Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Freekeh with Chicken

Frīkeh bi-djej

A classic Lebanese family dish of green wheat roasted over fire, simmered in chicken broth, and topped with warmly spiced chicken and toasted nuts. The lesson emphasizes careful sorting and washing of freekeh, clear broth, separate control of the grain and chicken, and a pilaf texture that is tender but not wet or mushy.

Prep25 min

Cook1h 10m

DifficultyIntermediate

Yield1 large serving platter

Know what you are cooking

Pan-Lebanese home and banquet cooking. Preparation varies by household: some cooks use a whole poached chicken and pull the meat into large pieces, while others use bone-in portions and brown them before serving. Coarse cracked freekeh is common for a softer pilaf; whole-grain freekeh requires a longer soak and cooking time. Almonds, pine nuts, or a combination may garnish the platter.

Served hot as a substantial lunch or dinner and commonly presented on a large platter for family meals and gatherings. Accompany with plain yogurt, laban, or a crisp Lebanese salad if desired.

By the end, you can:

Sort, wash, and hydrate freekeh without losing its characteristic roasted aroma.
Poach chicken gently to produce both moist meat and a clean cooking broth.
Control the broth-to-grain ratio for tender, separate freekeh.
Balance cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper without masking the grain's smokiness.
Toast nuts evenly and assemble a traditional Lebanese serving platter.
Apply conservative poultry cooking, cooling, storage, and reheating controls.

Method

Sort, wash, and soak the freekeh

Spread the freekeh in a thin layer on a tray and inspect it carefully, removing stones, husks, and dark foreign particles. Transfer it to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, rubbing the grains gently, until the runoff is substantially clearer. Place in a bowl, cover generously with fresh cold water, and soak for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly before cooking.

Look, smell, feelProperly cleaned freekeh smells pleasantly smoky and earthy, with no dusty odor; the drained grains are damp but not sitting in water.SafetyFreekeh is an agricultural product and must be physically sorted before washing. Do not taste it raw.

Start the chicken broth

Put the cold chicken pieces, quartered onion, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, 7 g salt, 2 g black pepper, and water in the large pot. Bring slowly to a gentle boil over medium heat. Skim off the gray foam and excess surface fat as they rise, then reduce the heat immediately to a quiet simmer.

Look, smell, feelThe broth should have only small, lazy bubbles; vigorous boiling makes the meat tougher and clouds the broth.SafetyWash hands after handling raw chicken. Clean and sanitize the knife, board, sink area, and any utensil that touched it; do not wash raw poultry under the tap because splashing can spread contamination.

Poach the chicken gently

Partially cover and simmer until the thickest pieces are cooked through, usually 30–40 minutes depending on size. Turn the pieces once for even cooking. Check the thickest part of each piece without touching bone; it must reach at least 74°C. Transfer cooked pieces with clean tongs to a tray and cover loosely. Strain the broth and discard the spent onion, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Measure 1250 ml hot broth for the freekeh; reserve any remainder for adjusting consistency or another use.

Look, smell, feelThe chicken juices run clear, the flesh near the joint is opaque, and the broth smells clean, savory, and gently spiced.SafetyTemperature, not color alone, determines doneness. If any piece is below 74°C, return it to the simmer and recheck with a cleaned thermometer.

Build the freekeh base

In the heavy saucepan, melt 25 g ghee over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until translucent and lightly golden. Add the drained freekeh, remaining 2 g black pepper, 3 g allspice, and 1 g cinnamon. Stir for 2–3 minutes so the grains are evenly coated and lightly toasted.

Look, smell, feelThe onion is soft with pale-golden edges, and the freekeh's smoky aroma becomes noticeably fuller without smelling scorched.SafetyKeep the pan stable and stir carefully; damp grain can spit when first added to hot fat.

Simmer the freekeh

Add 1150 ml of the measured hot broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to the lowest steady simmer and cover tightly. Cook for 25 minutes without frequent stirring. Taste a few grains: if the centers remain hard and the pan is dry, add the remaining broth in 50 ml increments. Continue for 5–10 minutes as needed. Adjust salt only after tasting because broth concentration varies.

Look, smell, feelThe grains are swollen and tender with a slight chew, most liquid is absorbed, and the surface has small steam holes rather than pools of broth.SafetyOpen the lid away from your face to avoid steam burns. Keep the cooked grain hot while finishing the chicken.

Season and brown the chicken

Mix the remaining 1 g allspice and 1 g cinnamon. Sprinkle over the cooked chicken. For a professional browned finish, arrange the pieces skin-side up on a tray and place under a preheated grill for 5–8 minutes, watching continuously, until golden. This step is optional for texture but should not dry the meat.

Look, smell, feelThe surface is golden with crisp edges, and the warm spice aroma is present but does not overpower the chicken.SafetyUse a heatproof tray and keep it far enough from the grill element to prevent burning or fat flare-ups. Cooked chicken must not be returned to a tray contaminated by raw poultry.

Toast the nuts

Melt the remaining 20 g ghee in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and cook until pale golden, then add the pine nuts and continue stirring until all are evenly golden. Immediately transfer the nuts and flavored ghee to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

Look, smell, feelThe nuts smell sweet and toasted and are golden, not dark brown; pine nuts color more quickly than almonds.SafetyNever leave nuts frying unattended. Hot ghee can cause serious burns, and nuts can move from golden to burnt in seconds.

Rest, fluff, and assemble

Remove the freekeh from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork or broad spoon, lifting rather than mashing. Spread it on a warmed platter, arrange the chicken on top, and spoon over the toasted nuts and ghee. Garnish with parsley if using. Serve promptly.

Look, smell, feelThe finished pilaf is moist and spoonable yet holds a mound; individual pieces of grain remain visible, and the smoky freekeh, chicken, warm spices, and toasted nuts are distinct.SafetyServe hot. Do not leave cooked chicken or freekeh at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in very hot conditions above 32°C.

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Chef notes

Freekeh absorbs liquid differently according to its age, grind, and roasting level. Begin with 1150 ml broth and add only enough extra to finish tenderizing the grain.
Skimming early and maintaining a gentle simmer produce cleaner broth than hard boiling.
The characteristic flavor should come primarily from properly roasted freekeh and chicken broth. Cinnamon and allspice are supporting seasonings, not the dominant taste.
If using skinless chicken, monitor it closely because it dries more readily; gentle poaching remains essential.
For banquet service, hold the freekeh covered over very low heat only briefly. Extended hot holding causes the bottom to compact and the grains to lose definition.
Whole-grain freekeh is a legitimate household variation but is not a direct timing substitute: soak it for 30–60 minutes and expect a longer simmer with additional broth.

Common mistakes

Skipping the sorting step: stones and field debris may remain even in packaged freekeh.
Boiling the chicken aggressively, which clouds the broth and tightens the meat.
Adding all available broth at once, producing a soupy or mushy pilaf.
Stirring the freekeh repeatedly while it simmers, which breaks the grains and creates a pasty texture.
Salting heavily before tasting the reduced chicken broth.
Adding pine nuts at the same time as thick almonds, causing the pine nuts to burn before the almonds color.
Covering freshly grilled chicken tightly for too long, which softens any crisped skin.

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Practical substitutions

Clarified butter or neutral oil may replace ghee in equal weight; oil gives a lighter flavor and makes the dish dairy-free if no dairy accompaniments are served.
Use 90 g almonds or 90 g pine nuts if only one nut is available; adjust toasting time to the chosen nut.
Coarse bulgur is not freekeh and will not provide the characteristic smoky green-wheat flavor. If used out of necessity, label the result as bulgur with chicken rather than freekeh bi-djej.
Boneless chicken may be used, but it produces a less full-bodied broth. Use verified unsalted chicken stock and cook the boneless meat only to a safe internal temperature without prolonged poaching.
For a nut-free service, omit the almonds and pine nuts rather than replacing them with another seed without checking guest allergies.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: The chicken and strained broth may be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cool them rapidly in separate shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours, and keep at 4°C or below. Reheat the broth to a full simmer before cooking the freekeh. Toast the nuts and cook the freekeh near serving time for the best texture.

Storage: Divide leftovers into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour when ambient temperature exceeds 32°C. Store at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Freeze promptly for longer storage, following local health guidance; quality is best within about 2 months. Do not rely on smell alone to judge safety.

Reheating: Add 15–30 ml water or broth per portion, cover, and reheat until the center reaches 74°C. Reheat only the amount needed and avoid repeated cooling and reheating. Restore the nuts separately in a dry pan when practical so they remain crisp.

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Plate and serve

Mound the rested freekeh on a broad warmed platter. Arrange the chicken pieces neatly over the top, keeping browned skin visible. Scatter the almonds and pine nuts evenly and finish with their aromatic ghee. Use parsley sparingly so the grain remains visually dominant.