VoltraCalories in machboos (majboos): chicken, meat and fish
Chicken machboos has about 144 to 175 kcal per 100 g in lab analyses from Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE [1][2][3][4], and meat machboos about 139 to 173 kcal per 100 g [1][3][4]. Fish machboos made with hamour measured 133 kcal per 100 g in Bahrain [3].
For example, 400 g of chicken machboos comes to roughly 580 to 700 kcal (calculated). The recipe, especially the fat, moves the number more than the choice of meat.
Calories per 100 g
| Machboos | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, Kuwait (household recipe) [1] | 156 | 9.6 g | 5.4 g | 17.2 g |
| Chicken, Bahrain [2] | 175 | 5.0 g | 6.0 g | 25.2 g |
| Chicken, Bahrain [3] | 168 | 12.4 g | 7.3 g | 15.0 g |
| Chicken, UAE restaurants [4] | 144 | 6.1 g | 2.6 g | 23.9 g |
| Meat, Kuwait (household recipe) [1] | 173 | 7.0 g | 4.8 g | 25.5 g |
| Meat, Bahrain [3] | 139 | 9.8 g | 3.6 g | 19.0 g |
| Meat, UAE restaurants [4] | 149 | 6.7 g | 2.3 g | 25.3 g |
| Fish (hamour), Bahrain [3] | 133 | 13.1 g | 3.0 g | – |
Per 100 g of cooked machboos as served. For the fish machboos, the source prints a carbohydrate figure that can't be right (114 g per 100 g), so we leave it out.
A plate of machboos
None of these studies gives a standard plate weight. Weigh yours, or use these examples, calculated from the ranges above:
| Amount | Chicken machboos | Meat machboos |
|---|---|---|
| 250 g | 360–440 kcal | 350–430 kcal |
| 400 g | 580–700 kcal | 560–690 kcal |
| 600 g | 860–1,050 kcal | 830–1,040 kcal |
Why the numbers vary
For chicken machboos, the calories agree within about 10% either way, but the protein and fat don't: across these analyses, protein ranges from 5.0 to 12.4 g per 100 g and fat from 2.6 to 7.3 g. That comes down to the recipe: how much chicken or meat sits on the rice, whether the skin stays on, and how much oil or ghee goes in. The Kuwaiti analysis used a household recipe cooked with hydrogenated vegetable oil [1]; the UAE samples came from restaurants [4].
How to log it in Voltra
- On the Eat tab, tap Scan a meal and photograph your plate, or tap Describe and type it, for example "chicken machboos, one plate".
- Add a note about how it was cooked, such as ghee or oil in the rice.
- Check the grams for each item, then tap Log. If you weighed your plate, use that weight.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a plate of chicken machboos?
About 580 to 700 kcal for 400 g, calculated from lab analyses that put chicken machboos at 144 to 175 kcal per 100 g. Weighing your plate gives the best figure.
Is meat machboos higher in calories than chicken?
Not consistently. Meat machboos measured 139 to 173 kcal per 100 g and chicken 144 to 175, so the recipe matters more than the meat.
Is fish machboos lighter?
In the one analysis we found, hamour machboos from Bahrain had 133 kcal per 100 g, a little below the chicken and meat versions, with more protein: 13.1 g.
Sources
- Eid N, Al-Awadi F, et al. (1989). National Food Composition Table, I: Kuwaiti Composite Dishes (report 3267). Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research
- Musaiger AO (2011). Food Composition Tables for Kingdom of Bahrain. Arab Center for Nutrition
- Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain (2025). Bahrain Food Composition Tables, 1st edition
- Habib HM, Ali HI, Ibrahim WH, Afifi HS (2011). Nutritional value of 10 traditional dishes of the United Arab Emirates. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 50(6):526–538
Sources checked on 29 September 2026. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
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