Because I make so much hummus at home I tend to buy my chickpeas in bulk at BJ's and so I always have a few cans banging around in my pantry. If you don't keep canned (or dry) garbanzos on hand then you should, you can use them in SO many ways. When I saw the recipe that inspired this dish in a recent Bon Appetit I pulled it from the mag and made it straight away, that's how much I knew I was going to like it!
I did tweak the recipe a bit to incorporate a few other things crying out from my fridge to be used, namely the fresh oregano, arugula, and roasted tomatoes. This spicy and HEALTHY meal was a huge hit, and as with most dishes that are roasted/braised, just gets better the more you re-heat it so make lots and plan for super tasty left-overs!
Cheers – Steve
Chicken with Spicy Chickpeas and Arugula
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks or a combo of the two
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sambal-olek (or other chili paste)
- 1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- handful of oven roasted tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups baby arugula
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 ℉.
- Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
- Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, add garlic and stir to combine, cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, sambal-olek and oregano, and bring to a simmer.
- Place chicken back in the pan (skin side up) and pop the pan into the oven. Roast until cooked through, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the chicken on plates. Toss the tomatoes and arugula into the chickpeas, stir to combine and wilt the arugula. Check for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon onto the plates next to the chicken and serve with crusty warm bread and a fresh green salad.