This Chicken and Chickpea Curry is the perfect one-pot meal—flavorful, hearty, and incredibly easy to make. Inspired by South Asian cooking, it brings together warming spices, tender chicken, and protein-rich chickpeas in a rich, comforting curry that’s both budget-friendly and satisfying.
It’s a go-to dinner when you want big flavor without the fuss—all for just 2 Points per serving. If you love this recipe, don’t miss our full lineup of easy, healthy Weight Watchers dinners—each one crafted to keep you full, on track, and excited to cook.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 400 g
- Number of Servings: 4
- Time to Cook: 35 minutes
- 2 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)
Ingredients in Chicken and Chickpea Curry
- 1 chicken breasts, (about 250 g), cut into cubes
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, (320 g), drained if canned
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped, (100 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed, (6 g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, (6 g)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, (30 g)
- 1 large tomato, grated or crushed, (120 g)
- 1 tablespoon oil, (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder, (2 g)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric, (1 g)
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, (1 g)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, (2 g)
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth, (720 ml)
- 1 fresh green chili (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions for making Chicken and Chickpea Curry
- Place a large pot over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, and bay leaves. Toast them for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they release their aroma. Add the curry powder, turmeric, and paprika, and quickly stir to create a fragrant paste.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Then add the tomato paste and grated tomato. Mix well and cook for 3–4 more minutes.
- Add the raw chicken cubes directly to the pot and stir so they’re well coated in the sauce. Add the chickpeas and broth, and the chopped green chili if you like it spicy. Season with salt and pepper, partially cover, and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- If you want a creamier texture, you can mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot with a spoon or use an immersion blender for a few seconds. Serve hot, either on its own or with steamed rice or naan bread.
Tips and Tricks Section for Chicken and Chickpea Curry
Making a perfect curry is quite simple, but here are some tips to make it so much better.
- In the West, we prefer to sauté the chicken to see those golden pieces. Although it’s not essential in this recipe, this step improves it considerably, especially for Western palates.
- What is fundamental is using whole spices and toasting them well: once you try it, you’ll notice that the flavors are more intense, just as a good curry requires.
- If you want an authentic curry, add a little coconut milk at the end of cooking. I’ve omitted it to save points, but it works very well.
- Regarding the chickpeas, if you use canned ones, rinse them to eliminate excess sodium; and if you cook them at home, make sure they’re completely soft. You should be able to mash them with a utensil.
- Finally, if you want a creamier texture, use a wooden spoon and mash some chickpeas against one of the pot’s walls… or go ahead and introduce an immersion blender for just a few seconds.
- And if you prepare plenty, you’ll treat yourself well the next day… the best part? You can even freeze them.
Related Recipe Chicken and Chickpea Curry
Chicken and Chickpea Curry
A healthy and easy Indian-inspired main.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breasts, (about 250 g), cut into cubes
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, (320 g), drained if canned
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped, (100 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed, (6 g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, (6 g)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, (30 g)
- 1 large tomato, grated or crushed, (120 g)
- 1 tablespoon oil, (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder, (2 g)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric, (1 g)
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, (1 g)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, (2 g)
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth, (720 ml)
- 1 fresh green chili, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, and bay leaves. Toast them for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they release their aroma. Add the curry powder, turmeric, and paprika, and quickly stir to create a fragrant paste.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Then add the tomato paste and grated tomato. Mix well and cook for 3–4 more minutes.
- Add the raw chicken cubes directly to the pot and stir so they’re well coated in the sauce. Add the chickpeas and broth, and the chopped green chili if you like it spicy. Season with salt and pepper, partially cover, and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- If you want a creamier texture, you can mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot with a spoon or use an immersion blender for a few seconds. Serve hot, either on its own or with steamed rice or naan bread.
Notes
2 WW Points per serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 398gCalories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 23gFat: 7.6gSaturated Fat: 0.9gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 1266mgPotassium: 584mgFiber: 7.9gSugar: 6.6gCalcium: 63mgIron: 3.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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