I still remember my first bite of imbakbaka: the deep warmth of the spices, the slow-building heat, and the way the flavors seemed to unfold with each mouthful. Tender chicken, chili, and a fragrant spice blend come together in a dish that feels both bold and deeply comforting. It lingered with me long after the meal was over, and I knew I wanted to recreate that feeling at home. With the generous help of a friend’s father, who shared his family recipe, I was able to better understand and honor this beloved Libyan dish, and now I get to share it with you.
I have taken the spice blend usually used in this recipe and broken it down into components so you can make the dish even if you cannot find Bazaar spice.
Simmering the chicken thighs in the spice broth infuses them with great flavor and gives them a tender, fall-off-the-bone texture.
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a kettle.
Sautee the onion in 3 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat until translucent.
Add the chicken, season with all the spices including salt and pepper, and brown on all sides.
Add 5 minced garlic cloves, 3 ounces of tomato paste, 3 jalapeños sliced lengthwise, and 5 cups of boiling water or hot broth/stock. The chicken should be covered, so add more if necessary.
Raise the heat to high, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 25-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
In the meantime, cook your pasta until just under al dente. Strain in a colander until ready to use.
Bring the simmering chicken back to a boil and the cooked and drained pasta.
Heat the pasta in the broth for 2-3 minutes just before serving to finish the cooking process.
Things to think about when making this dish…
Candice Recommends
Simmer, don’t boil, the chicken. Keep the heat low and steady, since boiling will make the chicken tough, while a gentle simmer yields tender, fall‑off‑the‑bone meat.
Decide how you want to handle the pasta. You can cook the noodles directly in the pot, but you’ll need to increase the liquid to about 8 cups instead of 5. I prefer cooking the noodles separately so the sauce stays brothy and the leftovers don’t get overly thick.
Adding noodles at the end works too. If you’re using par‑boiled noodles, stir them into the broth just before serving and let them cook for an extra minute or two until tender.
Imbakbaka – Libyan Chicken Pasta Dish
Ingredients
- 4 lb. chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2-1 lb. pasta cooked al dente and drained
- 3 tbsp canola oil or other flavorless oil
- 1 yellow onion diced or sliced into half moons
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 oz. tomato paste
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp corriander powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 3 jalapeños sliced in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a kettle.
- Sautee the onion in 3 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat until translucent.
- Add the chicken, season with all the spices including salt and pepper, and brown on all sides.
- Add 5 minced garlic cloves, 3 ounces of tomato paste, 3 jalapeños sliced lengthwise, and 5 cups of boiling water or hot broth/stock. The chicken should be covered, so add more if necessary.
- Raise the heat to high, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 25-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Bring back to a boil and the cooked and drained pasta. Cook for 3 minutes and serve.
Absolute favorite in our North African household!
881 calories for one serving or the whole thing
Hi Jo, it is calculated per serving.
I made this for my libyan student and he said it was as good as the one his mum makes in Libya. It is a really tasty recipe
I am so glad to hear it, Lorraine. Thank you for sharing!
I am interested in trying Libyan dishes. This recipe looks good!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!