One-Pan Crispy Chicken and Chickpeas

By Yossy Arefi

Published March 20, 2023

One-Pan Crispy Chicken and Chickpeas
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(2,251)
Comments
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This speedy, no-fuss meal comes together in one pan with a minimal ingredient list — and barely requires any chopping. The chicken skin crisps as it roasts and the chickpeas, garlic and spinach soak up any juices at the bottom of the pan. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens up the whole dish. Make sure to stir the chickpeas and spinach together gently at the end to avoid breaking up the chickpeas too much. For added flavor, you could dust the chicken with smoked paprika, ground turmeric or your favorite spice blend before cooking. Serve this dish with yogurt and hot sauce on the side, and flatbread, if you like.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1¾ pounds)
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 2teaspoons olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 2(15-ounce) cans of chickpeas, rinsed
  • 4large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4(packed) cups or 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
  • 1large lemon, halved
  • Yogurt and hot sauce (both optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

641 calories; 31 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 1060 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center.

  2. Step 2

    Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Put the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until light golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Add the chickpeas and garlic to the skillet and stir to coat in the oil and juices. If the pan seems at all dry, drizzle in a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Place the chicken on top of the chickpeas, skin side up, in an even layer and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the chicken to a clean plate, put the pan back on the stovetop over medium heat and add the spinach to the chickpeas in the pan, one handful at a time, stirring it until just wilted. Add the chicken back to the pan and squeeze a lemon half over the top; cut the remaining lemon half into 4 wedges. Serve the chicken, chickpeas and spinach with the lemon wedges on the side, and yogurt and hot sauce for serving, if you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,251 user ratings
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Comments

Patrick

All in all a solid base to build on. I like these kinds of instructions because this tastes like a 6 or 7/10 as is, but you can elevate it to your liking to improve even more. Different veg, more veg, more spices for the chicken and veg, garnish of some sort, etc.

Eric from Alaska

Just made this last night. Did per recipe, no deviations. Absolutely delicious. Lemon at the end is key. The short browning of the skin at the beginning renders chicken fat and juice which makes a nice little sauce for the garlic and chickpeas to cook. Agree that this recipe offers lots of possible variations. Fast, easy, inexpensive, very tasty and satisfying meal.

Jannette

I don't think it is really necessary to brown the chicken first. It will get lovely crispy and browned just being in the 400F oven (I do this all the time, coating the chicken thighs in Herbes the Provence and roasting for 30 min), and the drippings will flavor the chickpeas. But I really like the chicken, chickpea and spinach combo!

Laura

I added paprika and dry harissa and used leg quarters in a le creuset braising dish. I used only 1 can of chickpeas and was able to fit 5 leg quarters into the dish. I had rainbow chard so I used that. My chickpeas never got crispy, and the chicken skin wasn’t very crispy either, even with an extra 30 minutes in the oven. The flavor was delicious, though. I served it with rice and it was a very satisfying, healthy meal.

Cathy

I followed the recipe and opted not to use yogurt. I will do so the next time. I added feta cheese and more lemon which added to the flavor of the chickpeas. The addition of feta gave it that Mediterranean flair. I would also add more spinach. All in all it was very tasty.

Covered?

Covered when baking or not ?

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