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This chicken and farro recipe is an easy healthy dinner idea that takes 7 minutes to prep, no chopping required! This one pan meal is packed with whole grain farro, juicy chicken thighs, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.
For the past few weeks, Alex and I have been working on a recipe concept: a “Mediterranean diet recipe that’s an easy healthy dinner with simple prep full of whole grains and protein.” After we served this chicken and farro recipe to my parents, my mom immediately asked for the recipe! So I think we nailed it.
What makes it so tasty? Juicy chicken thighs roast on top of a bed of whole grain farro, garlic, and burst cherry tomatoes, and every bite has a bit of smoky, savory, tomato-y flavor! I love serving it in a bowl with arugula salad, a dollop of hummus and pickled red onions as a healthy dinner idea.
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wonderful! The resulting flavor of the farro is over-the-top savory. And the aroma in our house while it bakes is divine. Two parents and two teens made the entire meal FLY out of the dish. It was still THAT good.” -Renee
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I made this last night, and it was so easy and delicious! I used my Dutch Oven, and it worked perfectly. This was one of the easiest recipes. I served it with my favorite hummus.” -Joanna
Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Farro Recipe
- Takes only 7 minutes to prep, no chopping required! It might be the easiest dinner recipe prep we know.
- A true one-dish dinner. This means fewer pots and a way easier cleanup.
- Wholesome and delicious. Farro is a fiber-rich whole grain with a pleasantly nutty chew: a fun alternative to rice that’s more filling! The flavor of the entire dish is savory, smoky and satisfying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you need for this recipe:
- Farro (pearled or semi-pearled): Use pearled or semi-pearled farro here. If you don’t have farro, one commenter noted barley works as a substitute!
- Cherry tomatoes: These burst and create a bright tomato sauce as they roast: you can throw them in whole.
- Garlic cloves (smashed): Smashing (not mincing) keeps prep fast and gives the farro a mellow, sweet garlic flavor rather than a sharp bite. (Please don’t skip this!)
- Olive oil: Adds richness for cooking.
- Dried oregano, onion powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder: These are our secret spices that create an incredible herby, smoky flavor. Make sure to find smoked paprika for this one!
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Thighs stay juicy over a long bake time: don’t substitute chicken breast here.
Ingredient Spotlight: Farro
Farro is an ancient whole grain that’s chewy and nutty, and it’s been a Mediterranean staple for centuries. It holds its structure well in the oven and doesn’t turn mushy like rice can.
For this recipe, you’ll want pearled or semi-pearled farro (not whole farro), which has had some of the outer bran removed. (Whole farro requires a much longer cook time and won’t work here.)
Remember: farro is not gluten free! So this recipe does not work for gluten-free diets.
Tips For Baked Chicken and Farro
One of the things I love most about this recipe is how straightforward the process is. Here’s a brief walkthrough before you jump to the recipe card:
- Use the right farro. Pearled or semi-pearled farro is non-negotiable for this recipe.
- Don’t skip the foil. Covering the dish tightly traps the steam that the farro needs to cook through.
- If desired, check the chicken temp. The bake time for this recipe should allow the chicken thighs to reach a safe temperature. But if desired, you can use an instant-read thermometer to confirm the thickest part of the chicken has reached 170°F before serving.
- Make it your own. Add a can of drained chickpeas to the farro base for extra protein, or finish with a handful of fresh basil. Just don’t remove the tomatoes and garlic: they are what create the sauce!
Ways To Serve It
Of course you can serve this chicken and farro on a plate with veggies, but my favorite way is in a bowl! Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- In a bowl with baby arugula, lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, a dollop of hummus, and a pile of pickled red onions
- With veggies like sauteed broccoli or roasted asparagus
- With bean salads like dense bean salad or Mediterranean chickpea salad
- With warm pita and a drizzle of tahini sauce
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers of this chicken farro recipe store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a skillet over medium heat.
I have not tried freezing this recipe, but in theory it should work! Let me know if you try.
Video: Watch Me Make This Chicken and Farro Recipe
Dietary Notes
This chicken farro bake recipe is dairy-free and Mediterranean diet friendly.
Baked Chicken & Farro (Easy Healthy Dinner Recipe!)
This chicken farro bake recipe is an healthy easy dinner idea that takes 7 minutes to prep, no chopping required! This one pan meal is packed with whole grain farro, juicy chicken thighs, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean Inspired
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Mediterranean Diet
Ingredients
- 1½ cups uncooked farro, pearled or semi-pearled (not whole)
- 1½ cups water
- 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed (required for best flavor)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (12 oz)
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a saucepan, combine the farro, water, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and onion powder. Bring to a boil, then pour the mixture into a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Add the whole cherry tomatoes.
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the farro mixture. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. Serve on plates or I like serving in bowls over arugula (dressed lightly with olive oil and lemon juice), with a dollop of hummus and pickled red onions.
Notes
*Substitutions: If you don’t have farro, one commenter noted that barley also works with the same timing. You can also try brown rice. If you can’t find boneless chicken thighs, bone-in thighs work with the same bake time (confirmed by one commenter).
I was able to make the Chicken with Farro recipe the other night. It is another hit. I liked that it was so easy to prep. It was perfect for a weeknight. We generally prefer chicken breasts, but the chicken thighs were perfect in this recipe. So tender!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I realized that I had the wrong type of farro (precooked) as I was starting this recipe so used brown rice as a substitute. This was a bad idea as the chicken was done well before the rice cooked. The chicken was very tasty but the rice was crunchy. Next time will try with the right farro.
That sounds great! Thank you so much for letting me know — I’m thinking the pre-cooked farro would probably work here! Let me know if you want to give that a try!
Great flavor and texture in this dish. The chicken is so tender. The farro has a nice chew to it and the spices are perfect. This will be a regular in our house
Thanks for making it!