Perfect for family dinners but special enough for holidays, this classic side dish from the Levant of spiced ground beef and fluffy rice is topped with toasted almonds and pine nuts. Hashweh is an easy-to-make family favorite that is versatile and delicious.
My favorite Rice Side Dish
This is a hearty, savory, comforting dish, layered with warm Middle Eastern spices, ground beef, and toasted nuts.
While this spiced rice dish is popular all over the Levant, not everyone includes toasted pine nuts in their recipe. Pine nuts are essential in this Lebanese version!
The word “Hashweh” means “stuffing in Arabic. Traditionally, this blend of spiced meat and rice was used as a filling for whole lambs or chickens on special occasions, but over time, it’s become a beloved standalone side dish served at family dinners and holidays.
I grew up eating this all the time! My mom would roast chicken and serve it on top of the rice with plain yogurt or my favorite, a garlicky cucumber yogurt sauce.
Hashweh is not overly spicy, but it’s well-seasoned. It will pair well with any proteins, including roasted chicken, lamb kofta, turkey, or beef.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Meat: Ground lamb is traditional, but ground beef is likely more available to you. Use 85-90% lean beef to avoid having excess grease. To start this recipe, we’ll fully cook the meat along with diced onion and half of our seasonings.
- Rice: Use long-grain, fragrant Basmati rice for this recipe. Some people like to use a combination of Basmati and Calrose rice, which is fine too, but the result will be less fluffy and more sticky since Calrose is a medium grain. It’s important to rinse the rice and then soak it in cold water for a few minutes. This gets rid of excess starch and helps the rice to cook more quickly and evenly.
- Chicken Stock: I like to use low-sodium chicken stock, or my own homemade stock so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you need to use regular (full-sodium) boxed stock, reduce the salt in the recipe a bit. Measure the stock so that you have 3 cups for your two cups of basmati rice. This is the perfect ratio of rice to liquid!
- Spices: Baharat seasoning (aka “7 spice” is a blend of delicious things, including cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cumin, and coriander. You can find this baharat spice blend already made for you, but I like to buy whole spices and grind my own. I keep a large batch on hand and use it to season falafel, too. We’ll also add a little bit of extra pepper, cinnamon, and salt.
- Nuts and Seeds: My mom’s traditional topping for this easy Lebanese rice recipe is always fried pine nuts and blanched almonds, but you could use other nuts, such as cashews, or different types of seeds. These give the dish a buttery, nutty, crispy texture, especially since they’re cooked separately and added at the end. We aren’t just going to toast the nuts either. Instead, we’ll fry them in butter (or ghee) and olive oil so that they get perfectly golden brown and crispy.
Tip!
For the fluffiest rice, be sure to rinse it well before cooking! It’s also important not to stir the rice once the stock has started boiling. Leave the lid on until the rice is finished steaming.
Toasting the Nuts
You will want to toast the pine nuts and almonds separately, as they are different sizes, and won’t cook at the same rate. You can do this while the rice is simmering.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the oil and ghee (or butter). Add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, so that the nuts don’t accidentally burn.
Once the almonds are done, remove them from the pan to cool, and repeat the process with the pine nuts.
Keep in mind that the nuts will continue to cook and darken once you remove them from the oil. So pull them when they’re just slightly lighter than you want them to be.
Storing Tips
Leftover hasweh can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock.
You can also freeze this side dish for up to 2 months. When you need an easy side dish, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve with Lebanese Hashweh?
This delicious side dish will pair well with any Levantine-inspired meals. It’s often served on a large platter to be passed around the table for holidays or special gatherings.
Because it’s made with a pound of ground beef, you can also use hashweh as your main dish, along with a side salad like Fattoush or Pearl Couscous Salad.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Lebanese Hashweh Rice
Equipment
- Large heavy bottomed pot with tight fitting lid
- Medium Skillet
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) ghee or unsalted butter divided
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 pound (450 g) lean ground beef (90% lean) or ground lamb
- 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice or any long-grain rice
- 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium chicken stock plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice (baharat) divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 to 1¼ teaspoons fine salt divided
- ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts
- ¼ cup (35 g) blanched almond halves or slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Soak for 15 minutes, then drain well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, and season with ½ teaspoon baharat, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, all of the black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
- Remove excess grease from the pan if needed using a paper towel.
- Add the drained rice and the remaining ½ teaspoon baharat, remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and remaining salt.
- Pour in the chicken stock so the liquid sits just slightly above the rice level. Add a small splash more stock if needed.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, do not stir again.
- Cover tightly, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- After 15 minutes, remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon ghee over medium heat. Toast the almonds until lightly golden, then remove from the pan. Toast the pine nuts until lightly golden and remove immediately, as they brown very quickly.
- Transfer the rice to a serving dish and top with toasted nuts and chopped parsley if using.
Notes:
- Ground lamb gives this dish a richer, more traditional flavor, but ground beef is delicious too, and more common in American kitchens.
- Rise the rice thoroughly to keep it from being sticky.
- Once the stock has been added and brought to a boil, do not stir the rice. Keep it covered until after it’s finished steaming.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock in this recipe. If you need to use regular stock, reduce the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon, and adjust to taste at the end.
- Toast the pine nuts and the almonds separately before adding them to the rice, as they cook at different rates. Nuts are traditional, but can be omitted if needed.
- To store: Keep leftover hashweh rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of stock or water.
- This rice can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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