Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas
As fall is right around the corner, it’s time for those recipes that warm up the kitchen. I can’t wait to celebrate hearty meals with the season’s flavors! To start this season off right, I give you Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas. This recipe is both nourishing and satisfying, exactly what you need as it gets colder and darker. The combo of tender chicken, protein-packed chickpeas, and warming Moroccan spices makes this dish ideal for cozy evenings, and it all comes together in one pan! With the hustle and bustle of the season, the last thing you want is to have multiple dishes to have to clean. This dish is not only simple to prepare but also has minimal cleanup. I love to serve this dish over couscous or quinoa to soak up all of the rich, flavorful sauce, but it also can go on its own, it’s just that good!
Ingredients:
5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (you can use bone-in skin-on, just make sure you sear your chicken for 2-3 minutes more)
1 can chickpeas
1 tbsp harissa
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 red onion, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Handful chopped parsley
1 lemon, sliced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Add chicken thighs to a bowl and add olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, and thyme and rub until evenly coated. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and place chicken thighs in the pan, cooking undisturbed for 4-5 minutes. Once crispy and golden, flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to separate dish.
Add red onion to the pan, cooking until soft (about 4-5 minutes), then add in your garlic, tomato paste, and harissa, cooking for about 2 minutes. season with salt and pepper. Add chickpeas in with the brine which gives it its flavor, and simmer gently for about 2 minutes.
cut the lemon in half, leaving one half whole and the other sliced into thin rounds.
Add the chicken back into the pan and scatter the lemon slices around the chicken. Transfer to the over and back for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165F. Garnish with the remaining half of the lemon, sprinkle fresh parsley on top, and enjoy!
