Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas is one of my favorite one-pot meals - hearty, healthy, and mostly hands-off. It's a delicious, warming dinner to make in the fall, and I love having the leftovers for lunch!
Spiced with cumin and coriander, the stew is flavorful but not spicy, making this dish great for anyone who prefers mild dishes. With chicken, legumes, and vegetables all in one pot, it's is packed with protein and fiber - no side dish necessary.
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Why You'll Love Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas
I love this dish because:
- It's a healthy, balanced one-pot meal!
- It's warming and filling, with delicious leftovers.
- The active cooking time is at the beginning! After that it cooks at a low simmer, which means I monitor it occasionally while I clean the kitchen.
I first made this dish in 2018 by adapting Mark Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything (affiliate link), which I consulted a lot for meal planning inspiration that year. His recipe for Stewed Chickpeas with Chicken sounded delicious but used 3 different cooking vessels. That was way too much effort and mess for a single night's dinner, so I streamlined for a simple one-pot meal that's perfect for weeknights, and never looked back.
Ingredients You'll Need
As Bittman notes, this dish has Spanish or North African flavors, but chances are good that you'll already have most of the ingredients you need.
- Chicken
- Onion, celery, and carrots
- Garlic and ginger
- Cumin and coriander
- Broth or bouillon
- Crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, or tomato sauce
- Chickpeas
- Couscous
I typically only cook with chicken breasts since I don't like dark meat. Chicken thighs would also work well, but you may need to cook the dish for longer.
You often add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to braises for flavor. Minced ginger is much less common, but adds warmth and zest to this stew. Frozen or jarred ginger should work fine. Don't try candied or powdered ginger, which doesn't have the same flavor.
Cumin and coriander are the main spices, so don't skip them; you can buy both from Target. This dish is spiced but not spicy; add red pepper if you want it to have heat.
I personally use chicken bouillon instead of broth for convenience. Water or the liquid from the chickpeas should also work.
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) have a dense texture and will remain firm. You can use canned or homemade chickpeas.
I prefer crushed tomatoes or tomato puree over tomato sauce in this recipe, as sometimes tomato sauce has seasonings added that conflict with this dish. Diced tomatoes make the stew too thin and not flavorful enough for my tastes, but I've used them in a pinch. I use part, but not all of, a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes in this; I store the rest in a glass jar and toss them into something like my Mexican Soup recipe.
I add couscous to the braise to bulk it up. Couscous is actually a tiny pasta and not a grain. It's a great addition because it's ready in just 5 minutes, with no cooking over heat.
Step-by-Step Instructions
You'll need a 4-quart pot to make this dish. This quantity of food won't fit in a smaller pot.
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add chicken, and spread the onion, celery, and carrots around it. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables so they don't char.
If your chicken breasts are large, cut them into smaller pieces as I did here; they'll cook better that way.
- Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a minute. Stir in the cumin and coriander, then add the salt and broth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and chickpeas. Start a 30 minute timer and heat the mixture to a low simmer. Cook uncovered, and do not let boil, as boiling will make the chicken tough.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan. Add 1 ⅓ cup water, stir in the couscous, and turn off heat. Let rest 5 minutes for the couscous to rehydrate. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot (which I hadn't done in this picture).
Hint: Chicken breast can be tough if it's overcooked, so be sure that you maintain a low simmer and don't let the mixture boil. If your chicken does seem overcooked, chop it into small pieces so you don't notice it as much.
Serving and Storage
Serve in large bowls, as this is a lot of food. Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.
Leftovers are great for lunch, and will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently. The couscous may soak up extra liquid over time.
Alternatives for Couscous
Plain couscous can be difficult to find sometimes. It often comes in boxes with seasonings; avoid those unless you can discard the seasoning packets. If you can't find couscous, skip adding water and couscous at the end, and serve the stew over any cooked grain. Or serve the brothy dish with some crusty bread!
If you want to add orzo or another small pasta to the pot in place of the couscous, add the extra water with the tomatoes and chickpeas. Add the orzo after the 30 minutes are up, and cook at a simmer for the cooking time listed on the package. You may need to add extra water or cooking time before it's done. Leftovers with pasta will likely become very thick as the pasta will continue to soak up liquid.
To use gluten-free pasta, cook it separately and serve the stew over it; it may become mushy if cooked in the stew. Be sure to check the labels on the other ingredients if you need to eat gluten-free.
Make It Vegan!
To make this vegetarian or vegan, substitute 3 cups of diced eggplant for the chicken (per Mark Bittman's original recommendation), use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and simmer 15 minutes instead of 30. You could also add another 2 cans of chickpeas in place of the chicken.
Key for Success
Watch your cooking temperature - be careful not to have the heat too high, or you will boil the chicken and make it tough. You need to maintain a low simmer.
Recipe FAQ
Not as written, but you can make it gluten-free! Be sure that your broth is gluten-free. Skip adding the water and couscous at the end, and serve the stew over your choice of cooked gluten-free pasta or rice. I don't recommend cooking gluten-free pasta in the dish itself, as the pasta would likely become mushy.
Yes! Substitute 3 cups of diced eggplant for the chicken, use vegetable broth, and simmer for 15 minutes instead of 30. This will make it vegan.
Chicken in Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas becomes tough if cooked at too high a temperature. That's why it's so important not to boil the stew. If the chicken is tough, cut it into very small pieces, instead of shredding it. If you're concerned about keeping the chicken tender, try using chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Yes, absolutely! I've made this with both dried chickpeas that I've cooked and with canned chickpeas. 2 cans of chickpeas actually give you a little less than the 4 cups of chickpeas I recommend in the Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas recipe. You'll need to cook 8 ounces of dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to use in this dish.
I haven't tried making Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas in either a slow cooker or Instant Pot, but it's on my to-try list. For either, omit the water and couscous, and serve the stew over cooked pasta. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours; the chickpeas may become soft or break down. I do not have suggestions for the Instant Pot.
Other Weeknight Meals
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 4 pieces)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (minced or grated)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups chicken broth (16 ounces; bouillon + water is fine)
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (18 ounces)
- 4 cups chickpeas (drained, without liquid; from 2 cans)
- 1 ⅓ cup water (~10.5 ounces)
- ⅔ cup couscous (4 ounces)
- parsley or cilantro (to garnish; optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add chicken breasts. Spread onion, celery, and carrots around it. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Flip the chicken breasts and sear for another 5 minutes, stirring the vegetables once or twice.
- Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cumin and coriander. Add salt and broth, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom. Add tomatoes and chickpeas.
- Set and start a timer for 30 minutes. Bring to a low simmer and cook UNCOVERED, stirring occasionally. Do not let the mixture boil, or the chicken will become tough.
- After the 30 minutes are up, remove the chicken from the pan. Add water and couscous, and turn off the heat. Let the couscous hydrate for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
- Serve in large bowls. Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.
Notes
[Originally published July 24, 2018. Revised and restructured November 11, 2025.]
Leona Konkel says
I love making this recipe. Not only is it a warming and cozy meal - I get to clean my kitchen while it cooks, meaning I really am able to sit and enjoy dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Let me know how it turns out when you try it!