Tahchin Morgh Recipe (Persian Saffron Rice with Chicken)

Tahchin is a traditional Persian–baked rice dish flavored with yogurt and saffron. The best part of tahchin is the tahdig – or the crunchy layer of rice which bakes at the bottom of the dish. 

Tahchin Morgh has a golden brown color, wonderful aroma, and the most delicious subtle floral rice which beautifully complements the nutty savory chicken layer. 

Just like other rice dishes such as pilaf and risotto, tahchin has many different versions. Some tahchin is cooked with vegetables as a side dish, while other versions are the main event and are filled with meat. Some versions have many layers, others have just two layers, our recipe has three layers. 

Our recipe for Tahchin Morgh calls for an obscene amount of oil, mixing bowls, and quite a bit of time to make. And it is all worth it! This is the party dish to make when you want to impress. 

What to Serve with Tahchin?

Serve this dish with a dollop of yogurt, a heavy sprinkle of flat leaf parsley, and pickles. 

Can Tahchin be Cooked Ahead of Time?

Yes! We think Tahchin tastes even better the next day. 

Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute at a time until warm. 

Ingredients

Spices

Saffron. The world’s most precious spice, saffron imparts a beautiful color, sweet aroma and distinct floral flavor to this recipe. 

Ground Cumin. Cumin has a warm earthy flavor with just a hint of sweetness which balances the floral flavor of the saffron. 

Ground Turmeric. This recipe calls for just a bit of turmeric, that along with the saffron, gives this dish its trademark golden color.

Pacific Flake Sea Salt. Pacific Flake Sea Salt is an all-natural kosher flake salt that is our everyday go-to salt. The amount of salt in this recipe may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that you are essentially seasoning 8 – 12 servings of two recipes – both the rice and the chicken. 

Find these spices and over 100 more at SpiceTopia!

Greek Yogurt. It’s important to use a thick yogurt for this recipe. If a thin yogurt is used, the rice may turn out soggy and not set up. 

Lemon Juice. The sourness of the lemon juice balances out the richness of this dish. 

Onions. Use white or yellow onions for this recipe. 

Fat. Depending on the region of Iran, tahchin recipes will call for either oil or ghee. Use whichever you prefer or is available. We enjoy this recipe made with extra-virgin olive oil.  

Rice. Use basmati rice for this recipe, and be sure to follow the directions for rinsing the rice. This step removes some of the starch, which affects the final texture of the rice. 

Chicken. Traditionally, Tahchin Morgh is made with chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone. We’ve found this is easier to cook and eat when using boneless skinless chicken thighs. 

Egg. In this recipe, the egg helps the rice to set.  

Can Tahchin Morgh be Made Vegetarian?

In Farsi, Tahchin translates as “arranged in the bottom” and Morgh translates to “chicken,” so a vegetarian Tahchin wouldn’t technically be called Tahchin Morgh. That being said, this recipe is delicious with an onion and portobello mushroom filling. 

To make this dish vegetarian, make the following adjustments: 

• Use 3 cups of clean and sliced portobello mushrooms instead of the chicken.
• Follow the instructions for making the yogurt marinade for the chicken. Set it aside without adding the mushrooms. 
• After cooking the onions, add the mushrooms. As you cook the mushrooms, they will produce a lot of liquid. Keep cooking until that liquid has evaporated. At that point, add the yogurt marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until a thick sauce has formed. 
• Use the mushroom, onion, and sauce mixture as your filling in between the rice layers. 

Is Tahchin Gluten-Free?

Yes, Tahchin is Gluten-Free! Made with rice, which is a naturally gluten-free grain, this recipe is gluten-free.   

How to Make Tahchin

This recipe has quite a few steps. The key to making this dish is to prep the different parts of the recipe before the actual cooking process starts. 

Prep: 

In a small bowl, add saffron threads to ¼ cup of hot water. Set aside. 

Then, Thinly slice 1 ½ of the onions. Grate the remaining ½ onion on the large side of a box grater or with a microplane. Set aside sliced onion. Use the grated onion in the next step.

Next, in a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and the grated onion with any juices that accumulated while grating the onion. Add the chicken, stir to coat the chicken, and set aside to marinate at room temperature while you move ahead with the rest of the recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg until beaten. Then add the remaining 1 ½ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix well until everything is combined well. Set aside. (This mixture will not fill the bowl. That is okay. You will fill the rest of the bowl with rice later in the recipe.)

Place the rice in a sieve or strainer and rinse until water coming out of the strainer is no longer cloudy. Set aside. 

Place the rack you will be using a third of the way up from the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Now, Let’s Get Cooking!

1. Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other heavy oven safe frying pan over medium heat until very hot – 1 ½ – 3 minutes. Add the set aside sliced onions to the dry skillet. Stir every minute for 4 minutes. The onions will form brown/black char spots. 
2. Turn heat under the pan down to medium low heat and immediately stir in 3 tablespoons of oil. The oil will splatter, so add slowly and carefully to avoid burning yourself. Stir the onions into the oil and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions soften and become translucent – about 4 – 6 minutes. Stir frequently during this process. 
3. Push the onions to the side of the pan to create an open spot in the center of the skillet. To the center of the skillet, add the marinating chicken with the yogurt sauce. Allow to cook until the chicken just barely browns on the first side (about 3 – 4 minutes). Flip the chicken. Layer the onions on top of the chicken. Add a lid to your skillet. (If your skillet doesn’t have a lid, use a baking sheet or a sheet of foil). Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked all the way through (about 6 – 8 minutes). 
4. Check the skillet every few minutes. If your chicken starts to look dry, add ¼ cup of water to the pan, with a wooden spoon scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. 
5. While the chicken is cooking, add the rice to a medium pot with four cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat and cook for 6 – 8 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed. Stir throughout the cooking process. The rice will not be completely cooked at this point. That is okay. It will finish cooking during the baking process. 
6. Drain the rice in the sieve or strainer. Rinse with cold water to stop the rice cooking process. Allow to thoroughly drain. While still in the sieve, stir in 2 tablespoons of oil.
7. After the chicken is cooked, remove it from the heat, turn off the burner, and let the chicken sit for 5 – 10 minutes before using a knife and fork to shred the chicken in a mixing bowl or on a plate.  
8. Scrape the remaining sauce in the skillet into a bowl. Wipe the skillet clean. Place back on the hot burner (no need to turn the burner back on) and add 3 tablespoons of oil. Swirl the oil around the pan, making sure the entire bottom and the sides are coated with oil. 
9. Stir the saffron water into the large mixing bowl with the yogurt mixture until thoroughly combined. Then stir the drained and oiled rice into the same bowl. Gently stir until the rice is coated with the yogurt, egg, and saffron mixture. 
10. Add half the rice mixture to the bottom and sides of the oiled skillet. Press the rice down with a spoon as if you are making a pie crust with the rice mixture. Add the chicken to this crust. Then top with the remaining rice. Use a spoon or piece of wax paper to firmly press the rice down.  You want to make sure the rice is pressed against the pan in order to make sure it forms a crust. 
11. Tightly top with a piece of foil which has small holes poked in it. 
12. Place in the 400°F preheated oven for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove the foil and rotate the skillet. Allow to bake for another 35 minutes. At this point, start checking the sides of the tachin for toastiness. Run a knife along the inside of the pan to see how toasty your rice is getting. You’ll want it to get brown without burning. Total baking time is between 90 – 120 minutes. 
13. After rice has reached the desired brownness. Remove from the oven. Run a knife along the inside of the pan to loosen the edges. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes – or until the pan can be handled safely. 
14. Pour 2 tablespoons of melted butter or ghee over the top of the tahchin. 
15. Holding a serving platter or plate tightly over the pan, carefully flip the pan and plate together, turning the tahchin upside down. If the rice sticks to the pan, carefully scrap the tahdig (the crispy rice layer) out of the pan and artfully place it on top of the part that did come out of the pan. 

And that our friends is how you make Tahchin Morgh! 

Let’s Get Cooking!