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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Chicken saleeg

Chicken saleeg is an Arabian dish made of round rice slow cooked in milk and broth until creamy, topped with chicken thighs roasted in the oven until golden. It serves 4, takes 1h15 and is easy to make, at a cost of €3.10 per serving. The key to getting it right is stirring the rice often near the end, which releases its starch for that signature creamy texture.

Creamy rice slow cooked in milk and broth, Arabia's saleeg, topped with oven roasted chicken, a real comfort dish.

Chicken saleeg
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Saleeg is really about texture. Round rice simmers slowly in a mix of milk and chicken broth until it turns almost into a thick, velvety cream, nothing like the separate grained rice you usually picture. The mild spices, paprika, turmeric and cumin, season the chicken without any heat, which makes this a dish that works just as well for kids as for adults.

This is the kind of recipe to make on a quiet Sunday or on a weeknight when you have a little time ahead of you, with the chicken roasting in the oven while the rice simmers on the stove. Mon Chou loves it for its comforting side, perfect to share as a family, with the creamy rice almost acting as a sauce for the golden chicken on top.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 8

Pantry

  • Round riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Chicken brothoften in the pantry 60 cl
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Whole milk 50 cl
  • Butter 60 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the oil with the paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper, coat the chicken thighs and place them in a baking dish.

    Prick the skin with a fork so the marinade soaks in better.

  2. Roast the chicken at 200°C, turning it halfway through. 40 min

    Baste it twice with its own juices for a more golden skin.

  3. Meanwhile, cook the chopped onion and garlic in half the butter, add the rice and let it turn glossy. 5 min

    Stir until the edges of the grains turn translucent.

  4. Pour in the hot broth and milk, cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost creamy. 30 min

    Warm the broth before adding it, so the cooking stays even.

  5. Stir the remaining butter into the rice, adjust the salt and serve with the golden chicken on top.

    A bit of browned butter poured over the rice at the end gives the dish its generous finish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Start with hot broth from the beginning, so the rice cooks evenly without temperature swings.
  • Keep the heat very low for the whole rice cooking time, too high a flame would scorch the bottom before the rice has time to turn creamy.
  • If the rice thickens too fast before it's fully cooked, add a splash of hot broth rather than water, to keep the flavor intact.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs for boneless thighs, they'll roast faster and stay even more tender.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with roasted vegetables like carrots and zucchini, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • For kids in a hurry, make just the milky rice and serve it with pre cooked chicken pieces quickly warmed up in a pan.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber mint salad
  • Warm flatbread on the side
  • Mint tea

Storage

Saleeg keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally with the rice and chicken stored separately. It doesn't freeze particularly well since the rice loses its creaminess once thawed. Reheat the rice over low heat with a splash of milk or broth to bring back its creamy texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you make chicken saleeg ahead of time?

You can roast the chicken ahead and reheat it in the oven before serving. The rice, though, is best made just before eating, since it loses its creaminess as it cools.

What rice should I use if I don't have round rice?

Round rice matters because it releases the starch needed for that creamy texture. If you don't have any, risotto rice like arborio works very well too.

Is the rice really supposed to look like a cream?

Yes, that's exactly what makes saleeg what it is. The rice should be soft and bound together, almost like a savory porridge, quite different from rice with separate grains.

Can I cook the chicken directly in the rice?

Traditionally the chicken is roasted separately to keep its skin crisp, then placed on top of the creamy rice. Cooking it directly in the rice would leave the skin soft instead.

How long does it take to make a chicken saleeg?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken saleeg?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken saleeg cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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