This Chicken and Chickpea Stew requires minimum prep and delivers maximum flavour. Easy, delicious and healthy it will become your favourite weeknight meal.
Contrary to what this blog details, I don’t just survive on breakfast and dessert (I wish I did). There’s actually a main dish, some kind of entree, on the table most of the nights. But the foods that I make are so easy that I feel they do not deserve a blog post.
I cook simple and easy: roast chicken with whatever spices I have on hand placed on sliced onion and lemon and garlic, all of that goodness becoming a delicious sauce; burritos with pan-fried pepper and onions, rice, black beans, cheese and veggies; 5-minute prep lasagna with good, store-bought tomato sauce, no cook noodles and ricotta mixed with spinach.
Comfort food, easy food, fast to prepare food. After having a baby I rely more and more on these quick and almost no-prep recipes.
This Chicken and Chickpea Stew is the kind of recipe anyone can make even with a crying baby, so it’s a total mom-recipe. It requires almost no preparation and comes out thick and comforting, filling and delicious.
The recipe makes a lot, so it’s perfect for a few week nights with some starch. I like it with rice or buckwheat and I am almost positive it would be great as a sauce with pasta. I also added this Chicken and Chickpea Stew to lasagna and it turned out amazing.
Now, this Chicken and Chickpea Stew is super easy. All you do is chop some onion and sauté it in a dutch oven, then add boneless and skinless chicken thighs, a can of chickpeas, a can of diced tomatoes, some dried herbs and let it cook.
If you are making it on the stove, then bring it to boil, then transfer the pot to the oven and cook for a couple of hours. Shred the chicken with two forks and serve over your favourite starch.
Slow cooker version takes longer (obviously) but it’s even easier as there’s no need to sauté the onions and transfer the pot to the oven. Both versions taste equally delicious.
Chicken and Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon oil (for the stove option only)
- 4 chili peppers (optional)
- 3 pounds chicken thighs (enough to cover the bottom of the pan, 6-8 thighs depending on the size, skinless and boneless)
- 1 can chickpeas (540 ml, undrained)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (796 ml)
- 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash no salt seasoning
- salt, pepper to taste
- 1/2 or 1 cup chicken stock (depending on how "soupy" you'd like the stew)
Instructions
For the stove option
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven.
- Add diced onion and sauté until softened. Add whole chili peppers if using.
- Place chicken thighs in the pot. Add a can of chickpeas (no need to drain, add all the liquiand a can of diced tomatoes.
- Add dry rosemary, dry, thyme, dry parsley, Mrs. Dash no salt seasoning and salt and pepper if using.
- Add between 1/2 and 1 cup of chicken stock (I use 1 cup as I like the stew to have lots of juice for the starch).
- Cover the dutch oven with a lid and bring to boil.
- Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 1.5-2 hours.
- Once everything is cooked, shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot, mix and serve over your favourite starch like rice, quinoa or buckwheat.
For the slow cooker option
- No need to sauté the onion, just place everything in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low heat.
- After 8 hours shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker, mix and cook on high for another 1/2 hour.
Notes
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Svetlana says
The liquid in cans contains conservants and it’s not a good idea to use it in cooking. Better replace it with some broth or just water.
sugarlovespices says
Loreto loves to cook with the slow cooker and often says we don’t use it enough. This recipe is perfect (I’ll just replace the chicken) as it uses also chickpeas that we love! Beautiful pictures, as always! 🙂
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
This sounds so good Julia! I totally get you with needing super quick recipes with a baby around, my girl gets irritated with me if I am chopping and sautéing for any length of time 😉 i’m going to try this but replace the chicken with extra chickpeas to make it vegetarian!
Dana Sandonato says
This sounds super hearty and comforting, Julia! Whenever I throw chickpeas into a stew, it’s in the form of a curry. I’ll have to try it with this flavor profile sometime, minus the chicken. I bet it is BOMB.
Liz at Teta Lizza's Kitchen says
Yum! I am always on the lookout for new, delicious and EASY weeknight recipes! This one looks like it fits the bill and more! It’s so tough carving out time during the week to make a hearty meal but I love the slow cooker option to make on a Sunday to then enjoy through the week! Love the collab of Canadian bloggers!
Meaghan says
I am in love with this recipe!! I’ve recently been told I need to up my protein intake – darn carbs are just so tasty!! So I’m in desperate need to dishes like this… with a little bit of rice on the side of course. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hilary from Cocoa Bean, The Vegetable says
I LOVE this kind of dinner- saucy, healthy, and chocked-full of tastiness… but above all, simple to throw together. Definite inspiration for this week! Thanks Julia 🙂
Samantha Dawn says
This is my kind of recipe! You can basically make it one handed! Love the big flavours and the easy eating. And hi, slow cooker! Perfect way to have dinner on the table at the end of the day.
Jessica says
I just bought a new slow cooker, so I’m excited to try your stew recipe. I love meals that come together quickly but seem like you spent all day in the kitchen. I’m not a mom yet, but I appreciate this kind of time saving recipes on days where I don’t feel like cooking.
Jo-Anna says
This looks like the perfect weeknight meal…loaded with delicious and healthy ingredients!