Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Roasted Red Peppers
Published Jan 03, 2022•Updated Apr 03, 2024
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Grab a pan and a few pantry staples to make this Chicken and Chickpea Stew that delivers big with a tomato base, fragrant cumin, and a good dose of lemon juice. The flavor only improves with time, so make a big batch and enjoy it all week.
The New Year is here, which means it’s time for all the cozy, warming, low maintenance dinners, and this one deserves to be at the top of the list. It’s slightly adapted from an older recipe – Lebanese Chickpea Stew, but has enough small changes and more clear instructions that it deserved some extra attention.
So let’s talk about the ingredients for this flavorful stew.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will stay tender and juicy while they cook. Chicken breast will work just fine (though won’t stay quite as tender), but be sure to adjust the cooking time to make sure they’ll be cooked all the way through.
- Chickpeas – These along with the chicken make this a hearty, protein-rich meal.
- Roasted Red Peppers – I always keep a jar of roasted red peppers in my pantry. Pre-roasted means they’re always ready to use and offer concentrated flavor in a short amount of time.
- Shallots – Don’t skip these. You’ll cook them in the all the flavorful browned bits leftover from searing the chicken, so they’ll add tons of flavor.
- Ground Cumin, Paprika, Cinnamon, Red Pepper Flakes, Bay Leaves – Pantry spices to build flavor. Feel free to skip the red pepper flakes if you don’t want the spice. And that cinnamon? I know it seems strange, but all it takes is a pinch (it should be subtle), but gives the stew a subtle, fragrant flavor.
- Tomato Paste – This will thicken the base of the stew.
- Diced Tomatoes – I love the smoky flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes here, but regular diced tomatoes are just fine.
- Chicken Stock or Water – Chicken stock adds richness and depth to the stew. In a pinch, water will still give you a great result.
- Lemon Juice – Don’t skimp on the lemon juice. Bright, tart citrus flavor right at the end really balances the cozy feel of this dish.
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Make-Ahead
Chicken and Chickpea Stew is a great make-ahead meal. Or make a big batch and serve it for lunch all week. The spices and flavors continue to develop while the stew rests in the fridge, and you’ll love it even more a couple days after cooking.
Freeze It
Chicken and Chickpea Stew is a great freezer meal. Make the stew as written and then allow it to cool completely before freezing in an air-tight container. Reheat and serve within 3 months for best results.
Possible Variations
- Make it Vegetarian – Skip the chicken and just make this stew with the chickpeas. You’ll still want to simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes to let the base of the stew reduce.
- Add Vegetables – Diced zucchini or sweet potatoes would mix in well here if you want to increase the vegetable content in the meal. You can saute them right along with the shallots.
More One-Pot Meals
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Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Roasted Red Peppers
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 1/4 cup finely diced Shallots
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 pinch Ground Cinnamon
- 1 15 ounce can Diced Tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock or Water
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 15 ounce can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers from a jar, drained and chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
For Serving:
- Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
- Plain or Greek Yogurt, for serving
- Toasted Pita Bread, Cooked Rice, or Cooked Couscous, for serving
- 1 Lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs on both sides with some salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add chicken to oil and sear on both sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- To heated pot add remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and then shallots. Cook shallots until tender and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Stir until combined and smooth, about 1 minute more.
- Add chicken back to pan (along with any accumulated juices) and then diced tomatoes (including liquid), chicken stock, and bay leaves. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Bring stew to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. (Reduce the temperature as needed to maintain a low simmer; if it boils too vigorously, the chicken may turn tough.)
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred or chop.
- Return shredded chicken to pot with chickpeas and red peppers. Simmer everything together for another 5 minutes to heat the chickpeas and let the flavors come together.
- Stir in lemon juice. Taste stew and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Serve stew over toasted bread, cooked rice, or couscous with parsley and yogurt on top and extra lemon wedges for squeezing over top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A superb dish. Easy to make and produces a rich, deep flavor. I used chicken breast instead of thighs and it worked just fine. I also pan charred a fresh red bell pepper which really brought out the flavor. Definitely use chicken stock, and don’t be afraid to season it well at the end. The greek yoghurt and parsley at the end are a must. So delicious.