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Image of Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Stew

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Stew is a hearty meal in a bowl, full of chicken, chickpeas, veggies, and subtle Moroccan flavors.
Servings 4 -6
Author Robyn Downs

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 large carrots chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 15- oz cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 14.5- oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice divided
  • 1 quart 32 oz chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1-3 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, trimmed
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots
  • 4 cups baby spinach

Optional Toppings

  • Green onion chopped
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Hot sauce

Instructions

  • Combine the onion, garlic, carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, chicken stock, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
  • Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Add the shredded chicken, along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the spinach, and the chopped apricots back to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt and lemon juice to taste. Let sit 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt and the apricots to soften.
  • Serve hot, with rice, crusty bread, or on its own. Top with green onion, cilantro, and hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

I used a 6-quart slow cooker to test this recipe.
Use chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a combination of the two.
Use half the amount of chicken (about 1.5 pounds) and an extra can of chickpeas if you want to go lighter on the meat and bump up the fiber even more.
Pull out a portion or two of the stew prior to adding the spinach for people who don't want "green things" in their stew. Serve a salad or raw veggies on the side, instead.
Deconstruct the stew for resistant eaters (you may have to use a fork to pick each part out, but I've found this effort to be worth it when it comes to convincing finicky eaters to try something new). Think chicken, chickpeas, and dried apricots served separately on a plate, a little bowl of broth, and maybe some bread or rice, too.