The Key to Nailing Nutty and Delightfully Chewy Freekeh Every Time

Freekeh, a nutty, slightly chewy ancient durum wheat grain also sometimes referred to as freekah or fireek, was a favorite in my house growing up in Amman, Jordan. As a rice-loving kid, I always felt a twinge of disappointment whenever a rice-less dish landed on our dinner table. The curiously smoky freekeh, however, was one of those grains that made me forget all about rice, albeit for a moment. 

In the Levant, a common preparation of the grain is a dish simply called “freekeh,” which is made up of poached then char-grilled chicken parts served with cracked freekeh cooked with warm spices and the deeply aromatic leftover poaching liquid from the chicken. But the grain is also prepared in a comforting soup, simply called shorabet freekeh (Arabic for “freekeh soup”), or as a well-seasoned side dish that interrupts the tedium of rice.

My recipe below is a simple pilaf-style preparation of freekeh that’s scented with a medley of warm spices. It requires just one pot to prepare and a half hour of active cooking time. A side of nutty, smoky, and earthy freekeh, sometimes crowned with an assortment of toasted nuts, is so flavorful it needs nothing more than a simply prepared piece of meat or fish to complete a satisfying meal.

What Is Freekeh

A truly ancient grain—its use is believed to date back to 2300 BC—freekeh is durum wheat that’s harvested while the grain is still young, green, and soft. After harvest, it is roasted under very high heat to remove the husks and then threshed to extract the grain. This exposure to high heat gives freekeh its uniquely smoky flavor. A staple across the Levant, freekeh is also featured in North African and Armenian cuisines. Like other ancient grains such as millet, quinoa, and teff, freekeh is versatile and nutrient dense—it’s high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Ways to Enjoy Freekeh

It may be ancient, but freekeh is increasingly finding itself in grain bowls at trendy wellness cafés alongside smoothie bowls and chia puddings and on the shelves of health food stores all over the US. But for me, this hearty, deeply savory grain is the perfect base for filling, scrumptious dinners. Some of my favorite freekeh dinners include freekeh-stuffed roasted chicken, a claypot of freekeh and mushrooms cooked in a rich, cheesy black pepper cream sauce, or the aforementioned platter of perfectly cooked freekeh topped with nutty ghee, charred chicken pieces, and toasted nuts. 

In Syria, layers of freekeh, rice, green peas, and lamb make up a signature dish called mansaf (not to be confused with Jordan’s national dish of the same name, which includes fermented sheep’s milk, yellow rice, braised lamb, and a thin bread called shrak, and does not include freekeh). In Algeria, an abundantly flavorful soup, chorba frik, is prepared with freekeh, vegetables, and lamb or beef. In Turkey, it’s cooked pilaf style with tomatoes. There are many ways to utilize this special grain but learning how to cook it well is crucial to letting its unique texture shine.

The Key Steps for Perfectly Prepared Freekeh

Freekeh is typically sold in the U.S. as whole grain or cracked. Unless labeled as fine, most cracked freekeh is coarse, which is what you’ll need for this recipe. In the Levant, cracked freekeh (where the grains are broken into smaller pieces) is ubiquitous. It’s easier and faster to cook and retains a pleasant chew without straining any jaws. This recipe calls for cracked freekeh, so when purchasing the grain, be sure to look for grains labeled “cracked” or “coarsely cracked.”

Properly cooked freekeh should be tender with the grains separate from one another. But many recipes fail to achieve this. Instead, they often call for too much water relative to freekeh, resulting in a sad, mushy oatmeal-like mixture that clumps together. The reason freekeh is often prepared with a large amount of cooking liquid is that doing so cuts down on the risk of the grains burning or the bottom of the pan scorching before the grains are fully cooked. While this is true, the problem is that the freekeh easily becomes oversaturated and mushy by the time the water cooks off. My recipe employs two simple techniques to avoid this mushy texture: soaking the freekeh before cooking and scaling down the cooking liquid. In this recipe, the freekeh is first soaked for 30 minutes with room temperature water, which softens the grains and means that they require less cooking liquid. The result is tender yet slightly chewy grains in a shorter cook time.

After many trials, it was clear that one part soaked and drained cracked freekeh to two parts cooking liquid is the perfect ratio for tender freekeh with distinct grains and a satisfying bite. With nothing more than occasional stirring and controlled heat, the risk of scorching is effectively eliminated with this added presoak and the correct ratio of liquid to grain. 

How to Cook Freekeh

After soaking, the freekeh is drained well, then toasted in ghee, butter, or extra-virgin olive oil to amplify its smoky notes. The flavor of ghee is closely associated with freekeh dishes in the Levant, and I encourage you to seek it out and use it here. After the freekeh is toasted, it’s seasoned with a mixture of warm spices, which fill the air with a rich and toasty aroma. Hearty freekeh can hold up to a spice-heavy hand. The smokiness of the grain acts as a seasoning in and of itself, blending seamlessly with the warming sweetness of cinnamon, complex fruitiness of cardamom, intrigue of nutmeg, and the pininess of black pepper. 

After the grains are fully cooked with the right ratio of broth, a final spoonful of ghee enhances the nuttiness of the grain even further. A squeeze of lemon adds an acidic pop to the savory dish, so I always offer lemon wedges when serving. I also recommend a side of tangy yogurt next to it. Keeping with Levantine tradition, leftover freekeh makes for an excellent hearty soup when reheated with chicken broth. 

A truly special and versatile grain, earthy, grassy freekeh earns its place on the dinner table. Pair this simple pilaf with your favorite proteins and vegetables. It is a dish so good that it makes even an impassioned rice fan like me happily willing to give her 20 pound bag of rice a break.

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