What a comfortable dish! Ground Meat Rice and Chicken, famous for Roz w Jeij, is a delicious hearty Mediterranean dish that easily comes together.
Ground Meat Rice and Chicken, or Riz al Djaj, is done in one go! Boil the chicken in the instant pot, sauté the ground beef and cook the rice.
Top the rice with tender chicken, some crunchy toasted nuts, and vibrant minced parsley. Et voila!
Ground Meat Rice with Chicken!
I just love making Ground Meat Rice topped with tender Chicken! It fills my heart with childhood memories. It was a special dish served at wedding dinners or any special occasion.
They usually serve it with Meat Pies – Lahme Bi Ajeen. Each one gets a bottle of savory and salty ayran, drinkable Greek yogurt. Fills the tummy and soul!
You can double or even triple the ingredients to cook the rice and follow the same process. A large tray of rice topped with juicy tender chicken is a classic staple for a middle Eastern dinner to feed a crowd like family gatherings or friends reunions.
Riz a Jeij! What a Hearty Meal!
Let’s Dig into the Ingredients!
This recipe requires minimum ingredients. You can adjust them according to what you have in your fridge and pantry.
Meat: I used ground beef. You can also use ground lamb meat.
Rice: Use long rice grain for this recipe. You will get is preferable to soak the rice for around 15 minutes before you cook it. You will get nice well cooked fluffy rice.
Chicken: I cooked a whole chicken. But it is not a must! You can use whatever you have in the fridge.
Use chicken breasts only, chicken thighs only, or a mix! No matter what you choose, the chicken will be shredded and sent on top of the rice.
If you have leftovers cooked chicken from a day before, go ahead and use them. In this case, if you did not keep some chicken broth, use plain water to cook the rice.
Bay leaves and cinnamon stick: These two ingredients are a staple when cooking chicken. Their flavor is infused in the chicken, especially under the pressure of the instant pot.
For garnish: Toast some pine nuts, shredded almonds, slivered almonds, cashews, or even pistachios. Give it a vibrant look and toss some minced parsley on top.
A Five Star Meal for Dinner!
What to Serve with Ground Meat Rice and Chicken
Ground Meat Rice and Chicken is a hearty satisfying dish. It pairs with different delicious dishes.
Try it with plain yogurt and enjoy it. How about some Cucumber-Yogurt Mint Garlic Salad? It is so refreshing for summer.
A bowl of veggies is perfect as well! Prepare a bowl of Lebanese Tabouli Salad or some BEST Fattoush Salad with Dressing. Your family will enjoy a delicious healthy meal.
Tips You Must Know!
Let the rice rest in the pot for few minutes before serving. It will soak all the flavors. Yummy!
Use water or vegetable broth for the rice if you do not have chicken broth.
Prepare the ground meat rice and chicken ahead of time. Put in an airtight container and reheat it upon serving.
I drizzled some chicken broth on top of the rice. You can turn it into sauce by preparing a roux and then you add the broth into the pan. You can season it with some salt and pepper for extra flavors.
Clear Steps for an Easy Process!
You can prepare this special flavorful rice dish with minimum efforts. It is a simple easy recipe made for real actual everyday life. Let’s start!
Place a whole chicken in the instant pot. Add the cubed onions, cinnamon stick, bay leaves.
Add 2 cups of water to the chicken.
Cover and cook for half an hour on high.
Meanwhile, sauté the ground beef and season it. Then, add the rice and broth and cook the rice.
Take out the chicken and set it on a plate so it cools down.
Shred the chicken into pieces of the size you desire!
Make a bed of ground meat rice and top it with the shredded chicken and minced parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, it is preferable to use long rice. You will get fluffy separated rice grains with a firm texture. If you decided to use short grain, the rice will become sticky and clumpy.
Definitely not! Some people like that extra crunch so they add some roasted nuts to the rice. If you do not like it, you can simply omit it and enjoy the rice with chicken.
Yes, of course! If you prefer meat on top, check the Mansaf (Lebanese Rice with Meat) recipe. You will get an irresistible dish!
Ground Meat Rice and Chicken (Roz w Jeij)
Prepare for the chicken
- Whole chicken
- Water
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon stick
- Onion
Prepare for the Rice
- Ground beef
- Basmati Rice, long grain
- Olive oil
- Seven spices
- Chicken broth
- Salt
How to Cook Ground Meat Rice with Chicken
First, place a whole chicken in the instant pot. Add the cubed onions, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook for ½ an hour on high.
In the meantime, you can make the rice. In a medium pot, on medium high heat, add olive oil.
Then, sauté the ground beef for about 6-7 minutes. Add the seven spice seasoning, salt, rinsed rice, and sifted chicken broth OR 2 cups of chicken broth plus 2 cups of water.
Now, stir and cover the rice. Let it simmer for 15-17 minutes.
After half an hour, release the pressure and remove the whole chicken.
After that, begin to debone in thick pieces of meat to top your rice with.
Plate the cooked rice then top with the cooked chicken. Garnish with minced parsley and/or toasted nuts.
For the secret final touch, drizzle some warm chicken broth over the plate if you have any broth left for added flavor (optional).
Recipes You Should Try
- Best Chicken Gallaba
- Best Chicken Healing Soup
- Layered Chicken Biryani
- Mansaf (Lebanese Rice with Meat)
- Grilled Chicken Tikka (Tandoori Chicken)
- Seasoned Air Fried Rotisserie Chicken
- Middle Eastern Chicken Kafta Burgers
- Cajun Rice
- Perfect White Vermicelli Rice
- Sweet Potato Cajun Rice Bowl
Ground Meat Rice and Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Prepare for the chicken
- 1 whole chicken 4-5lbs
- 2 cups water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 onion largely cubed
Prepare for the rice
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups Basmati rice long grain
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon seven spices
- ½ tablespoon salt to taste
Instructions
To cook the chicken
- Place a whole chicken in the instant pot.
- Add the cubed onions, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water.
- Cover and cook for ½ an hour on high.
Meanwhile, cook the rice
- In a medium pot, on medium-high heat, add olive oil. Then, sauté the ground beef for about 6-7minutes.
- Add the seven-spice seasoning, rinsed rice, salt, and sifted chicken broth OR 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
- Stir, cover, then simmer the rice for 15-17 minutes.
Back to the chicken
- Release pressure, remove the whole chicken.
- Begin to debone in thick pieces of meat to top your rice with.
Prepare your dish
- Plate the cooked rice. Then, top with the cooked chicken.
- Garnish with minced parsley and/or toasted nuts.
- Drizzle some warm chicken broth over the plate if you have any broth left for added flavor (optional).
Amy says
Looks delicious! What are the seven spices? I don’t have them
Lama says
Hi Amy, here is a the recipe for the 7 spices 🙂 https://tastegreatfoodie.com/seven-spices-recipe/
Suzan says
I’m so excited to serve it tonight. It smells amazing 😍
Lama says
Hope you enjoyed it!