Portuguese Chicken and Chickpeas with Tomato and Paprika

Name: Portuguese Chicken and Chickpeas with Tomato and Paprika
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 750 g chicken breast, cut into large chunks or thick strips; 1¼ tsp fine salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 1¼ tsp sweet paprika; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large brown onion, finely diced or thinly sliced; 1 red capsicum, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp sweet paprika; ½ tsp smoked paprika; ¼ tsp ground cumin, optional; 1 bay leaf; 400 g tin crushed tomatoes; ½ cup chicken stock; ⅓ cup white wine, or extra chicken stock; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp sugar, or to taste; 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; Extra salt and black pepper, to taste

Tender pieces of chicken and chickpeas simmered in a rich tomato and paprika sauce with garlic, capsicum and fresh parsley. It carries the warmth of Portuguese home cooking without being heavy, and it is especially good spooned over garlic rice or served with crusty bread.

Portuguese chicken and chickpeas in a rich tomato and paprika sauce with parsley.

Paprika and tomato are the quiet backbone of so much Portuguese home cooking, and this dish leans on both. The chicken is seasoned with sweet and smoked paprika before it ever meets the pan, so the flavour is built into every piece rather than sitting only in the sauce. Chickpeas turn it into a proper meal, soft and nutty against the bright tomato, with enough sauce to spoon generously over rice. It comes together in under an hour, which is why it earns a place on a busy night.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40 min · Serves: 6 · Cuisine: Portuguese · Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Chicken

750 g chicken breast, cut into large chunks or thick strips
1¼ tsp fine salt
½ tsp black pepper
1¼ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely diced or thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cumin, optional
1 bay leaf
400 g tin crushed tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock
⅓ cup white wine, or extra chicken stock
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar, or to taste
400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Extra salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Place the chicken in a bowl with the salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika and olive oil. Toss well to coat and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
Heat a large deep frying pan, sauté pan or shallow casserole over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches and brown for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. It does not need to be cooked through at this stage. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the olive oil to the same pan, then the onion and capsicum. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, cumin if using, and the bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the spices smell warm.
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the base of the pan to lift any flavour.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, red wine vinegar and sugar. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the flavour has softened.
Add the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices from the plate. Stir gently to coat, then simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust with extra salt, pepper, vinegar or a little more sugar. Finish with the fresh parsley.

Serving Suggestion

Serve warm with plenty of sauce, spooned over Portuguese Garlic Rice (Arroz de Alho) so the rice catches every bit of it. It is just as good with steamed greens, roasted potatoes, or torn Portuguese Bread Rolls (Papo Secos) for mopping the pan. The sauce is the point here, so be generous with it.

Storage and Freezer Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This dish also freezes well: cool completely, then portion into airtight containers with plenty of sauce around the chicken and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened. Avoid a hard boil when reheating, as chicken breast can toughen.

Make It a Big Batch

To cook the larger freezer batch, simply double everything: 1.5 kg chicken breast, 2 onions, 2 capsicums, 6 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tins crushed tomatoes, 1 cup stock, ⅔ to ¾ cup wine, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and 2 tins chickpeas. Cook exactly as written, browning the chicken in batches and returning it only for the final 8 to 12 minutes.

Notes

Chicken breast cooks fast, so the sauce is built first and the chicken returns near the end. That short final simmer is what keeps it tender instead of dry.

The sugar is not there to sweeten the dish. It balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the paprika.

For a richer version, use chicken thighs instead of breast and simmer them in the sauce a little longer, until meltingly tender.

The white wine adds depth but is easily swapped for extra stock if you would rather cook without it.

The Grace Table Tip

Like most paprika and tomato dishes, this one is even better the next day, once the flavours have had a night to settle together. If you have time, make it ahead and gently reheat: the sauce deepens and the chicken takes on more of the paprika.