Djaj Mahshi (or Dajaj Mahshi) is Middle Eastern stuffed chicken, a celebration of flavours, textures and traditions, making it a great centrepiece at any festive meal.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Djaj Mahshi (or Dajaj Mahshi)
If you’ve never experienced the delight that is Djaj Mahshi, you’re in for a culinary treat.
Stuffed foods come in various forms in the Middle East, like the following, to name a few:
- Warak enab or dolma, or its vegetarian version, yalanji. These are stuffed grape leaves and there are endless variations of it in the Middle East and across the Mediterranean.
- Kousa mahshi are stuffed courgettes (zucchinis)
- Malfoof mahshi – stuffed cabbage leaves
- Basal mashshi – stuffed onions
Middle Eastern Stuffed Chicken
While the exact origins are unclear, the concept of stuffing meat – whether poultry, lamb, or even vegetables – has long been a hallmark of Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a tradition that speaks of abundance and hospitality, often reserved for special gatherings and celebrations.
As in many cultures, in the Middle East, food is more than sustenance; it’s a way to bring people together. Djaj Mahshi embodies this philosophy, as it’s typically prepared for large family meals, festive occasions, or significant holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and also iftar feasts in Ramadan.
The intricate preparation process highlights the care and love that goes into every dish, making it a labour of love.
Much like the Persian Jewelled Rice or Morasa Polo.
Djaj Mahshi Recipe
This Middle Eastern chicken recipe is as much about the process as it is about the end result. To some extent the recipe will vary, as usual, by region and family. But the concept and presentation remains the same.
We stuff a whole chicken with an aromatic mix of starch, meat, spices, nuts and dried fruit. Common ingredients for djaj mahshi stuffing may include rice or freekeh, minced meat, nuts like almonds or pine nuts, and raisins or dried fruits for a hint of sweetness. We’ll take a closer look at the ingredients below.
The stuffed chicken is then roasted to golden perfection, allowing the juices to meld with the aromatic stuffing.
Ingredients
Let’s take a look at a few of the ingredients briefly.
Chicken
Naturally, you want a good quality chicken, ideally free range for the best flavour. The size will depend on the people you are serving.
- A small chicken typically weighs about 1.2 kg (2.5 lb) and serves 2 – 3 people.
- A medium chicken, weighing around 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), serves 3 – 4.
- You can use a large chicken of 1.75 kg (3.8 lb) serves 4 – 5.
- For larger gatherings, an extra-large chicken, about 2.25 kg (4.9 lb), serves 6–8 people.
These weights are all give or take.
Going for a slightly larger bird than needed is a smart choice, as leftovers are always good!
Rice or Freekeh for Stuffing Djaj Mahshi?
You can stuff this Middle Eastern chicken recipe with either rice or freekeh. I do it interchangeably, more often than not, depending on whether I have any freekeh at home.
Freekeh is kind of like bulgur wheat in texture, it has a nutty and smoky flavour which adds a lovely layer of flavour to your stuffing.
Stuffed Middle Eastern Turkey or Duck
Can you use turkey or duck to make Djaj Mahshi? Of course you can, just don’t call it djaj! Middle Eastern stuffed turkey (or duck) would be simply amazing at Christmas. You can use this exact recipe to make it.
Turkey is a much bigger bird than chicken and you’ll probably end up using all, if not most of the amount of stuffing here. So you can make double the stuffing to serve the turkey with, or serve the turkey with the usual suspects of roast potatoes, gravy and so on.
The Vegetables
You may know that I love adding vegetables to roasts because that way, I have some ready made vegetables to serve the roast with. Two things I wanted to mention here.
How long to roast the vegetables for
I throw the vegetables in right at the start. The end result, is beautifully soft, slightly burnt/caramelised vegetables (and yes, overdone) that I just adore.
However, if you’re not keen on this, add the vegetables 30 minutes before the end, when we take the foil off.
Brussels Sprouts in Djaj Mahshi
When I filmed this recipe, it was meant to be a post in December, and specifically for Christmas. But as usual, time got away from me.
So I added Brussels sprouts for a seasonal take. It’s something I only do in November and December. As a Brussels sprouts lover, I can tell you they’re phenomenal in this Middle Eastern stuffed chicken recipe!
I usually make this Middle Eastern chicken recipe with just the onions and carrots, sometimes celery. So I shall leave this to you.
The Fruits and Nuts
I’m using barberries (zereshk) and raisins. Barberries are tart and an essential ingredient in the Persian kitchen, which means I always have some in the fridge (where they’ll last for months).
You have some leeway here. The raisins are a must to me. Besides that, there are many dried fruits that you can use, like dates, apricots, even cranberries.
And as far as the nuts are concerned, you can also use crushed walnuts, pisctachios or cashew nuts.
You could even use pumpkin seeds and the like.
How to Serve Djaj Mahshi
Middle Eastern chicken and rice dishes (or chicken and freekeh) are often served very simply. All you really need is some yoghurt and a side salad. Keep the yoghurt plain, or add some cucumber to it, or flavours like za’atar or sumac.
But you can be as elaborate or as you fancy as you like, because it’s all a matter of preference.
Presentation is key when it comes to Djaj Mahshi. We place the golden, glistening chicken on a large platter, surrounded by the stuffing. For a final flourish, we garnish it with the rest of the toasted nuts and fruits, for a stunning masterpiece.
Accompaniments for Djaj Mahshi
Here are some examples, but you’ll find so much more on the Middle Eastern Recipes page.
This Middle Eastern stuffed chicken recipe is ideal for anyone who loves food from the region or wants to explore authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. It combines aromatic spices, a sumptuous stuffing, and the irresistible allure of golden, roasted chicken.
Plus, it’s a versatile dish. You can tailor it to suit your preferences, as we’ve discussed above.
So, why not give it a go? Bring a touch of the Middle East into your kitchen, and let Djaj Mahshi transport you to a world of aromatic spices and heartwarming traditions. Bon appétit – or as we say in Arabic, Sahtein!
Lin xx
Djaj Mahshi Recipe (Middle Eastern Stuffed Chicken)
Equipment
- 1 Chopping board
- knife and utensils as needed
- small bowls and plates as needed
- 1 pair of scissors for the string
- Kitchen string
- Oven
- kitchen foil
Ingredients
- 1 medium chicken
- 1 Tbsp EV olive oil
- ⅛ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 200 g 7 oz Brussels sprouts optional, read article
- lemon wedges to serve
The Stuffing
- 1 medium onion
- 200 g basmati rice
- 2 Tbsp ghee or EV olive oil
- 250 g minced lamb or beef a little less is fine, this is the weight in a small pack in the UK
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock 1 stock cube/pot + 500 ml (2 cups) water
- 250 ml water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
Spices
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Dried fruits & nuts
- 20 g toasted pine nuts
- 15 g toasted flaked almonds
- 10 g zereshk (barberries)
- 60 g raisins
- ½ tsp ghee or EV olive oil for the barberries
- 1 pinch sugar for the barberries
Instructions
Prep Work
- Rinse the rice a couple of times, drain, and set aside.200 g basmati rice
- Season the chicken with 1 Tbsp olive oil and the salt and pepper, getting under the skin, but being careful not to tear it. Set aside.1 medium chicken, 1 Tbsp EV olive oil, ⅛ tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Quarter one onion for the roasting tin. Finely chop the other one for the stuffing.1 medium onion, 1 medium onion
- Scrub the carrots clean, then, either slice them in thick rounds or into sticks.1 medium carrot
- If using Brussels sprouts, trim and halve them. Or prepare any other vegetables you may be using.200 g 7 oz Brussels sprouts
Cook the stuffing
- Heat the oil on medium and fry the chopped onions for 2 minutes.2 Tbsp ghee or EV olive oil
- Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the mince (beef or lamb). Break it up and brown for 2 minutes.250 g minced lamb or beef
- Add the dried spices, stir for 30 seconds, then tip the rice in. Mix well, frying for 1 minute.½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Pour in the stock, water, salt and bay leaves. Stir, and bring to a simmer.Cook on medium-low for 25 – 30 minutes or until the water has been completely absorbed. At this stage, the rice will be cooked. Or mostly cooked, and that's fine.Cover, take it off the heat and set aside.500 ml chicken or vegetable stock, 250 ml water, ½ tsp salt, 2 bay leaves
Toast the fruits and nuts
- While you could skip this and use taosted almond flakes and pine nuts, everything will taste better when freshly done.Toast the almonds and pines nuts separately over a medium-low flame until golden. This will only take a minute or two. Tip out onto a plate.20 g toasted pine nuts, 15 g toasted flaked almonds
- Heat the ghee or olive oil in the same pan and fry the barberries with a pinch of sugar for 1 minute. Tip out onto a plate.10 g zereshk (barberries), ½ tsp ghee or EV olive oil, 1 pinch sugar
- Toast the raisins in the same pan, with no added oil, for 1 minute. This is not in the video.60 g raisins
Let's Stuff and Roast the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (400℉ / 180℃ Fan).
- Remember the rice and meat stuffing from earlier? Tip half of all the fruits and nuts into it and stir well to mix.
- Stuff the chicken with the rice and meat stuffing. Don't burn yoursel. If the stuffinf is still too hot, leave it to cool down a little more, uncovered.Pack the chicken as much as possible, do the front too, if you want, but I don't bother. Some people will also push a little stuffing between the chicken skin and meat. Again, not something I do.
- Truss the chicken to keep its shape, basically, we're tying the legs together. See the video on how we do this.
- Place in a roasting pan with the quartered onion, carrots, and Brussels sprouts.
- Cover with foil and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Take the foil off, baste chicken and vegetables, and roast for another 30 minutes until the skin is cripsy and golden brown.To test for doneness, piece the thickest part of the chicken leg. If the juices run clear, it's done. No termometer needed.
- Take it out of the oven and cover with fresh foil and a tea towel. Rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
Serving
- Remember the leftover stuffing? Heat ot right through for minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.If your rice wasn't fully cooked earlier, give it a good 5 minutes, with 2 Tbsp of water.
- Take a large serving platter and spread the rice and meat stuffing over it.
- Sprinkle the remainder of the fruits and nuts all over.
- Place the chicken over the rice bed and serve, carving your chicken at the table. Serve with the lemon wedges, a side salad and some yoghurt. See article for ideas.
Thanks Lin. If I wanted to use freekeh, how would I cook it?
Exactly as in th erecipe here, using the same amounts of everything.