Classic chicken fatteh, made the way it is for Friday gatherings and Ramadan feasts, with chicken breasts and white rice, and with bread toasted in the oven or air fryer instead of fried, so it stays crisp and lighter. At the bottom is golden, crunchy Arabic bread, topped with fluffy white basmati rice cooked in chicken broth and ghee, then chicken pieces gently poached and warmed in broth so they stay tender, seasoned with a sprinkle of spices. The dish is covered with garlic yogurt and garnished with pine nuts toasted in butter, glossy red pomegranate seeds, parsley and a sprinkle of sumac. A hearty, colorful Levantine dish that feeds the whole family.
⚠️ Allergy note: contains Dairy (yogurt, butter, ghee), Wheat/gluten (Arabic bread, and may be in the stock cube), Tree nuts (pine nuts, almonds), Sesame (tahini, optional), Celery and soy (may be in the stock cube).
Um Ghaith’s tips
- Don’t let the chicken breasts boil hard and don’t poach them too long; a gentle simmer and taking them out at 74°C keeps them tender, and warming them in a little broth before assembling brings back their moisture and heat.
- For bread in the air fryer: don’t fill the basket more than a layer and a half, toast in batches and shake the basket halfway so it toasts evenly. In the oven, spread it in a single layer, because piled-up bread turns soft instead of crisp.
- For white, fluffy rice: rinse it until the water runs clear, don’t let it brown in the ghee, and use strained, skimmed broth. If you want it completely white, use half broth and half hot water.
- Add the pomegranate seeds at the very last moment and after drying them, so they stay glossy and don’t stain the yogurt red. If pomegranates are out of season, swap them for thin drizzles of pomegranate molasses over the yogurt or add more sumac.
- Take the yogurt out of the fridge half an hour ahead so it doesn’t cool the dish, watch the pine nuts because they burn within seconds, and use halal chicken and a halal stock cube, reading its label since it may contain wheat, celery or soy.
Chicken Fatteh with White Rice, Pine Nuts and Pomegranate
Ingredients
Method
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels without washing them, because washing raw chicken spreads splashes and bacteria around the kitchen, and poaching is enough. If a breast is very thick, slice it horizontally into two pieces so the thickness is even (about 2.5 cm).
- Put 1.5 liters of water in a large pot with the onion, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and salt (and the stock cube if using), and bring to a boil over high heat (about 8 minutes).
- While waiting for it to boil, rinse the rice in cold water several times until the water runs clear, then soak it in cold water for 20 minutes.
- Lower the chicken breasts into the boiling water and let it come back to a boil (2–3 minutes), then skim the foam off the surface with a ladle so the broth stays clear.
- Turn the heat down to low until only small bubbles appear on the surface, cover the pot and let the chicken cook 15–18 minutes, until the center of the thickest piece reaches 74°C on a food thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut into the thickest piece: the center should be white, not pink, and the juices clear.
- While the chicken poaches, toss the bread squares with the oil in a large bowl until they are all coated.
- Toast the bread one of two ways: in an oven preheated to 200°C in a single layer on a tray for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, or in an air fryer at 180°C in two batches for 5–7 minutes each, shaking the basket halfway, until golden and crisp. Set aside uncovered.
- Drain the soaked rice well in a sieve.
- Lift the chicken breasts onto a plate, then strain the broth and set aside 3 cups for the rice, 1/2 cup for the bread and 4 tbsp for the chicken. Keep the broth hot.
- Melt the ghee in a medium pot over medium heat, add the drained rice and stir gently for 2 minutes until coated in ghee without browning, so it stays white.
- Taste the broth first, since it is salted from poaching, then add 3 cups of it, hot, to the rice, and only add salt if needed. Turn the heat up to high until it boils (2–3 minutes).
- Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover the pot and leave it 15 minutes until the rice absorbs the broth, then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork before assembling.
- While the rice cooks, cut the chicken breasts into large cubes or shred them with two forks (about 5 minutes).
- Also while the rice cooks, whisk the yogurt with the garlic, tahini (if using), lemon juice and salt until smooth, and leave it at room temperature.
- Seed the pomegranate into a bowl, remove the white membranes, then pat the seeds dry with paper towels so their color doesn’t bleed onto the yogurt.
- While the rice rests, melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat and toast the pine nuts (and almonds if using) for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden, then transfer them to a bowl right away.
- Just before assembling, put the cut chicken in a small pot with the 4 tbsp of broth and the mixed spices, and warm it over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until heated through.
- Spread two-thirds of the toasted bread over the bottom of a round serving dish and sprinkle it with the 1/2 cup of hot broth.
- Spread the white rice over the bread, then place the hot chicken pieces on top of the rice.
- Pour the garlic yogurt into the center and over the chicken.
- Garnish with the pine nuts (and almonds if using) with their butter, then the pomegranate seeds, parsley and a sprinkle of sumac. Scatter the rest of the bread around the edges and serve the fatteh right away.
Notes
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep the chicken breasts tender in fatteh?
Poach them over low heat with only gentle bubbles, take them out when the center reaches 74°C (usually 15–18 minutes), then after cutting, warm them in 4 tbsp of broth just before assembling.
Can I toast the fatteh bread in an air fryer instead of frying it?
Yes. Toss the bread squares with 2 tbsp of oil and toast at 180°C for 5–7 minutes per batch, shaking the basket halfway, until golden and crisp. You get a crunch close to fried with far less oil.
Can I make chicken fatteh ahead, and how do I store leftovers?
Yes. Prepare the chicken, rice, bread, garlic yogurt and pomegranate seeds separately. Keep the yogurt, chicken, rice and pomegranate in the fridge and don’t leave them out for more than two hours, and keep the toasted bread in an airtight container outside the fridge. Reheat the chicken and rice to 74°C, then assemble the dish. Leftovers go into a sealed container in the fridge within two hours of serving and should be eaten within two days, keeping in mind the bread will go soft.
Can I make chicken fatteh with yellow rice instead of white?
Yes. Add 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp mixed spices to the rice while stirring it in the ghee, and finish cooking the same way. White is the lightest, and it makes the color of the pomegranate and parsley stand out more.
