Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa is a delicious, easy recipe to kick off your weekend of cozy fall cooking.
Why is Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa the book-inspired recipe for Hello Beautiful?
I was pretty stumped about what my book-inspired recipe would be for Hello Beautiful.
I wanted something bold, like the wonderful Padavano sisters who aren’t afraid to speak their minds and go after what they want. And, I wanted a recipe that was a nod to the main family’s Italian American roots.
It’s revealed toward the end of the book that my favorite character, Sylvie, loves chickpeas. And that was when I decided to make Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa for this post.
Most of you know that I’ve loved cooking with chickpeas more and more over the years, and I’m excited that Hello Beautiful gives me another chance to share a chickpea recipe with you.
Quinoa is just as nice as chickpeas
It’s been awhile since I talked about my love affair with quinoa. So, let’s take a moment to do that, shall we?
My favorite dinners tend to include a lot of sauces, and I need something to sop up all that sauce. While pasta is my preferred side dish, I’ve learned that you can’t eat pasta every single night without needing looser pants by the end of the week. SIGH.
Quinoa’s become my go-to pasta alternative. It’s super easy to cook – even easier than pasta. It’s ready in about 15 minutes, and you don’t have to drain it once it’s cooked.
Sure, there’s not much flavor in quinoa. But there’s not much flavor in plain pasta, either.
Which is why we put sauce on it…
What I love about Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa
I’ve been making Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa for dinner at my house for a long time now. This recipe is based on a dish I saw in Food Network magazine, and I’ve tweaked it over the years to suit my and Mr Tart’s tastes.
Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa is great because in the time it takes to make the quinoa, I can prep the remaining ingredients and start cooking the chicken. Any recipe that allows me to easily multitask is good.
Tons of flavor is packed into this simple, rustic dish. The seared chicken gets a lovely crust from the seasoned rub, and it cooks up juicy and tender in the skillet. The chickpeas and quinoa are coated in a robust sauce made with tomato and fresh herbs, plus all the juices that the chicken cooked in.
It’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s comforting – perfect for a chilly (Chicago) night gathered around the table with family, just like in Hello Beautiful.
Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa makes a great meal during the week, but it also makes for delicious, hearty leftovers for lunches or dinner over the weekend.
What do you serve with Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa?
I usually make green beans to go along with Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa. Some other great sides would be Broiled Broccolini, Thyme Caraway Dinner Biscuits, or a Mixed Berry Spinach Salad.
If you can’t get enough chickpeas, pair it with my Chickpea Shepherd’s Salad that has a tangy, creamy salad dressing. Homemade tzatziki sauce also works well with this dish.
Some tasty dessert options are Monster Cookies, a slice of Man Catcher Cake, or Rose Honey Cake.
Chickpea Chicken and Quinoa
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 4 tbsp low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS and QUINOA COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the quinoa and 1 ¼ cups chicken broth into a medium pot. Heat pot over high heat until boiling, then cover pot with a lid and turn heat to low. Let quinoa simmer 12-14 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Remove pot from heat, fluff quinoa with a fork, and keep warm while you finish prep and cook the chicken.
- Rinse and drain both cans of chickpeas. Set aside.
- Chop parsley and set aside.
- Chop oregano and thyme. Set aside.
- Juice lemon into a small bowl. Whisk the tomato paste, 2 tbsp olive oil, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into the bowl with the lemon juice until combined.
- Measure out 2 tbsp of the tomato paste mixture into a medium bowl. Set aside remaining mixture.
- Add the chicken breasts to the 2 tbsp tomato paste mixture and mix together until chicken is entirely coated. Set coated chicken aside.
CHICKEN COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and sear on one side until brown, 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over the sear other side, 1-2 minutes.
- Pour 2 tbsp chicken broth into the skillet, then cover with lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and let chicken cook 7-10 minutes minutes, or until cooked completely through.
- Transfer cooked chicken from the skillet to a plate; keep warm. Keep the skillet on over low heat and leave any juices in the pan.
- Stir the cooked quinoa, drained chickpeas, remaining tomato paste mixture, remaining 2 tbsp chicken broth, and chopped oregano and thyme into the skillet. Let cook over low heat until the chickpea mixture is warmed through, 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Nestle the cooked chicken breasts back into the skillet around the chickpea and quinoa. Garnish with chopped parsley, if using. Serve warm.
