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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Chicken tashreeb

Chicken tashreeb is a Middle Eastern and North African dish where toasted pita bread is soaked in a lemony chicken broth seasoned with turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom, along with chickpeas and tomatoes. Made for 4 people, it takes 1 hour 25 minutes, is rated easy and costs €2.40 per person. The key is toasting the bread well before soaking it so it keeps some bite.

Tonight, let's comfort the family with tashreeb, bread soaked in a lemony chicken broth with chickpeas and onions.

Chicken tashreeb
Total time
1 h 25
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tashreeb plays on a simple contrast, bread that still has some chew and a fragrant broth that soaks into it without drowning it completely. The chicken, simmered low and slow, turns fall apart tender, the chickpeas add softness, and the warm spices, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, give the dish depth without any heat. Dried black lime, when you can find it, adds a tangy, almost smoky edge that's hard to replicate.

This is a dish for when the family comes in cold and hungry, a slow Sunday or a winter evening when one big pot on the table is exactly what you want. Kids usually love dunking their bread into the warm broth, and the whole thing is eaten with a spoon, no fuss involved. Mon Chou suggests it for the days when you want real comfort without any complicated cooking.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 2
  • Fresh cilantro 1 bunch

Pantry

  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Dried black lime or lemon 2
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cardamomoften in the pantry 3 cloves
  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Pita breads 5

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken thighs with the sliced onions in the oil. 10 min

    Remove the skin if you want a lighter broth.

  2. Add the spices, tomatoes, pierced limes, salt and pepper, then cover with 1.5 liters of water.

    Pierce the dried limes with the tip of a knife so they release their flavor better.

  3. Simmer covered, adding the chickpeas near the end of cooking. 50 min

    The chicken is ready when it falls apart easily.

  4. Toast the pita breads in the oven and break them into pieces at the bottom of large shallow bowls. 5 min

    Use slightly stale bread, it absorbs better.

  5. Shred the chicken, arrange it over the bread, and ladle over the broth with the chickpeas and cilantro.

    Pour the broth in very hot, right before serving.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use slightly stale pita, or let fresh pita sit out for an hour before toasting it, it will hold up much better in the broth.
  • Taste the broth right before serving and adjust the salt last, dried limes can sometimes add more saltiness than expected.
  • If you're using dried black limes, let them simmer for the full cooking time so they release their flavor fully.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs with boneless thigh fillets for a slightly faster cook and cleaner shredding.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the broth on the side in a bowl and let everyone dunk their own bread, instead of mixing it all in the plate.

What to serve it with

  • A fresh cucumber and mint salad
  • Hot mint tea
  • Olives with a drizzle of olive oil

Storage

Tashreeb keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally with the bread and broth stored separately. It freezes well, but without the bread, which should be toasted fresh right before serving. Reheat the chicken and broth gently on the stove before pouring them over freshly toasted bread.

Questions about this dish

Can I replace the dried black lime with something else?

Yes, a pierced fresh lemon works well and gives a milder tang. The flavor will be less smoky, but the dish stays balanced.

Can tashreeb be made ahead of time?

You can cook the chicken and broth the day before and reheat them gently. Toast and arrange the bread only right before serving, so it doesn't get too soft.

What bread can I use instead of pita?

A flatbread like Lebanese bread, or even slices of stale baguette, work well. The main thing is that it should be slightly dry so it absorbs the broth properly.

Is this dish okay for kids who don't like spices?

The spices here, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, are mild and not spicy at all. You can slightly reduce the amounts if you're cooking for very young children.

How long does it take to make a chicken tashreeb?

Count 1 h 25 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken tashreeb?

About 620 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 tashreeb cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

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