You can make this quick Chicken and Chickpea Stew Recipe with tomatoes on a stove, in a slow cooker, or Instant Pot. Best of all, turn this into a healthy freezer meal.
Love stew? Try this chicken stew and or for hands off dinner make this chicken stew in slow cooker.
Chicken and Chickpeas Stew
I always-always tell people when asked how I manage to cook healthy while raising 2 kids and running a business, that key to success is to cook big pots of soup and stew, stir fry and other types of throw together one pot meals.
Healthy meals like this chicken chickpea stew are affordable because many times anything can go in that pot. They are quick because chop-chop and it doesn’t have to be perfect. And because you open the fridge or freezer and leftovers are staring at you!
Stew Ingredients:
This chicken chickpea stew is great, using the simplest ingredients you could only imagine:
- Boneless and skinless chicken breast (just a pound to make meat more of a side than main ingredient)
- Tomatoes (you can use canned diced)
- Quinoa and cooked chickpeas for protein and healthy carbs boost
- Bell peppers that are so in season right now
- And tahini paste. That 1/2 cup of tahini changes everything for this stew!
How to Make Chicken and Chickpea Stew
- Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of avocado oil to coat and add onion and garlic.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves; stir, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
- Turn off heat; add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.
How to Make a Freezer Meal
- Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a gallon size resealable plastic bag with other ingredients (minus tahini and herbs) to freeze.
- Instant Pot: Freeze all ingredients (minus water/broth, tahini and herbs) in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cook from frozen with 2 cups water or any low sodium broth on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release. Instant Pot chickpeas turn out so tender and buttery!
- Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook with 2 cups water or any low sodium broth on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- After cooking: Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.
Tip: Please note this is large meal, so if you are cooking in anything other than 8 quart Instant Pot (I have one) then freeze in 2 bags or 2 containers. For 8 Quart Instant Pot, freeze the bag standing upright, then it fits and the lid will close.
Check out my full list of 20 healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!
More Quick Healthy Stew and Soup Recipes
- Ground turkey stew
- Instant Pot beef stew
- Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup
- Slow cooker chicken noodle soup
You can also browse through my entire collection of soups and stews for more inspiration!
Chicken Chickpea Stew
Quick Chicken and Chickpea Stew Recipe with tomatoes cooked on a stove, in slow cooker or Instant Pot. Plus how to turn into a healthy freezer meal instructions for busy families. So good!
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 lbs bell peppers seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 lb boneless & skinless chicken breasts cubed
- Avocado oil for frying
- 1 lb tomatoes cubed or 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas rinsed & drained
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth low sodium
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup tahini paste
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil finely chopped
Instructions
- Stovetop: Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of avocado oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves; stir, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
- Instant Pot: Add ingredients in exact order listed: onion, garlic, bell pepper, chicken, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves and tomatoes. DO NOT STIR. Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes and afterwards release pressure with Quick Release method.
- Slow Cooker: Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of avocado oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to a large slow cooker along with chicken, tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves; stir, cover and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
- Last Step for All: Turn off heat; add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
- You might need to add less salt if beans and broth you are using are not low sodium or salt free (for example, my cooked beans are unsalted).
- Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a gallon size resealable plastic bag with other ingredients (minus tahini and herbs) to freeze.
- Instant Pot: Freeze all ingredients (minus water/broth, tahini ,and herbs) in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cook from frozen with 2 cups water or any low sodium broth on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.
- Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook with 2 cups water or any low sodium broth on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- After cooking: Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 641mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!
This meal was like a warm hug. So comforting and yummy! I accidentally added the tahini paste in the IP and cooked it. I added some more after the meal was cooked. Still came out delicious. Froze the left overs and they came in handy when we were sick. Perfect meal for comfort!
So glad you were able to enjoy it multiple times!
It says 2 lbs (2 pounds) bell peppers. Is that correct? I just want to make sure. Is it supposed to be only 2 individual bell peppers instead? Please let me know. Looking forward to making this.
Yes, 2 lbs. It makes a lot so plan accordingly for leftovers or cut in half if needed 🙂
Would it be possible to use long grain white rice in place of the quinoa? Thanks!
It has not been tested with white rice, so I am not sure and cook time may change.
This flavor was great, but it came out a tad mushy. I’m wanting to try again – any tips?
You can try 1/2 cup less water and a bit shorter cook time.
Thanks for the recipe. My boyfriend is vegan so wanted to try this without chicken. Can I leave everything else (including IP cooking time) as written?
Yes!
Absolutely delicious – had to cook it for a bit longer than 20 minutes for the right consistency.
Didn’t have enough tahini so added 1 1/2 tspns of sugar – transformed the dish!!!!
Children liked it or loved it!!!! Thank you
You’re welcome Jasmine!
Was great! I added dry basil instead of real (didn’t have any), I added two cans of rotel in addition to the cans of tomatoes. I added some smoked paprika as well. I added red and yellow peppers with the green.
I did not use the tahini since my wife didn’t want it.
It turned out very well! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your feedback and variations Jory!
There was a bitter-tasting element to the stew I made immediately after it was done cooking. Would the culprit be the bay leaf? After a few hours of letting it sit, the bitterness edged off.
Could be.
If you didn’t rinse the quinoa first, that is likely your culprit. Quinoa always needs rinsing to get rid of a bitter flavor.