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Starting with this easy recipe, you can make a pot of freekeh anytime you need a healthy whole grain to make the base of your Buddha bowl, soup, grain bowl, or salad!
Freekeh, pronounced “FREAK-uh,” are the chewy, nutty-tasting grains extracted from the roasting of durum wheat. They typically come in two varieties, cracked and whole. Cracked freekeh takes less time to cook than whole-grain freekeh, about 20 minutes versus 45, without compromising nutritional content.
Popular in North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, freekeh has surely wandered over to your local grocery or health food stores in the last decade, thanks to its nutritional value and culinary versatility!
It tastes AWESOME. Nutty, fluffy, and neutral overall, but not to the point of tasting like cardboard! I can’t think of a better way to get my dose of sustained energy through slow-digesting complex carbohydrates?
It goes great in a variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes – scroll to the bottom for recommendations!
It’s not messy to work with. (Freekeh: 1; Quinoa: 0.)
So, now that you know the “why” behind freekeh, let’s crack on to the “how!”
3 Popular Ways to Cook Cracked Freekeh
First: breathe, because there’s very little chance you can mess up freekeh! As with quinoa, the technique is straightforward; on top of that, it’s way less messy than quinoa as the grains are slightly bigger!
Refer to the following stovetop, Instant Pot, and microwave instructions for cooking freekeh. In all cases, you’ll start with:
1 cup cracked freekeh
Roughly 2 cups water or broth (adjust accordingly)
Salt to taste
(Optional) olive oil
1. On the Stovetop:
Bring freekeh, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Promptly reduce heat to the low and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed.
Rest assured, it’s cooking eggcellently.
You can add a few spoonfuls of oil to the water for even more flavor and less chance of drying out if you’re making it ahead of time.
2. Cooking Freekeh in the Instant Pot
Combine freekeh and salt in the pot of a multi-functional pressure cooker with 1 2/3 cups water. Seal, select “Multigrain,” and bring to High Pressure over “Normal” setting.
Set timer for 10 minutes. Release pressure using the “natural” setting, then drain excess water.
3. In the Microwave
Place freekeh in a deep bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Season with salt. Cover loosely and microwave on High until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.
To cook in a rice cooker, follow brown rice instructions.
Bring freekeh, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Promptly reduce heat to the low and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed.
In the Instant Pot:
Place freekeh in the pot of a multi-functional pressure cooker with 1 2/3 cups water. Seal, select “Multigrain,” and bring to High Pressure over “Normal” setting. Set timer for 10 minutes. Allow 10-15 minutes for multi-cooker to come to pressure. Release pressure naturally, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain extra water.
In the Microwave:
Place freekeh in a deep, microwave-safe bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Season with salt. Microwave, uncovered, on High until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Check occasionally that the water does not boil over.
Notes
Stovetop variation for whole-grain freekeh: cook for 35-45 with 3 1/2-4 parts liquid for every part freekeh.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our
disclosure policy
for more information.
Starting with this easy recipe, you can make a pot of freekeh anytime you need a healthy whole grain to make the base of your Buddha bowl, soup, grain bowl, or salad!
Freekeh, pronounced “FREAK-uh,” are the chewy, nutty-tasting grains extracted from the roasting of durum wheat. They typically come in two varieties, cracked and whole. Cracked freekeh takes less time to cook than whole-grain freekeh, about 20 minutes versus 45, without compromising nutritional content.
Popular in North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, freekeh has surely wandered over to your local grocery or health food stores in the last decade, thanks to its nutritional value and culinary versatility!
It tastes AWESOME. Nutty, fluffy, and neutral overall, but not to the point of tasting like cardboard! I can’t think of a better way to get my dose of sustained energy through slow-digesting complex carbohydrates?
It goes great in a variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes – scroll to the bottom for recommendations!
It’s not messy to work with. (Freekeh: 1; Quinoa: 0.)
So, now that you know the “why” behind freekeh, let’s crack on to the “how!”
3 Popular Ways to Cook Cracked Freekeh
First: breathe, because there’s very little chance you can mess up freekeh! As with quinoa, the technique is straightforward; on top of that, it’s way less messy than quinoa as the grains are slightly bigger!
Refer to the following stovetop, Instant Pot, and microwave instructions for cooking freekeh. In all cases, you’ll start with:
1 cup cracked freekeh
Roughly 2 cups water or broth (adjust accordingly)
Salt to taste
(Optional) olive oil
1. On the Stovetop:
Bring freekeh, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Promptly reduce heat to the low and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed.
Rest assured, it’s cooking eggcellently.
You can add a few spoonfuls of oil to the water for even more flavor and less chance of drying out if you’re making it ahead of time.
2. Cooking Freekeh in the Instant Pot
Combine freekeh and salt in the pot of a multi-functional pressure cooker with 1 2/3 cups water. Seal, select “Multigrain,” and bring to High Pressure over “Normal” setting.
Set timer for 10 minutes. Release pressure using the “natural” setting, then drain excess water.
3. In the Microwave
Place freekeh in a deep bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Season with salt. Cover loosely and microwave on High until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.
To cook in a rice cooker, follow brown rice instructions.
Bring freekeh, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Promptly reduce heat to the low and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed.
In the Instant Pot:
Place freekeh in the pot of a multi-functional pressure cooker with 1 2/3 cups water. Seal, select “Multigrain,” and bring to High Pressure over “Normal” setting. Set timer for 10 minutes. Allow 10-15 minutes for multi-cooker to come to pressure. Release pressure naturally, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain extra water.
In the Microwave:
Place freekeh in a deep, microwave-safe bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Season with salt. Microwave, uncovered, on High until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Check occasionally that the water does not boil over.
Notes
Stovetop variation for whole-grain freekeh: cook for 35-45 with 3 1/2-4 parts liquid for every part freekeh.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our
disclosure policy
for more information.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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I’m Jaden Rae, a TV chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and the creative force behind Steamy Kitchen, a 19-year food blog focused on Asian cuisine and mindful living. Steamy Kitchen has been featured on The List, the Today Show, Oprah.com, Martha Stewart Living Radio & more.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
Stay in touch with me in our 
