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    Home » Recipes

    Lebanese Chicken Moghrabieh

    November 4, 2022 by Patti Estep Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    Enjoy this hearty Lebanese Moghrabieh recipe that will fill your belly and warm you up all winter long. Similar to a chicken and dumplings dish with Mediterranean spices and flavors.

    White serving bowl with Moghrabieh balls, chicken, broth, onions and chickpeas.

    One of the best meals to make during the cold months is this delicious Moghrabieh recipe. This is one my mom learned how to make, among many others, from my Lebanese grandmother.

    Similar to my late mother-in-law's hearty chicken pot pie recipe, this one is also a hearty soup-like stew made with chicken and dough. However, the dough in this recipe is a specific ingredient called Moghrabieh and the seasonings are Middle Eastern flavors.

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    Bowl of cooked Moghrabieh.

    What is Moghrabieh?

    Moghrabieh is the name of a Lebanese dough ball (shown above) sometimes referred to as Lebanese couscous and it's also the name of this tasty chicken stew. The dough balls have a similar texture to pasta and taste similar to couscous.

    Slices onions sautéed in a large pan with caraway seeds, cinnamon, paprika, salt and pepper.

    How to Make Moghrabieh

    Sauté sliced onions and traditional spices such as ground cinnamon, caraway, and paprika.

    Chicken thighs with skin and bone browning in onion mixture.

    Next, you brown chicken pieces. You need to use bone-in skin-on chicken.

    Onions and spices in chicken broth.

    Then you remove the chicken to cool and add broth to the onion mixture.

    Meanwhile, you also are cooking the Moghrabieh balls in a separate pot just like pasta.

    Onions, spices, broth, chickpeas and pieces of chicken simmering on the stove.

    Once the chicken has cooled remove the meat from the skin and bones and return it to the broth and add in a can of chickpeas.

    Bowl of Moghrabieh and Lebanese chicken stew with onions, chickpeas, spices and broth.

    Serve it by placing some of the dough balls in a bowl and ladle some of the chicken and broth mixture over top.

    Alternatives and Substitutions

    • I like to pick the chicken meat and add it back to the broth but traditionally the chicken pieces including breasts and legs are served on the side and you add it to your bowl.
    • You could use rotisserie chicken in a pinch. I do think you will lose a little of the flavor but it would still be good.
    • Moghrabieh can be found in Middle Eastern markets and you can buy moghrabieh online. However, you can also substitute Israeli pearl couscous if you can find it. I see pearl couscous in my grocery store all the time.
    • Many people use additional spices such as allspice, coriander, cumin, and cloves. You can experiment to see what spices you prefer.
    A small lifting a bite of Moghrabieh including the dough balls, chicken and a couple of chickpeas.

    The moghrabieh balls remind me of gnocchi as they are dense and really fill you up. The entire dish is really fragrant and warm. Perfect for the wintertime but you might want to make it all year long.

    Patti signature

    More Lebanese Recipes

    • Hummus - Chickpea Dip
    • Baba Ganoush - Eggplant Dip
    • Bamieh - Okra Stew
    • Lubee - Beef and Green Bean Stew
    • Kusa - Stuffed Zucchini
    Bowl of moghrabieh. A Lebanese stew with chicken, onions, chickpeas and little dough balls.
    Bowl of Moghrabieh

    Moghrabieh Recipe

    This delicious Moghrabieh recipe is a hearty stew made with Moghrabieh balls, chicken, onions, chickpeas, and Middle Eastern spices.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dinner Recipes
    Cuisine Lebanese
    Servings 6
    Calories 221 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken thighs - bone in and skin on approx. 1 pound
    • 2 cups of Moghrabieh balls
    • 1-2 large onions sliced yellow or white
    • 1 can of chickpeas drained
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds or ground caraway
    • 1 quart of chicken broth
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Saute sliced onions in olive oil in a large deep skillet.
    • Add caraway, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper.
    • Add chicken skin side down and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
    • Remove chicken to a plate to cool.
    • Meanwhile, boil moghrabieh balls in salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender similar to spaghetti. Drain.
    • Next, add chicken broth to the pan and scrape up all the brown bits from the spices and chicken.
    • Add chickpeas to the pan.
    • Pull apart chicken meat and add to the pan. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes to cook through.
    • Serve by scooping some of the cooked moghrabieh into a bowl and then ladle some of the broth and chicken mixture over top

    Notes

    If you want to make this for a large crowd you can include chicken breasts and legs and brown them in batches.
    You can also serve the meal by not removing the chicken meat from the bones, but serving it in pieces on a plate and letting people take a piece that they want to add to their bowl.
    You can also substitute rotisserie chicken instead of browning pieces of chicken for a quick meal.
    You can also substitute pearled Israeli couscous for the moghrabieh balls.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 709mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

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