10+ Best Jordanian Recipes You Need To Try Once

Jordanian cuisine is a whole vibe—it’s warm, hearty, and packed with flavors that’ll stick with you long after your plate’s empty.

From sizzling grilled meats to fragrant rice dishes, each bite tells a story of tradition and family.

If you’ve never dived into the world of Jordanian food, you’re in for a treat.

We’ve rounded up the best Jordanian recipes you absolutely need to try at least once.

Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just feeding yourself, these dishes will transport you straight to the heart of Jordan’s vibrant culinary scene.

1. Mansaf

Mansaf is Jordan’s national dish, and honestly, it’s a showstopper.

This rich and savory masterpiece features tender lamb simmered in a tangy yogurt sauce called “jameed,” all served over a bed of fluffy rice and flatbread.

It’s the kind of dish that brings people together—big flavors, big portions, and even bigger memories.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lamb (bone-in for extra flavor)
• 1 cup jameed (or dried yogurt reconstituted)
• 3 cups rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt to taste
• Almonds and pine nuts (for garnish)

How to Make It:

1. Soak the jameed in warm water overnight if using dried.
2. In a large pot, brown the lamb in ghee until golden.
3. Pour in water, add turmeric and salt, then simmer until the meat is tender (about 2 hours).
4. Blend the jameed until smooth and add it to the pot.
5. Cook the rice separately and layer it over warm flatbread.
6. Spoon the lamb and sauce over the rice. Garnish with toasted almonds and pine nuts.

Why did this make it to our list?

Mansaf isn’t just food—it’s a whole experience. It represents Jordanian hospitality and is a must-try if you want the real taste of Jordan.

2. Maqluba

Maqluba literally means “upside-down,” and trust us, it’s a culinary magic trick. This dish is a layered masterpiece of rice, vegetables, and spiced chicken.

Once cooked, it’s flipped over for a stunning presentation that’s as satisfying to look at as it is to eat.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken pieces
• 2 cups rice
• 1 eggplant (sliced)
• 1 large potato (sliced)
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

How to Make It:

1. Season and brown the chicken in olive oil.
2. Fry the eggplant and potatoes until golden.
3. Layer the pot: chicken, fried veggies, and rice on top.
4. Add the spices and pour in the broth.
5. Simmer for 45 minutes until rice is cooked.
6. Flip the pot onto a serving dish and admire your work.

Why we chose it:

Maqluba is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The dramatic flip and those layers of flavor make it a Jordanian classic you can’t skip.

3. Galayet Bandora

Simple but ridiculously tasty, Galayet Bandora is a rustic dish of sauteed tomatoes and beef. It’s quick to whip up and delivers a comforting, home-cooked vibe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef cubes
• 4 large tomatoes (diced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and brown the beef.
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Toss in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.

Why we selected it:

This dish is simple, hearty, and packed with that fresh, straight-from-the-garden taste. Plus, it’s a quick fix when you’re craving Jordanian comfort food.

4. Shorbat Adas (Lentil Soup)

When you need something warm and soothing, Shorbat Adas has your back. This golden lentil soup is spiced just right and perfect for cozy evenings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to Make It:

1. Sauté onions and carrots in olive oil until soft.
2. Add lentils, cumin, and broth.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are soft.
4. Blend until smooth (optional) and season to taste.

Why did this make it to our list?

It’s warm, filling, and super healthy. Plus, it brings that cozy Jordanian comfort in every spoonful.

5. Musakhan

Musakhan is a flavor bomb. Picture this: juicy, sumac-spiced chicken served on soft, warm flatbread with caramelized onions. It’s finger-lickin’ good.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 4 large onions (sliced)
• 3 tablespoons sumac
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pieces of flatbread
• Salt to taste

How to Make It:

1. Roast the chicken with olive oil, sumac, and salt until golden.
2. Sauté onions in olive oil until caramelized.
3. Layer the flatbread with onions and chicken.
4. Warm it all together before serving.

Why we chose it:

Musakhan is all about bold, tangy flavors. It’s simple but tastes like you spent all day making it.

6. Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini)

Stuffed zucchini? Yep, and it’s every bit as delicious as it sounds. Tender zucchini filled with a spiced rice mixture and simmered in a light tomato broth.

Ingredients:

• 8 small zucchinis
• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• Salt and pepper

How to Make It:

1. Hollow out the zucchinis.
2. Mix rice, beef, and spices.
3. Stuff zucchinis and place in a pot.
4. Pour over tomato sauce and simmer until tender.

Why we selected it:

It’s cozy, comforting, and totally authentic. Plus, who doesn’t love a good stuffed veggie?

7. Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice)

If you’ve never flipped a pot of rice and meat onto a serving platter like a pro, now’s your chance.

Maqluba is Jordan’s iconic upside-down rice dish, layered with spiced meat, veggies, and fragrant rice.

Once cooked, the whole pot is turned over, revealing a stunning layered masterpiece.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 lb chicken or lamb, cut into pieces
• 1 large eggplant, sliced
• 1 large potato, sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking oil

How to Make It:

1. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Fry eggplant and potato slices in oil until golden, then set aside.
3. In a large pot, cook the onion with a bit of oil until softened.
4. Add the meat, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, salt, and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, then add broth. Simmer until meat is tender.
5. Layer the tomato slices, fried eggplant, potatoes, and meat in the pot.
6. Spread the drained rice evenly over the top and add more broth if needed.
7. Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.
8. Let rest for 10 minutes, then flip onto a serving dish and enjoy!

Why did this make it to our list?

Maqluba isn’t just a meal—it’s a performance! The dramatic pot-flip reveal, combined with layers of spiced goodness, makes this a must-try Jordanian recipe.

8. Musakhan (Sumac-Spiced Chicken)

This dish is a Jordanian favorite, featuring roasted chicken slathered in olive oil and sumac, served atop a bed of caramelized onions and warm flatbread.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp sumac
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 pieces of taboon bread or pita
• Pine nuts for garnish (optional)

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook onions until golden brown.
3. Stir in sumac, allspice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute, then set aside.
4. Rub chicken pieces with olive oil and sumac, then place in a baking dish.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
6. Lay flatbread on a serving platter, spread onion mixture on top, then place chicken pieces over it.
7. Garnish with pine nuts and serve.

Why we chose it

Musakhan is a love letter to Jordan’s olive oil and sumac-rich cuisine. It’s tangy, savory, and perfect for tearing apart with your hands.

9. Knafeh (Crispy Sweet Cheese Pastry)

Knafeh is Jordan’s answer to dessert cravings—a crispy, buttery pastry filled with gooey sweet cheese and soaked in fragrant orange blossom syrup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded kataifi pastry
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups Nabulsi or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• Crushed pistachios for garnish

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix kataifi pastry with melted butter, then press half of it into a greased baking dish.
3. Spread shredded cheese evenly over the pastry layer.
4. Top with the remaining kataifi and press down lightly.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by heating sugar, water, and orange blossom water until syrupy.
7. Pour syrup over hot knafeh and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.

Why we selected it

You haven’t lived until you’ve taken a bite of warm, gooey knafeh.

The contrast between crispy pastry, melty cheese, and sweet syrup is pure magic.

10. Rashoof (Lentil and Yogurt Stew)

Rashoof is a hearty Jordanian comfort food—a thick, creamy lentil stew made with yogurt and infused with warm spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Cook lentils in water until soft, then blend until smooth.
2. In a bowl, whisk yogurt with flour.
3. Add the yogurt mixture to the lentils and cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. In a pan, melt butter and sauté onions until golden.
5. Stir in cumin, salt, and pepper, then pour into the lentil stew.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Why did this make it to our list?

Rashoof is the ultimate winter warmer, with creamy lentils and tangy yogurt coming together in a bowl of pure comfort.

11. Fattet Hummus (Layered Chickpea Delight)

This is Jordan’s take on hummus but on another level.

Layers of warm chickpeas, crispy pita chips, and garlicky yogurt create a scoopable, flavor-packed dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 pieces pita bread, toasted and broken into pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil and pine nuts for garnish

How to Make It:

1. Layer toasted pita pieces in a serving dish.
2. Heat chickpeas with a little water and pour over the pita.
3. Mix yogurt, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and salt.
4. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chickpeas.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and top with pine nuts.

Why we chose it

Fattet Hummus is hummus but better. The mix of textures—crunchy, creamy, and hearty—makes every bite a delight.

Conclusion

Jordanian cuisine is a feast of flavors, from slow-cooked rice dishes to crispy.

Desserts and tangy, spice-infused stews. Whether you’re flipping Maqluba, tearing into Musakhan, or indulging in warm, gooey Knafeh, there’s no shortage of must-try dishes.