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Kabsa: 3 creator recipes compared

Every one is built on onion, tomatoes and rice. Some add carrot or potatoes.

Start with chefjjskitchen’s versionSee all 3 side by side

Times are estimated preparation and cooking; chilling or resting is extra. Updated 2 November 2026.

Ilham’s Kabsa by chefjjskitchen, a frame from the TikTok video

Make this one first.

We put the most-saved version first: chefjjskitchen’s. A fragrant, richly spiced rice and chicken dish that blends aromatic spices with a tangy pomegranate molasses glaze. The slow‑simmered chicken melds with basmati rice, creating a comforting, savory centerpiece perfect for family gatherings.

Ilham’s Kabsa from chefjjskitchen’s TikTok video

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Ilham’s Kabsa

Recipe from chefjjskitchen, from their TikTok videoWritten down by ReelsMeals from the caption and voiceover.

  • 1 hr
  • Serves 6
  • 19 ingredients
  • Simmered

The only one of the 3 with cinnamon stick, bay leaf, lumis and cardamom pod.

Ingredients

  • 6onion
  • 1chicken
  • 2cinnamon stick
  • 2bay leaf
  • 2lumis
  • 3cardamom pod
  • 2 tbspolive oil
  • 2 tbsptomato puree
  • 1 tbspKabsa seasoning
  • 2 tbsppomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbspsoy sauce
  • 3tomato
  • to tastesalt
  • 2 cupsbasmati rice
  • 6 cupswater
  • 3 headsgarlic
  • 1chicken stock cube
  • to tastelime
  • to tastechili

How it goes

  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the finely diced onions and sauté until they turn a deep chocolate brown, about 7–10 minutes.

  2. Add the chicken pieces to the pot, then stir in the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, lumis, and cardamom pods. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spices become fragrant.

  3. Stir in the Kabsa seasoning, pomegranate molasses, tomato puree, and soy sauce. Continue cooking on high heat for 2–3 minutes to combine the flavors.

  4. Pour in the blended tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.

  5. Add water, whole garlic heads, and the chicken stock cube. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes; the chicken will continue cooking and begin to infuse the broth.

  6. Add the washed basmati rice to the pot, ensuring the liquid level is about 2–3 cm above the rice for a slightly saucier texture.

Then 3 more steps in the full recipe.

Open the full recipe

All 3, side by side.

From each creator’s recipe as we saved it. Time is the estimated preparation and cooking time; chilling is extra where they say so. Ingredient counts include everything on the list.

Sort by

10 min or less · 7 or fewer11 to 29 min · 8 or 930 min or more · 10 or more

3 kabsa recipes compared by estimated time, servings, ingredients, method and what only that version uses. chefjjskitchen’s, the one to make first, is highlighted.
VersionTime (est.)ServesIngredientsMethodOnly this one uses
Ilham’s Kabsachefjjskitchen · make this one first1 hr619Simmeredcinnamon stick, bay leaf, lumis and cardamom pod
Kabsachefjjskitchen2 hr424Oven, Simmered, Blendercarrot, ghee, cardamom and cinnamon
Keema KabsaMohammed Moosa50 min415Simmeredpotatoes, lamb, ginger paste and chili powder

What they share.

  • All 3use onion.
  • All 3use tomato.
  • All 3use basmati rice.
  • All 3use garlic.
  • 2 of 3use chicken. Mohammed Moosa’s version leaves it out.
  • 2 of 3use chicken stock cube. Mohammed Moosa’s version leaves it out.

Counted from each version’s ingredient list. Salt, pepper, oil and water are left out, and names are matched loosely, so chicken thighs and chicken legs both count as chicken.

Where they differ.

  • How they cook it

    Only chefjjskitchen uses the oven. Only chefjjskitchen uses a blender.

  • Something only one of them uses

    chefjjskitchen is the only one to use cinnamon stick, bay leaf, lumis and cardamom pod. chefjjskitchen is the only one to use carrot, ghee, cardamom and cinnamon. Mohammed Moosa is the only one to use potatoes, lamb, ginger paste and chili powder.

  • What they serve it with

    chefjjskitchen serves it with taqos.

  • Time and list length

    Mohammed Moosa takes the least time (50 min); chefjjskitchen the most (2 hr). Mohammed Moosa uses the shortest ingredient list (15); chefjjskitchen the longest (24).

All 3, with their videos.

Each one opens as a full recipe with the creator credited and the original video linked.

How this comparison works.

Every recipe here comes from a creator’s own video. ReelsMeals writes it down from the caption and the voiceover, and publishes it with the creator named and the original linked. When three or more versions of a dish from at least two creators are saved, the dish gets a page like this one. Reposts and the same video saved twice count once.

Times and servings come from the saved recipe cards and may be estimated. Ingredient names are matched loosely, so chicken thighs and chicken legs both count as chicken. We don’t rank them by taste: the version shown first is the one ReelsMeals cooks have saved most. Last updated 2 November 2026.

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