Roast Chicken Breasts With Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Primordial's Note:

This dish comes together fast. The precise cut of chicken you use in this recipe is not crucial. You can use skinless breasts (to cut fat) or boneless (to cut cooking time), or you can use chicken thighs (in which case you should figure on about 10 additional minutes of cooking time). Adapted from a recipe I originally found in Bon Appétit.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves , pressed
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dry crushed red pepper
• ½ cup plain yogurt or ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained
• 1 (12 ounce) container cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 1 cup parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F
2. Mix the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon of the spiced oil mixture into a small bowl, whisk in the yogurt and set this aside for the table sauce.
3. Place the chicken on a rimmed sheet or baking dish large enough to accommodate all the pieces without overlap. Rub 2 tablespoons of the spiced oil mixture over the chicken.
4. Add the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of the cilantro to the remaining spiced oil mixture and toss to coat. Pour the mixture around the chicken pieces. Season everything with salt and pepper.
5. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. If you are using skin-on cuts, you can place the dish under the broiler for a minute or two (no more!) for a final browning. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cilantro.
6. When plating up, dress each chicken piece with a generous spoonful of the chickpea and tomatoes. Serve with the yogurt sauce. This dish goes well with rice or a loaf of good crusty bread.