Thanks to a friend’s recent suggestion, I decided to incorporate more chickpeas into my meals. I usually just use them whenever I make hummus, but chickpeas are definitely more versatile than that. So for a recent dinner, I thought I’d roast them along with my protein.

I’m a big fan of one-pan meals, more so if they’re cooked in the oven. They’re just so convenient, and they always turn out delicious. Minimal effort but big returns. Same case here for this Roasted Chicken and Chickpeas recipe.

For this one, I picked some staple spices and ingredients that I figured would go well together. Here, the honey and cumin are the major stars. But you can definitely switch things up and play around with the spices, especially if you already have your favorite combinations.

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces chicken thigh fillets (or breast fillets, if you prefer)
• 200 grams canned chickpeas, rinsed and dried
• lemon slices to garnish
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions:

1. Clean and dry the chicken. Drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas.
2. In a bowl (large enough to fit the chicken and chickpeas later), make the marinade by mixing the olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, vinegar, and honey.
3. Add the chicken and chickpeas to the bowl and mix until well coated.
4. Marinate for 15 minutes in the fridge.
5. Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F), and line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Place the chicken and chickpeas on the baking tray. Spread them around to ensure even cooking.
7. Drizzle the rest of the marinade over the chicken and chickpeas.
8. Place the lemon slices on the chicken and chickpeas.
9. Roast for 25–30 minutes, plus a couple minutes on broiler mode for some nice browning on top.
10. Serve and enjoy!

This dish turned out sweet and earthy, primarily due to the honey, cumin, and the natural flavor of the chickpeas. The chicken was juicy, while the chickpeas were nicely roasted, slightly soft but not mushy. With the success of this one, no doubt I’ll be making more chickpea dishes soon!

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