron-flavored chicken. You’ll end up impressing yourself with how good Bukhari Rice and Chicken tastes.
This delicious rice has fragrant and sweet carrots mixed in, along with sautéed and fragrant onions, garlic, ginger, and spices. The hints of saffron in the rice and chicken make for a perfectly delicious wholesome dinner. You can serve it with yogurt, cucumber yogurt salad, or a chopped salad. Top the rice with black raisins for ultimate flavor.
This Bukhari Rice recipe is honestly one of the best dishes you’ll ever have and one of the best Bukhari recipes you’ll ever try. It’s easy to make once you follow the Bukhari rice and chicken recipe below.
A Beautiful Platter
Learn About Afghan Bukhari Rice and Its Origin
I hope you’re ready for this Bukhari Chicken and Rice because when you have one small taste, you’ll be coming back for so many more. Yep, it’s THAT good. Bukhari rice is extremely popular in Saudi for a reason. Due to its popularity there, other Arab countries now make it plentifully.
The history of this Bukhari Rice with Chicken dish actually comes from the word “Bukhara” which is now a region in Uzbekistan that used to be a significant and well-used point on the Silk Road. The Silk Road was crucial for a multitude of reasons, including trade, education, religion, and culture.
What’s more, since the Bukhara area was part of the Persian Empire, which includes parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afghanistan has similar foods and traditions.
In fact, some may call this dish “Afghan Rice” or Afghan Bukhari Rice. Furthermore, in Afghanistan, Afghani’s refer to it as Kabuli Pulao, which is the national dish of the country.
How did it get to Saudi? Much like Saudi’s national dish, Kabsa, it’s due to migration. Often times people attribute kabsa to its similarity to Biryani, which makes plenty of sense since there was a lot of migration from the Southeast Asia regions.
In this one-pot rice dish, you pile the ingredients on top of one another. Using the broth from the poached chicken, you flavor the rice, and then bake it until golden. The end result is a dish with a mouthwatering scent and a sweet, aromatic flavor. Serve when it’s hot for ultimate deliciousness.
You Can Just Taste It Through the Picture
Tips and Notes
Since this recipe uses Sela Basmati rice, be sure to use the correct ratio of water or broth to the rice. Each cup of soaked and washed basmati rice needs 2 cups of broth, whereas 2 cups of rice needs 4 cups of broth, etc.
If you believe the rice is undercooked, add a few tablespoons of water at a time then let it steam on low heat.
You can cook the chicken with or without skin. Before steaming the rice, you can remove the skin. The skin contributes to the chicken pieces’ crispy exterior if you prefer to grill or bake them. I think Ruz Bukhari is best with skinless chicken.
You can serve it as it is with yogurt and fresh salad. You can also prepare a bowl of hot fresh tomato sauce, or daqoos made by blending diced tomatoes, green chili, and a garlic clove in the food processor. Then, add salt to taste. It takes Bukhari Rice to the next level of deliciousness.
Traditional Saudi Arabian Ruz Bukhari
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
One of the main differences is the cooking method. Yemeni Chicken Mandi is traditionally prepared in a vessel that is partially buried in the ground, much like an earthen oven. However, Bukhari Rice and Chicken is prepared on a stove in the kitchen.
Although they have similar components, like rice and chicken, Bukhari rice has a slightly more robust flavor from the sweetness of the carrots. If you add chili peppers, it can be sweet and spicy at the same time. Kabsa can be made in a multitude of ways too.
Washing the rice gets rid of the excess starch. By doing that, you prevent the rice grains from sticking together and you avoid mushy rice.
Traditionally, it is made using black raisins, nevertheless, you can use golden raisins as I did.
The Best Bukhari Rice and Chicken
Ingredients
Ruz Bukhari, a beloved Middle Eastern dish of spiced carrot rice and chicken, is easy to prepare when using the following ingredients:
Chicken
Yellow onion
Garlic cloves
Dry lemon
Cinnamon sticks
Dried bay leaf
Cardamom pods
Whole cloves
Shredded carrots
Olive oil
Black or golden raisins
Ginger
Water
Salt
Saffron
Ground Cardamom
For the Rice:
Basmati rice
Salt
Chicken broth
Different Flavorful Textures in One Mouthful
Easy Steps to Make Saudi Bukhari Rice and Chicken
With its simple ingredients and easy preparation, the Middle Eastern Saudi Ruz Bukhari is the perfect recipe for every family.
First, in a pot, add olive oil and your finely diced onions. Brown on medium-high heat.
Then, add the garlic cloves and ginger and sauté until fragrant, you can add a spicy pepper here if you like.
Next, add the chicken, and whole spices and mix together, then sauté for 2-3 minutes, and add the ground spices and mix again.
Next, add hot water to cover, and let it come to a rolling boil for 5 minutes before lowering the heat to medium and letting it simmer for half an hour or until cooked.
Now, sauté the shredded carrots in 1 tbsp of oil in a separate pan, for a few minutes. Sauté, until fragrant and a little soft. Once softened, add half of the carrots to the chicken as it cooks.
After that, remove the whole spices from the broth and save the remaining broth. Then, remove the chicken and add it to a pan or air fryer to crisp up. I broiled it in the oven for a few minutes.
For the Rice:
Add the rice to a pot along with the salt and the broth. If not enough broth is left, top the remaining amount with water.
Let it come to a rolling boil for 5 minutes before covering and simmering on low for 15-20 minutes.
For Assembly:
Transfer the cooked rice to a large serving platter and place the remaining sautéed carrots on top along with soaked and sautéed raisins. Place the chicken on top of it. You can also garnish with freshly chopped parsley, toasted almonds, or pine nuts if you want to add some crunchy texture.
Serve with fresh salad, hot sauce, or yogurt, and enjoy!
Rich and Flavorful rice
Must-Try Recipes:
Middle Eastern Spiced Baked Chicken
Authentic Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma
Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khiyar Bi Laban)
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bukhari Rice and Chicken (Ruz Bukhari)
Ingredients
- 4 Skinless leg quarters or 1 whole chicken, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 cup sela basmati rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or 1/2 inch knob fresh ginger
- 1 dry lime or lemon
- 1 dry bayleaf
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 tablespoon s olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon bullion powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon 7 spice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- ¼ cup hot water
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pot. Let it heat before adding in the finely chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, or until soft fragrant. Stir often so they don't burn.
- Add the chicken pieces and the whole spices and mix. Mix until the chicken becomes more white-ish. Now add the ground spices and mix again.
- Add hot water to cover the chicken.
- While waiting for the chicken to boil, add two tablespoons of oil to a separate pan and heat up. Add the shredded carrots and sauté until soft and fragrant. Remove half of the carrots and add them to the chicken broth. Cover, and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- Strain the broth and remove the whole spices. Do NOT discard the carrots and onion mixture.
- To the same pot, add the carrots and onions, and add the soaked and washed rice. Add 2 cups of the strained broth, and adjust for salt. I needed about 1/2 teaspoon. Now let it come to a boil again before covering and letting it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the rice is cooking, add the saffron threads to 1/4 cup of hot water. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. Lightly brush the chicken with half of the saffron water mixture, and broil until golden or air fry.
- When the rice is fully cooked, drizzle the remaining saffron water ontop and fluff with a fork. Transfer to a platter, and top with the remaining sautéed carrots, and the broiled chicken.
Notes
- It is recommended to use long-grain basmati since it cooks up beautifully in the oven and is less likely to clump than shorter-grain rice.
- Add the right water ratio to the rice (2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice). Be careful not to add too much water, for the rice can end up mushy and sloppy.
- Serve with fresh salad, hot sauce, or yogurt.
I made this yesterday and it turned out very flavourful. I omitted the bullion as I do all recipes and increased the rice to 1 1/2 cups (around 3 cups stock). It was very easy and my husband requested I make it again – a win! Thank you so much!
So glad you loved it!
Omg that looks amazing !!
Omg that looks amazing !!!!
Beautiful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.
I recently tried this recipe and was blown away by how delicious it turned out. I was really impressed with how easy this recipe was to make, and how well it turned out.
I see raisins mentioned everywhere, but not in your ingredient list and not in your instructions. Should this have raisins or not?
its just optional
Do you sautee the raisins or put as is? Thanks!
Soak for 5 mins in water, drain, pat dry and saute lightly!
I made this a few times and every time it turns out delicious. I love your recipes because you use a lot of spices 🙂
This is a keeper 🙂
This looks so delicious esp for a chilly day.
I made this and it was super delish. I was worried I wouldn’t make it well but it was really successful so thank you for the recipe.