Home / Gulf

Free for a limited time

Healthy Jareesh With Chicken and Laban

By the Healthy Plate team

Healthy Jareesh

Jareesh is one of Saudi Arabia's oldest dishes: cracked wheat cooked slowly with laban and broth until creamy. We use skinless chicken and low-fat laban, and go easy on the ghee topping.

In-article ad space

Why jareesh?

  • Whole wheat, high in fibre
  • Protein from chicken and laban
  • Keeps you full for hours

Healthy Jareesh

10 minPrep
80 minCook
6Servings
360kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cracked wheat (jareesh), rinsed and soaked
  • 500 g chicken breast
  • 2 cups low-fat laban
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tsp cumin and black pepper
  • 2 dried limes
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil for the topping
  • 1 onion, sliced, for the topping

Method

  1. Simmer chicken with onion and dried lime in 8 cups water; remove and shred.
  2. Cook the jareesh in the broth for an hour on low, stirring.
  3. Add chicken, laban and spices; whisk until creamy, 15 minutes.
  4. Fry the sliced onion in a spoon of ghee and spoon over the top.
Electric pressure cookerAffiliate link — costs you nothing extra and supports the blog
Check price

Tip

In a pressure cooker jareesh cooks in 25 minutes instead of an hour.

Jareesh in Ramadan and winter

Jareesh is a fixture of Najdi iftar tables, served with salad and lemon. In winter it warms you and keeps you full until dinner.

Frequently asked questions

Jareesh vs harees?

Jareesh is cracked wheat; harees is whole wheat pounded with meat until smooth.

Yogurt instead of laban?

Yes — low-fat yogurt thinned with a little water.

Is it okay for diabetics?

Whole wheat beats white rice, but portion matters. Check with your doctor.

⚠️ For general education only. If you have a health condition or allergy, consult your doctor.