Freekeh with Chicken

Name: Freekeh with Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Syria
Ingredients: 2 cups cracked freekeh; 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces; 1 onion, chopped; 4 cups chicken broth; 1/4 cup toasted almonds and pine nuts; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp allspice; 3 tbsp oil or ghee; Salt and pepper, to taste

5 servings15 min prep45 min cookEasy Syria

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Freekeh with Chicken

Story updated September 17, 2026

Freekeh, young green wheat set alight and roasted to create a smoky grain, is an ancient Levantine technique believed to date back thousands of years, with legend holding it was discovered after a fire swept a wheat field and the roasted grains were found still edible. It remains a staple of Syrian and eastern Mediterranean cooking.

Ingredients

Scale:· 5 servings

2 cups cracked freekeh
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup toasted almonds and pine nuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
3 tbsp oil or ghee
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1Rinse the freekeh well to remove excess char and debris.
2Simmer the chicken in broth with onion until fully cooked, about 30 minutes; remove chicken and reserve broth.
3Sauté the freekeh briefly in oil, then add the reserved broth, cinnamon, and allspice.
4Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until the freekeh is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
5Shred or plate the chicken over the freekeh.
6Garnish with toasted almonds and pine nuts before serving.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…