Chicken and Chickpea Curry (Easy Weeknight Meal)

Here’s a twist on standard chicken curry to add a pop of flavor and good nutrition to your dinner menu. This Chicken and Chickpea Curry is made in just one skillet from budget-friendly and convenient ingredients. Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice for a dinner you’ll be proud to serve and look forward to having the leftovers. We love the combination of chicken and chickpeas, but you could make this recipe 100% plant-based by adding an additional can of chickpeas to replace the chicken.  

One-Skillet Curry made with chickpeas

If you love the deeps flavors of a curry recipe, you’re going to love this veggie-loaded curry that includes a few convenient and healthy ingredients, including canned chickpeas and frozen cauliflower. We’ve chosen to include those ingredients because they provide great nutrition and also cook quickly, making this a true 30-minute meal that will make your weeknight meals colorful and delicious!

Ingredients for Chicken and Chickpea Curry

Here are the ingredients to gather to make this chickpea curry recipe tonight:

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Onion
• Red bell pepper
• Garlic cloves
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• Canned full-fat coconut milk – may substitute light coconut milk to reduce the total fat, if desired
• Chickpeas – used canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for quick convenience
• Frozen cauliflower florets
• Spices – you’ll need curry powder, ground turmeric, dried ginger, fine salt, and black pepper
• Fresh baby spinach – may substitute frozen bagged spinach

• Optional for serving – chopped fresh cilantro, steamed rice, and lime wedges

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing kcals, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, fiber, sugar, sodium, total fat, and more per serving.

How to make chickpea curry

This weeknight recipe comes together in these 4 simple steps:

1. Cook the chicken: In a large skillet, cook the diced chicken breast until cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
2. Sauté the veggies: In the same skillet, sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic.
3. Add the remaining ingredients: Stir in the cooked chicken, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, cauliflower, curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Simmer and stir in the spinach: Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then add the spinach and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes before removing the skillet from the stovetop. Serve over steamed rice with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Recipe Swaps & Substitutes

Make it Grain-Free

This recipe is naturally grain free, however, if you serve it over rice it is not. If you’d like a grain-free dish, serve it over cauliflower rice instead

Make It Vegan

Since this recipe is dairy free, you can make it vegan by simply swapping out the chicken and adding an additional can of chickpeas

Healthy ingredients in this Coconut chickpea curry

There are a number of nutrient superstars in this chickpea curry recipe, including:

• chickpeas – a great source of fiber, plant-based protein, and essential minerals
• coconut milk – a good source of plant-based fats, including medium-chain fatty acids that digest more quickly than other types of fats
• canned tomatoes – one of the best sources of antioxidant lycopene
• spices – a good source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, including curcumin, quercetin,, lutein, zeaxanthin
• chicken – a complete protein source that’s rich in B vitamins and some minerals

How to serve this chickpea curry recipe

We think a waring bowl of this coconut chickpea curry tastes delicious spooned over perfect cooked jasmine rice and garnished with fresh lime wedges for squeezing and fresh cilantro. You could also serve it with naan bread, over quinoa or cauliflower rice, or simply eat it as is.

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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

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