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Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions

By Samira Kazan

updated July 31, 2024

This authentic mujadara recipe combines rice, lentils, and crispy sauteed onions for a simple, inexpensive, yet hearty and flavorful 5-ingredient, meat-free, protein-dense meal!

If you’re coming across my blog for the first time, here are a couple of things you should know. First, I’m Lebanese and proud. Second, I’ve loved sharing lots of my favorite Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes like sfiha meat pies, fatteh , and hindbeh (sauteed dandelion greens with onions).

Even better, I spent months last year researching, traveling, and learning from the best in Lebanon and brought out a Lebanese cookbook . It’s jam-packed with real, authentic Lebanese dishes – one of them being Mujadara (Lebanese lentils and rice with sautéed onions).

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• What Is Mujadara
• Is Mujadara Healthy
• Mujadara Ingredients
• How to Make Mujadara
• Top Tips for Cooking Mujadara
• How to Store Leftover Mujadara
• What to Serve with Mujadara
• FAQs
• More Rice Recipes
• Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions Recipe

What Is Mujadara

Mujadara, also called moujadara, mujaddara, mjadra/mejadra, mjadarah/mjadrah, mdardara, majadra, and mudardara/moudardara (meaning “pockmarked” and referring to how the lentils look amongst the rice), is a classic Lebanese/Arab recipe made by combining cooked lentils with rice (or sometimes bulgur wheat ), topped off with sauteed onions (sometimes caramelized) and often yogurt.

The secret to the best mujadara recipe is the oil used for cooking the onions. First, the onions are sauteed until caramelized and crispy. Then the cooking oil is poured back into the rice and lentils for tons of flavor depth (and zero waste) and the onions are served over the dish. It’s bold, comforting, and delicious.

Is Mujadara Healthy

Traditionally, this Middle Eastern lentils and rice dish was initially known as a “poor man’s food.” It combines simple and inexpensive ingredients to create a frugal meal that is still hearty and flavorful with a very short ingredients list.

With the combination of ingredients, mujaddara is a pretty well-balanced meal. It offers plenty of fiber, several nutrients, and plant-based protein. You can increase the nutrients further by using brown rice, too. This dish is also diet-friendly, as it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc.

Mujadara Ingredients

Rely on just 5 simple and super inexpensive ingredients for this Mediterranean mujadara recipe, with a couple of optional garnishes.

• Lentils: I’ve used dried brown lentils, though green lentils should also work.
• Rice: I prefer basmati rice (long-grain white rice), as that’s how I grew up eating it. However, other long-grain/short-grain white rice work, too. Check FAQs for substitutes.
• Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil, like vegetable oil. Avocado oil or olive oil may also work.
• Salt: To season the dish.
• Water: While not traditional, for more flavor, use vegetable broth or chicken stock .
• Red onions: I prefer to use red onions. Though you can use a mixture of red and yellow onions, too, or shallots – in a pinch. This secret ingredient packs in heaps of flavor, so don’t omit it!
• Garnish: You can optionally add fresh herbs, like finely chopped green onions, parsley or cilantro, and/or Greek yogurt, to garnish the rice with lentils.

Which Lentils Are Best to Use in Mujadara

Brown and green dried lentils cook fairly similarly. Plus, they hold their shape once cooked, meaning either will work for this Lebanese mujadara recipe. Avoid red lentils, though, which will just become soft and mushy.

How to Make Mujadara

In a large, heavy-based saucepan, combine the lentils, rice, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until lentils are “al dente.”

How Should Onions Be Cooked for Mujadara

Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion and heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

To save time, slice the onions with a mandoline or food processor slicing disk.

Once hot, add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the onions brown, caramelize, and become crispy. Then, remove the caramelized onions from the oil, setting them aside and reserving the oil.

When the lentils are al dente, pour in the oil from the fried onions. Stir everything well. Then add a lid and cook over low heat to simmer for 10 more minutes. Or until the rice and lentils are tender.

Finally, serve the mujadara rice and lentils warm with the fried onions over the top, and enjoy!

Top Tips for Cooking Mujadara

• Make sure to partially cook the rice/lentils uncovered: This ensures the lentils plump up without the skins splitting or them becoming mushy.
• Don’t discard the onion cooking oil. This is the secret ingredient for authentic mujaddara flavor, adding the deep oniony flavor throughout the lentil and rice pilaf.
• Cook until al dente frist , as you will continue cooking the rice and lentils together with the oil from the onions.
• De-glaze the onion pan. Add just a splash of water or broth at the end and scrape up any brown bits from the pan to get all that flavor into the onions.

How to Store Leftover Mujadara

Allow the mujaddara to cool, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, I like to portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. Store them in the freezer for 3-4 months. Allow a portion to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it.

What to Serve with Mujadara

Thanks to the protein-dense lentils, moujadra is hearty enough to enjoy alone. However, make more of a meal with the addition of:

• Kofta kebab , or fried kibbeh ,
• Grilled Shish Tawook ,
• Oven-baked chicken breast or baked chicken thighs ,
• Grilled or baked fish – like oven baked salmon ,
• A side dish or roasted or grilled vegetables,
• A simple side salad,
• Dips – like hummus, baba ghanoush, etc.

Technically yes, though the results are very similar, in my opinion, so you might as well cook them together.

You can enjoy this dish either at room temperature or hot.

Brown basmati rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice. So it’s possible, but you’ll have to cook the brown rice for 15 minutes before adding the lentils. Likewise, you could substitute the rice for bulgur wheat and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

I imagine you can use canned lentils in this lentil rice recipe. They first need to be drained and rinsed. Then only add them to the rice in the last few minutes (just enough to heat them up).

More Rice Recipes

• Filipino Garlic Fried Rice (Sinangag)
• Classic Persian Crispy Rice (Tahdig)
• Yellow Turmeric Rice
• One Pot Chicken and Rice

Equipment

• Heavy-based stainless steel saucepan
• Large skillet
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup brown lentils (or green lentils); sorted, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1/2 cup basmati rice (or other long-grain white rice), rinsed and drained
• ▢ 3 ½ cups water or vegetable stock
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 8.5 oz red onions or white; 2 medium, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and crisp. Remove the onions and reserve the oil.
• In a large, heavy-based saucepan, combine the lentils, rice, water, salt, and cumin (if using). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are al dente.
• Stir a few tablespoons of the reserved onion oil into the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the lentils and rice are tender.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the fried onions.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Lebanese Mujadara (Lentils and Rice)

Equipment

• Heavy-based stainless steel saucepan
• Large skillet
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils (or green lentils); sorted, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup basmati rice (or other long-grain white rice), rinsed and drained
• 3 ½ cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 8.5 oz red onions or white; 2 medium, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and crisp. Remove the onions and reserve the oil.
• In a large, heavy-based saucepan, combine the lentils, rice, water, salt, and cumin (if using). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are al dente.
• Stir a few tablespoons of the reserved onion oil into the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the lentils and rice are tender.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the fried onions.

Nutrition

Recipe on Alphafoodie: https://www.alphafoodie.com/mujadara-lentils-and-rice/