Skillet Chicken with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Olives
Updated March 26, 2019
We had a ton of fun with Josh’s brother’s family during the holidays. They stayed with us for about a week and it was a nonstop party. There were six little boys running around so we were always on the go. My sister-in-law and I teamed up in the kitchen to make meals for the crew and one of the favorites from the week was this Skillet Chicken with Chickpeas, Tomato, and Olives. Our boys loved it so much that we made it again last week for dinner. It is a dinner staple now.
When our family was here, we cooked every day because we weren’t about to take six boys under the age of five to a restaurant..ha! One of the days it was snowing and we didn’t want to leave the house so we got creative with what was in our fridge and pantry. We came up with this Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Olives. My sister-in-law is super talented, especially in the kitchen. It was so fun cooking with her all week. She took the lead on this recipe and nailed it!
This chicken dish is full of flavor and is made in ONE skillet. It is super easy, but super impressive. It will make you feel like you are eating at a gourmet restaurant, but you don’t have to go anywhere. The chicken is tender, juicy, and is so good with the chickpeas, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, and basil. We like to serve the dish with rice or quinoa.
Oh, and another bonus? All of the boys loved it, which was kind of a surprise. We had quesadillas as a back up if they wouldn’t eat it, but they all enjoyed it. Ok, Maxwell didn’t eat his olives, but he ate everything else. Caleb actually loves olives so he ate the olives off of Maxwell’s plate. Brotherly love:)
Add this easy and hearty Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Olives to your dinner rotation. It is a family favorite!
Photos by Sarah Fennel
Skillet Chicken with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Olives
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced in half rounds
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
- ¾ cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup kalamata olives pits removed and cut in half
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped basil
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken thighs skin side down and cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
- Remove half of the rendered fat from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onions to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until onions become soft and translucent.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, chicken stock and dried oregano, scrapping any brown bits up from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until mixture comes to a simmer then return chicken thighs, skin side up, to the skillet and continue to cook at medium low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches between 165-175 degrees Fahrenheit. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Top with kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Serve warm.
- Note-we like to serve the chicken with rice or quinoa. It would also be great with pasta.