Chickpeas with Chicken (Tavuklu Nohut)

Here is a nutritious recipe full of protein. Chickpeas by themselves are full of protein, so for vegetarians, the chicken can be omitted from the recipe and you can still have a tasty and nutritious dish! Chickpeas with chicken or beef are very common in Turkish cuisine; sometimes they are saucy, sometimes on the drier side. Feel free to experiment with different spices and meats.


1 ½ cup chickpeas
1 small onion (chopped fine)
2 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cubed)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tomato paste
2 ½ tsp red pepper paste
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
1 ½ cups water


Soak chickpeas overnight. Drain and boil in a pot for about 30 minutes. They should be soft, but not mushy after boiling.

In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Saute chicken cubes until they start to take whitish color. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add chickpeas and sauté for approximately 6 minutes.

Add salt, cumin, black pepper to the pot. Dissolve the tomato and red pepper pastes in water. Add to the pot. Stir the ingredients in the pot and cook covered on medium heat for approximately 40 minutes. Make sure the chickpeas are soft to eat.

Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve.