Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas

One pot easy baked chicken thighs with smoked paprika, onions, and chickpeas!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated July 25, 2022
Elise Bauer
Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas
Elise Bauer

Do you ever cook with smoked paprika? It's one of my favorite spices, reminds me of barbecued potato chips. It's great with chicken and also perfect with chickpeas.

So for this dish, I decided to marry the two—chicken and chickpeas, all coated with smoked paprika (and some pepper and oregano), and bake them on a bed of sliced onions.

Perfect! Especially for a no-fuss midweek meal.

The chickpeas provide enough starch for the chicken, so there's no need for rice or potatoes. The dish does need a splash of green, which is ably accomplished by the addition of either chopped cilantro or parsley.

Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas Recipe in baking dish
Elise Bauer

Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Feel free to add other spices if you have them on hand, like ground cumin, coriander, even a pinch of cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs (we used bone-in, skin-on), trimmed of excess fat

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Method

  1. Coat chicken with spices:

    Stir together the smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and ground oregano in a large bowl. Place the chicken thighs in the bowl and toss to coat completely with the spices.

    paprika-chicken-chickpeas-method-0
    Elise Bauer

    You can do this several hours ahead, or right before cooking. Your choice. The longer the chicken sits in the rub, the more the flavors will permeate.

  2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  3. Layer a casserole dish with sliced onions:

    Place the thinly sliced onions in the bottom of a casserole dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces with room in between.

    paprika-chicken-chickpeas-method-1
    Elise Bauer

    Toss with about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and spread out in an even layer at the bottom of the dish.

  4. Add chickpeas, lemon, oil to chicken:

    Add drained chickpeas, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil (2 Tbsp minus 1 teaspoon) to the bowl with the chicken and spices.

    Toss to coat the chicken evenly with the lemon and oil, and make sure that the chickpeas are coated with the spice mixture as well.

    paprika-chicken-chickpeas-method-2
    Elise Bauer
    paprika-chicken-chickpeas-method-3
    Elise Bauer
  5. Arrange chicken and chickpeas over onion slices:

    Arrange chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the sliced onions in the casserole dish. Arrange the chickpeas between the chicken pieces.

  6. Bake:

    Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is at least 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer, and the top is lightly browned.

    Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

    Serve with a side salad.

Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
471 Calories
28g Fat
18g Carbs
41g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 471
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 194mg 65%
Sodium 958mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 560mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.