Mujadara is a simple dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions that’s easy to make and so satisfying! This is a great recipe to make because you probably have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry already.
I’m a huge lentil fan. Lentils are the best! I love all the varieties…green, black, red, French green…they are all awesome and all have their place in recipes like curried red lentil soup, summer salad with cherries, burgers, and even slow cooker curry.
But this simple dish is something that I love, and I somehow haven’t gotten around to posting it yet! It’s an easy Lebanese recipe for lentils and rice: mujadara.
It’s lentils and rice…but it somehow is more special than that. The onions really make this happen – you cook them for a long time until they are browned and some of them are a little crispy.Â
This is the perfect easy meal for a cold day. And the leftovers are great for packing in lunches!
Top Tip
Cooking the onions takes time – you want them to get golden brown and a little crispy, but not burnt. Don’t turn the heat too high!
When cooking the onions I usually start out with medium high heat and then reduce it to medium after a little while. Stir the onions frequently so they don’t stick to the pan.
Ingredient Notes
- Lentils – I like to use green lentils – this is the “standard” kind that you can find easily in most grocery stores.
- Rice – You can use any kind of long grain rice to make mujadara – I used long grain white rice this time.
- Onions – You can use any onions that you like, but this time I used one white and one red onion.
Learn to make SAFE, tasty food for your family. Join my community today and start getting all my best tips, tricks, and allergy friendly recipes in your inbox.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Mujadara (Lentils and Rice).
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 3 -5 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions sliced very thin – I used one white and one red
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- â…“ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package directions,
- Pick over and rinse the lentils, then place in a pot with 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes. Add more broth if the lentils start to dry out.
- While the lentils and the rice are cooking, cook the onions. Place the onions and two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat. Stir often, and if they start to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Cook until the onions are all browned and some of them are crisp. This could take about 40 minutes.
- Once everything is cooked, add the rice and lentils to the onion skillet. Season with the sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Lightly adapted from this recipe.
Darryl
One of my favorite ways to eat lentils!
bianca
We tried this last week (my onions didn’t get quite as crispy as it looks like some of yours did though!) & my little one (DF, EF, NF, PF) LOVED it! I seriously can’t remember the last time he shoveled the food into his mouth so fast and excitedly! And that was a couple days in a row (leftovers)! Thank you for another awesome recipe that delights my family and is safe for my son!
Kelly
Yay! That makes me so happy! Thank you for letting me know this was a hit! :)
Parsley
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago, as written, with three cups of broth. It was delicious. I was skeptical of the nutmeg, but it added a certain something wonderful.
Kelly
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
This sounds like the perfect dish for a fall day! I love the lentils and rice combo!
Kelly
Thanks, Gayle!
whiskandshout
This looks like such comfort food and I can’t get over how simple the preparation is! Delicious :)
Kelly
Thanks, Medha!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
I’m a huge lentil fan too. The flavors of this sound amazing!
Strength and Sunshine
Love how easy this is! And lentils are the best!
Julia
I LOVE Lebanese food and can’t believe I’ve never tried Mujadara! This looks like an epic staple to make any night of the week – Must make it soon!