This delicious dish is another one of my favorites. It’s definitely company-worthy but is simple enough to make for a weekend dinner at home. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour overall, but it’s well worth the time. You probably already have most of the ingredients. If you don’t have sumac, you can add the zest from another half lemon. It’s such a delicious seasoning, though, and this dish is the perfect excuse to buy some! 

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

¼ cup flour

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion

1 large lemon

1½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp ground sumac

1½ cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1 Tbsp honey

1½ cups cooked and drained dried chickpeas (or one 14-oz can, rinsed & drained)

⅔ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (about 3 oz.)

small bunch fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1.) Chop the onion, and set aside. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt & pepper.

2.) Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Lightly dredge the first piece of chicken in the flour, shaking gently to remove any excess. Add to the hot oil in the pan. Repeat with a few more pieces, depending on how big your pan is. Give them plenty of room to get the best browning. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes, turning each piece just once, until nicely browned but not cooked through.

3.) As each piece finishes browning, transfer it to a plate. Add another piece of chicken to the pan, using up to 1 Tbsp more oil as needed.

4.) When all the chicken has been browned, add the last 1 Tbsp oil to skillet. Add onion; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until soft and brown, stirring occasionally. While onion cooks, zest the lemon and squeeze all its juice.

5.) Add lemon zest, cumin, paprika, sumac, and cinnamon. Cook & stir 1 minute.

6.) Stir in broth and lemon juice. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 8 – 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning chicken once. While the chicken simmers, roughly chop the olives.

7.) Stir in honey, chickpeas, and olives. Cook about 2 minutes or until beans are thoroughly heated. While the beans cook, chop the cilantro and set aside.

8.) If the sauce is too runny, remove the chicken and beans to a serving platter. Turn up the heat on the pan, and cook until the sauce is reduced to desired consistency. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro to serve.

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