Freekeh with Chicken
A Levantine one-pot of freekeh simmered with chicken thighs, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and allspice, finished with lemon, almonds and parsley. Serves 4.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 600 g
- 300 g
- 2 tbsp
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- ½ tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 750 ml
- 40 g
- 15 g
Process
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Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with half the salt and the black pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and sear 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; they will finish cooking later.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the chopped onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, scraping up the browned bits.
Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the rinsed cracked freekeh and the remaining salt. Stir for 1 minute to coat the grains in the spiced oil.
Pour in the chicken broth and add the lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Nestle the seared chicken thighs on top of the freekeh, skin-side up. Cover and cook on low for 15–20 minutes, until the freekeh is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C in the thickest part.
Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the freekeh with a fork, squeeze over the lemon juice, and taste for salt.
Transfer to a platter, top with the chicken, and scatter over the toasted flaked almonds and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Rinse the freekeh in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs clear; this removes dust and prevents a gluey texture.
- Do not stir the freekeh constantly while it simmers. Stirring releases starch and makes it sticky; fluff with a fork at the end instead.
- The freekeh is done when the grains are tender but still have a slight chew and all the broth is absorbed. If it is still firm and dry, add 60 ml hot broth and cook 5 minutes more.
- Searing the chicken skin-side down first renders the fat and gives a crisp skin that stays crisp because the chicken sits on top of the freekeh, not buried in it.
Substitutions
- cracked freekeh→bulgur or coarse cracked wheat (adjust broth down by 100 ml and cook 5 minutes less)
- chicken thighs→bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (add 5 minutes cooking time)
- flaked almonds→toasted pine nuts or pistachios
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 1 hour, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer to a covered ovenproof dish with a splash of water or broth and warm at 160°C for 15-20 minutes, or microwave covered in 1-minute bursts until steaming. Freezing is not recommended because the freekeh becomes mushy on thawing; if you must, freeze the chicken and freekeh separately for up to 1 month and reheat gently.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my freekeh turn out mushy?
Mushy freekeh almost always means too much liquid or too much stirring. Use the exact 750 ml broth for 300 g cracked freekeh and resist stirring while it simmers. Fluff with a fork only after resting, and if there is still standing liquid at the end, uncover and cook on low for 2-3 minutes to evaporate it.
Can I use whole freekeh instead of cracked freekeh?
Yes, but whole freekeh needs about 35-40 minutes of simmering and roughly 900 ml broth instead of 750 ml. Add the chicken later so it does not overcook: simmer the whole freekeh alone for 20 minutes, then nestle in the seared thighs and cook 15-20 minutes more.
How do I know when the chicken thighs are cooked through?
The thickest part of the thigh should register 74°C on an instant-read thermometer, and the juices should run clear when pierced near the bone. If you do not have a thermometer, cut into the thickest part; there should be no pink and the meat should pull away from the bone easily. Rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving.
Can I make this freekeh with chicken ahead of time?
You can cook it up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Reheat it covered at 160°C with a splash of broth for 15-20 minutes, which keeps the freekeh moist. For best texture, sear the chicken and cook the freekeh fresh, then reheat only the freekeh and add freshly seared chicken.
My freekeh is still crunchy after 30 minutes. What went wrong?
Either the heat was too high and the liquid evaporated before the grains softened, or the freekeh was old and very dry. Add 60-120 ml hot broth, cover, and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes more. Next time, keep the pot tightly covered and check at the 25-minute mark.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, but breast meat dries out quickly. Sear the breasts for 3 minutes per side, remove them, cook the freekeh for 20 minutes, then return the breasts to the pot for only the final 8-10 minutes. Check that they reach 74°C and do not simmer them longer than needed.
Is freekeh gluten-free?
No. Freekeh is made from durum or green wheat, so it contains gluten and is not suitable for a gluten-free diet. For a gluten-free version, substitute an equal weight of rinsed quinoa and reduce the broth to 600 ml, simmering for 15 minutes.
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