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freekeh with chicken

Freekeh Recipe with Chicken

Emily A.
Freekeh with chicken is a very traditional Middle Eastern dish made with a smoky ancient grain called "freekeh" or "farik" or "frikeh". In this Lebanese freekeh recipe, green durum wheat grains are soaked, seasoned and cooked, then topped with delicious juicy braised chicken and sautéed nuts.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cuisine Lebanese Cuisine, Mediterranean, middle eastern
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the chicken

  • 4 lbs chicken leg quarters or chicken legs and chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint leaf
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

For the Freekeh

  • 2 cups freekeh whole grain
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2+1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup slivered almonds or a mix of cashew and almond pieces
  • 1 lemon optional

Instructions
 

For the Chicken

  • Preheat the oven to 400 °F
  • Coat the chicken in olive oil and sprinkle the spices all over it
  • Bake uncovered in a pan for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. *If the skin begins to get too dark before the chicken is cooked through, you may need to cover it with foil

For the freekeh

  • Before preparing the chicken, soak the freekeh in water in a large mixing bowl for 30-45 minutes. After it's done soaking, rinse again and drain
  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil together over medium heat
  • Add the diced onions and sauté until the onions just begin to caramelize
  • Add the soaked and drained freekeh and stir it all together over medium heat for 2 minutes
  • Add the chicken broth and water and all of the spices
  • Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 45 minutes (may take longer), or until all of the liquid is absorbed
  • In a small saucepan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and sauté the slivered almonds, or the almond and cashew mixture, stirring constantly, until the nuts are toasted and golden brown (about 5 minutes)
  • Remove from heat and lightly salt the nuts
  • Once all of the elements of the meal are done, on a large serving platter or dish, layer the prepared freekeh on the bottom, add the braised chicken and scatter the nuts over the top of the whole dish
  • Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top (optional) and serve
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