Lebanese Fish and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Orange (Sayadieh)

About This Recipe

This dish is built around sayadieh, the coastal Lebanese fish-and-rice dish whose defining feature is rice cooked in a stock made from deeply caramelized onions, which give the grains their signature brown-gold color and deep sweetness. Traditional sayadieh doesn't typically use orange or ginger, but this version leans into a citrus-and-warm-spice twist that's honest about being a home-cook variation rather than the classic Tripoli or Saida version. The technique that matters most is the onions: they need to cook low and slow until truly dark brown, almost jammy, since that caramelization is strained into the cooking liquid and becomes the entire flavor base of the rice. Fresh white fish, typically a firm fillet, is pan-seared separately and set on top rather than cooked directly in the rice, so it stays flaky instead of falling apart. A scatter of toasted pine nuts and almonds on top is traditional and non-negotiable in most Lebanese households making this dish, adding crunch against the soft rice and tender fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4onions(thinly sliced)
• 4 tbspolive oil(divided)
• 1.5 cupsbasmati rice(rinsed)
• 3 cupsfish or vegetable stock
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspgrated fresh ginger
• 1orange(zested and segmented)
• 600 gfirm white fish fillets(such as cod or halibut)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 0.25 cuppine nuts
• 0.25 cupslivered almonds

Instructions

1. 1

   Caramelize the onions

   Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wide pot over medium-low heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes until deeply browned and jammy.

   Resist the urge to rush this with higher heat — slow caramelization is what gives sayadieh its signature color and sweetness.

2. 2

   Build the stock

   Remove half the caramelized onions and set aside for garnish. Add stock, cumin, cinnamon and ginger to the pot with the remaining onions, and simmer 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Strain and cook the rice

   Strain the flavored stock into a saucepan, pressing on the onions to extract liquid, then discard the solids. Bring to a boil, add rice, cover and simmer 16-18 minutes until tender.

4. 4

   Sear the fish

   Season fish with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear fish 3-4 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through, then flake into large pieces.

5. 5

   Toast the nuts

   In a dry skillet, toast pine nuts and almonds over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking often, until golden. Watch closely, as pine nuts burn quickly.

6. 6

   Assemble and finish

   Fluff the rice and stir in orange zest and remaining salt. Top with the seared fish, reserved caramelized onions, orange segments, and toasted nuts.

Variations

• •

  Classic sayadieh: omit the orange and ginger entirely and season only with cumin, cinnamon and a bay leaf for the traditional coastal Lebanese flavor.

• •

  Shrimp version: swap the fish fillets for large shrimp, searing them just 2 minutes per side.

• •

  Add a tahini-lemon sauce on the side, a common accompaniment in coastal Lebanese households.

Storage

Refrigerate rice and fish separately for up to 2 days. Reheat rice with a splash of stock in a covered pan; reheat fish gently to avoid drying it out, or serve cold over the rice.

Frequently Asked Questions