Freekeh with Chicken

a big wooden platter with freekeh in it plus two whole roasted chickens, potatoes, and toasted nuts.

This is a show stopping dish, a generous platter of smokey freekeh, topped with whole roasted chickens, dotted with delicious roast potatoes and garnished with toasted nuts. SO good!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Halal

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 516kcal

Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the chicken and potatoes

2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into large 2 inch cubes about 5-6 potatoes, 1 kg
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for the potatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder, plus extra for the potatoes
4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 whole chickens, I like getting smaller ones (1 kg/2.2 lb) You can even stretch the marinade to make it 3 roasted chickens if you're feeding a hungry group
4 tablespoon yogurt (sour yogurt preferred but plain or Greek works fine)
1 teaspoon seven spices
1 teaspoon cardamom powder

For the freekeh:

3 tablespoon ghee
3 cup freekeh, picked through very thoroughly for small stones and debris, and rinsed very thoroughly
1/2 tablespoon salt
1.5 tablespoon cardamom powder
6 cups chicken stock (or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 6 cups hot water)

For garnish and serving:

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups plain yogurt for serving

Instructions

For the chicken and potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). On the base of a large roasting pan, scatter the potato cubes, and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then drizzle with olive oil, tossing well to combine. Place a wire rack on top of the potatoes.
Clean the whole chickens however you typically do. Mix together the yogurt, seven spice, 1 teaspoon each of salt, cardamom powder, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper until a paste forms. Generously rub this onto both chickens, inside and out, top and bottom very thoroughly.
Place the chickens on the wire rack on top of the potatoes, drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then place in the oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes until the skin of the chicken is a deep golden brown, then reduce the oven temperature to 390F (200C) and flip the chickens over carefully using tongs, (drizzling with another tablespoon of olive oil) and roast for another 25 minutes or so until this part of the chicken also turns golden brown.
At this point, very loosely cover the pan with foil, and roast for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is totally cooked through, with the internal temperature at the fattest part reaching 167-172F (75-78C ), and the juices running clear if you poke the chicken between the drumstick and the body. Remove the chickens and the wire rack from the top of the potatoes, then return the potatoes to the oven and optionally broil the potatoes for another 3 minutes or so until golden brown.

For the freekeh:

To a large deep pot, add the ghee on high heat. Add the cleaned, rinsed freekeh, and toast, stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, the cardamom powder, and the salt, and stir to combine. Let the freekeh boil vigorously for 5 minutes, covered, before reducing the heat to medium low and simmering, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed and freekeh is tender, 25-30 minutes, stirring a couple times midway through. Remove from the heat, and keep the lid on the pot until ready to assemble.

To assemble and serve:

Place the freekeh on a large serving platter, I usually leave a little dip in the center of the freekeh, then place the roasted chickens in the center of the freekeh, then scatter the roasted potato cubes around the chicken.
Garnish with chopped parsley (not traditional but I like the color it gives) and lots of toasted almonds or pine nuts, and enjoy immediately, preferably with yogurt on the side!

Video

Notes

Ingredients:

Use the smallest whole chickens you can find — they have more flavor
Sour yogurt is preferred for the spice paste, but plain or Greek works fine
Bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water work just as well as chicken stock for the freekeh

Recipe Tips:

Pick through the freekeh carefully before cooking — whole freekeh often contains small stones
Don't rush the first roast — the skin needs to be deeply golden before you flip, or it won't caramelize evenly on both sides
Don't skip covering with foil for the final 30 minutes — this is what keeps the chicken from drying out
Keep the freekeh lid on until you're ready to assemble so it stays fluffy and warm

Storing Leftovers:

Store freekeh and chicken separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days
Reheat freekeh with a splash of water or stock to loosen it up
Reheat chicken in the oven at 180°C (350°F) or in the air fryer to crisp the skin back up
Both freeze well for up to 2 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating

Nutrition