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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Roz meammar with roasted chicken

Roz meammar is an Egyptian rice baked in milk and butter until it forms a golden crust, served here with chicken roasted with cinnamon. It serves 4, takes 1 hour 10 minutes, is easy to make, and costs about €2.80 per person. The key is to never stir the rice once it's in the oven, so the crust can form on top and underneath.

Tonight, roz meammar, an Egyptian rice baked in milk and butter until it forms a golden crust, served with roasted chicken.

Roz meammar with roasted chicken
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter
The kids
They generally like it

Roz meammar always surprises people the first time, this rice bakes in the oven like a savory cake, with a golden, slightly caramelized crust on top and a thinner one stuck to the bottom of the dish. Underneath, the rice stays soft, almost creamy, soaked in milk and butter. The cinnamon on the chicken adds a quiet warmth that echoes Middle Eastern cooking without ever taking over the dish.

This is a good dish for a Sunday or a weeknight when you have a bit of time ahead of you, the oven does most of the work while you take care of something else. Kids generally love the texture of the rice and the mild taste of the chicken, and the dish is easy to share family style, scooped straight from the baking dish. Mon Chou suggests it for fall or winter evenings when you want something comforting.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken legs 6

Pantry

  • Round riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Bay leafoften in the pantry 1
  • Cinnamonoften 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 75 cl
  • Heavy cream 10 cl
  • Butter 60 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Roast the chicken legs in the oven with the oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon until golden. 45 min

    Flip them halfway through, the skin crisps up on all sides.

  2. Rinse the rice and mix it in a baking dish with the hot milk, half the butter, the bay leaf, the chopped onion and the salt.

    The milk should cover the rice by about two finger widths.

  3. Cover and bake at 180°C until the milk is absorbed. 35 min

    Check halfway through, add a bit of hot milk if the rice looks dry.

  4. Add the cream and the remaining butter in small pieces, put it back in the oven uncovered to brown. 10 min

    The top crust should be lightly caramelized.

  5. Serve the golden rice with the chicken.

    Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, it comes away more easily.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a round or short grain rice, it absorbs the milk better and gives a creamier texture than long grain rice.
  • Heat the milk before pouring it over the rice, the cooking starts more evenly and the oven time stays reliable.
  • If you don't have one dish that works both on a baking sheet for the chicken and in the oven for the rice, use two dishes and put the rice in about twenty minutes after the chicken so everything is ready at the same time.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken legs for boneless thighs for a slightly faster cook and more tender meat to share.
  • For a meatless version, skip the chicken and add cinnamon roasted vegetables like carrots or pumpkin on the side.
  • For a quick kid friendly version, make just the baked rice and serve it with bite sized pieces of already cooked chicken, dinner will be ready in about an hour.

What to serve it with

  • A lemony cucumber salad
  • Cinnamon roasted vegetables
  • Mint tea

Storage

Roz meammar keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, chicken and rice together or separate. Reheat it gently in the oven or a skillet with a splash of milk to bring back softness to the rice, better than the microwave which tends to dry it out. Freezing isn't ideal, the crust loses its crispness and the rice turns mushy once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you make roz meammar ahead of time?

You can roast the chicken and cook the rice in milk ahead, then combine them and finish baking with the cream right before serving. The golden crust turns out best when baked at the last minute.

What rice works best for roz meammar?

Round or short grain rice works best, it absorbs the milk well and gives a creamy texture. Long grain rice stays drier and doesn't form the dish's signature crust as well.

Why shouldn't you stir the rice while it bakes?

Stirring breaks up the golden crust forming on top and the crust stuck to the bottom, which give roz meammar its character. Just leave the dish alone until it's done baking.

Can you replace the heavy cream in this recipe?

You can swap it for a little extra whole milk or some additional butter to keep a rich texture. The result will be slightly less creamy but still close to the original.

How long does it take to make a roz meammar with roasted chicken?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a roz meammar with roasted chicken?

About 630 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 roz meammar with roasted chicken cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 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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