Aromatic and packed with flavors, Ouzi rice with ground beef, is a traditional Middle Eastern rice dish made out of simple ingredients. This famous classic is a delicious combination of well-seasoned rice mixed with peas, onions, and carrots topped with crunchy nuts and aromatic ground beef.
It is all in the seasoning! This delectable blend of cinnamon, coriander powder, and 7 spice, give this delicious dish its unique Arabic taste. It is no secret that this rice dish has a remarkable flavor.
Besides, people usually enjoy Ouzi at family gatherings and occasions; for it is an easy, warm, and filling meal that everyone loves.
A Colorful Spiced Rice Dish
What Makes Ouzi Rice So Special
Unlike the regular spiced rice recipes, this Ouzi rice recipe is a modern take on the classic Ouzi dish. It offers a convenient and efficient approach to savoring the same heartwarming flavors.
Don’t let the name deceive you! While Ouzi may sound complex, this recipe is specially designed for you to be both accessible and delicious without any lengthy preparation. It has the same heart-warming flavors of the authentic Middle Eastern recipe but with an efficient twist in presentation.
My Ouzi rice recipe streamlines the process without compromising the taste. Picture fragrant basmati rice seasoned and mingled with vibrant carrots and peas, creating a symphony of colors and tastes. This masterpiece is topped with mouth-watering ground beef and golden crispy nuts.
Filling and Packed With Warm Flavors
Best Ways to Enjoy This Bright, Spiced Rice Dish
To start with, there are many variations to this particular meal. You may play around with this traditional ouzi recipe and choose your favorite type of meat to enjoy. You can choose to add ground beef, tender lamb, or any other meat of your choice.
Also, if you would like to make a satisfying full meal to present to guests, pair this delicious rice pilaf with Middle Eastern Spiced Baked Chicken or Juicy Chicken Kofta Kebabs. A match made in heaven!
Besides, this rice and ground meat recipe is filling on its own. So, if you prefer to serve it with something light, try pairing it with either plain yogurt or Cucumber Yogurt Salad | Khiyar Bi Laban. So refreshing!
Fresh salads can be a great side to pair with this incredible rice and spiced meat dish. Famous Middle Eastern salads such as Fattoush or Tabbouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh) can go really well with it.
So Bright and Delicious
Best Ouzi Rice Tips and Tricks
Like most rice dishes of Middle Eastern cuisine, Ouzi Rice is topped with crunchy toasted or fried nuts. Don’t skip this step, for it adds an extra special taste and crunch to the rice. Here is a secret, fry the nuts right before serving with butter or ghee, and you can thank me later!
Make sure to cook the onions well before adding the ground beef. Don’t add the beef unless the onions are translucent.
Add frozen veggies (carrots and peas). Don’t wait for them to defrost, just add them directly to the cooking pot. This method preserves the bright and vibrant colors of the veggies.
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. Meanwhile, if you add less water the rice will be too dry and will not be properly cooked.
While the rice pilaf with meat ground is cooking, don’t uncover the pot or stir the rice.
If you believe that the rice is undercooked, add some water and let it steam on medium heat.
The Best Nostalgic Meal
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can either choose ground lamb or ground beef. They both enhance the flavor of this dish.
Basmati rice is used in this recipe. But, you can absolutely choose brown rice instead. However, you have to make sure to use the right water ratio.
By washing the rice you are removing the excess starch. Starch makes it easier for the grains of rice to stick to each other. So if you skip this step you will end up with mushy rice.
You can definitely store the rice leftovers in an airtight container kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Fluffy Rice Loaded With A Sweet Blend of Spices
What You Need
For the Rice:
Basmati rice
Oil
Frozen carrots and peas
Yellow onion
Garlic cloves
Garlic powder
Onion powder
7 spice
Coriander powder
Aleppo pepper
Chicken bouillon powder
Salt to taste
Turmeric
For the Beef:
Ground beef, any fat
Oil of your choice
Yellow onion
7 spice
Coriander powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Aleppo pepper (optional)
Salt
Black pepper
Cinnamon
How to Make Ouzi Rice
For the Beef:
First, sauté the onions in oil until translucent.
Then, add the beef and spices. Cook until well done.
For the Rice:
First, sauté the onions in oil until translucent and add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the frozen peas and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.
Then, add the presoaked and washed rice and spices, then mix well.
After that, add the boiling water and let it boil for 5 minutes, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked, layer your rice onto a serving platter and top it with the cooked beef, then finally with toasted nuts and parsley.
A Flawless Masterpiece
Must-Try Recipes:
Chicken Maqluba (Flipped Upside Down)
Mujadara Lentils and Spiced Rice
Middle Eastern Vermicelli Rice (Ruz Bil Shi’iriya)
Meat Stuffed Pitas (Palestinian Arayes)
Dawood Basha (Kufta and Potato Stew)
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.
Ouzi Rice With Ground Beef
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1½ cups washed and soaked basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup frozen carrots and peas (you could use more)
- 1 medium yellow onion minced
- 5 large garlic cloves minced
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons 7 spice
- 1½ teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo powder
- 1 tablespoon chicken bullion powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric just for color
- 3 cups hot water
For the Beef
- ¾ pound ground beef any fat
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- ¾ teaspoon 7 spice
- ¾ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the Beef
- Sauté the onions in oil until translucent and then add the beef and spices.
- Cook until well done.
For the Rice
- Sauté the onions in oil until translucent and add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add frozen peas and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add soaked and washed rice and spices and mix well.
- Add the boiling water.
- Let it boil for 5 minutes, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Once cooked, layer your rice onto a serving platter and top it with the cooked beef, then finally, with toasted nuts and parsley.
Notes
- Make sure to cook the onions well before adding the ground beef.
- While the rice is cooking, don’t uncover the pot or stir the rice.
- Turmeric is added just for the color.
- Add the veggies while they are still frozen. Don’t wait for them to defrost.
- you can add more than a cup of frozen veggies.
30 Responses
I made this on a whim after seeing it on the instagram story. No regrets, super flavorful. Thank you!’
Had this today, loved it!! So good will definitely make for ramadan!
My Lebanese mother in law made something very similar. I live in Canada and I’m not sure what 7 spice is. Is it the same as Kibbeh spice? Thank you!
Hi, it is not. It’s a packaged spice mx that has all spice, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cloves & black pepper (or could be something similar)
If you keep a good stock of seasonings, you may have everything to make at home which is what I do in large batches and put in sealed jar
Made this last night with the baked chicken as suggested! Such a perfect dinner!
This was so good and full of flavor! I had a bag of frozen corn that i wanted to use so i added it with the peas and carrots and it was so delicious
Do you have a recipe for the baked chicken?
Hello! the Spiced Baked Chicken recipe is what I refer to!
Would this be okay with ground chicken? Thanks!
If you like the flavor, sure!
I made this today and it was delicious and super easy! Will definitely make it again!
Its a beautiful recipe, the fact everybody prefers spicy meals at my place but this is flavourful rice dish 🤤
Best ouzi I’ve ever tasted
This is a show stopper dish in my family! Simple but yet so tasty!
I made this for my mom (it’s one of her fav dishes) and my goodness it was so flavorful! the seasoning in the beef was unlike anything I’ve ever cooked before and this is definitely going to be one of my go-tos. Of course my mom complained it wasn’t in the phyllo pastry, lol!
Best ouzi rice recipe I’ve ever had. My family loved this so much!!!
So good and really easy to make! Love all of her recipes 🥰
This recipe was a hit !! Best ouzi rice recipe I’ve ever tried 😋😋😋
I have never made ouzi before and this recipe was amazing and now put in my recipe book for future reference!
Made this and it tastes so yummy! So easy to make also
Tried this recipe for a dinner party and it was amazing! Easy to follow and was a big hit. Thanks again for another amazing recipe.
My husband and I absolutely loved this dish! I made it for Iftar and we found ourselves both wanting to eat it for Suhor as well. We seriously couldn’t wait until dinner the next day to eat the leftovers! My husband took photos of it and sent it to all of his friends to show them that his American born wife could cook a delicious and beautiful Iftar dinner! Of course I had to give the credit to Falasteeni Foodie for the recipe and inspiration. This is truly a masterpiece dish and perfect for Ramadan!
So good!!! Perfect recipe. I couldn’t get enough!
So easy to prepare and full of flavor!! Loved how easy this was!! Even good left overs! 🙏🏻
Seriously I love all the recipes. If I’m going to cook I’m going to her page. Everything is so beautiful and bursting with flavor. Her photography skills are amazing( I say that because I am a photographer)
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! Thank you 🙏🏼
Sooo delicious. The best recipe! 💜
This was great! I made this with canned veggies since I don’t have a freezer, but I think that added extra moisture (despite draining them first) added extra water, because the rice cooked really fast for some reason. So if you are going to use canned veggies then remove about 1/4 or 1/2 a cup of water and keep an eye on it in case the rice gets too dry.
My husband is Palestinian. I made this. He says it tastes like home.
I’ve made this recipe several times with and without the beef. The flavor is perfect and the rice is always fluffy. I love it for my kiddo since it’s a great way to get in some veggies for her. Healthy and delicious! Reminds me of my Palestinian Aunt’s style Ouzi as well.