I adore Indian. My kids, not so much, so when I threw together this chickpea and chicken curry recipe and they downed it, I knew I had to share this recipe with you, too. I included some affiliate links for you to more easily find ingredients, which earns me a small commission if you purchase.
To be honest, I made this chickpea and chicken curry as a crepe filling for Shrove Tuesday. I added this idea at the last minute, as I had planned to make cherry syrup and cinnamon apples for the crepes. My mom sense kicked in, and I realized that sugar on top of sugar (we also had packzis for dessert) was quite possibly one of the worst ideas I’d ever had.
####Side note: If you own an Instant Pot, make this version of the recipe instead.
I still made those fillings, but I decided to create something with chicken (because I had half a rotisserie chicken in the fridge for quinoa burrito bowls earlier in the week). Digging in the pantry, I discovered forgotten cans of chickpeas and coconut milk, which inspired this chicken curry. The best part? This dish came together while I made the rest of the dinner – include a triple batch of my crepe recipe – for my family and friends joining us for dinner.
Indian cooking can feel intimidating, but it’s all about layering flavor and then letting it meld. Essentially, you throw everything into a pot and let it do its thing. That’s totally my kind of cooking. I used premixed curry powder for this recipe, which makes it easier than tracking down a variety of Indian spices. Win all around.
You may notice that I talk about making this as a crepe filling. It was fabulous as a filling. I promise you. Unfortunately, the hungry beasts at my house Tuesday night gave me no time to take photos. This bowl? That’s it. That’s all they didn’t eat.
Granted, I should take that as a compliment, right? My daughter who turns up her nose every time I add coconut milk to anything (ergo the random can in the pantry) and my son who hates all things “spicy” and chickpeas and tomatoes had three crepes with this. My mom texted me the next day to ask when I planned to make again. Everyone wants this in the regular rotation, and I’m totally cool with it.
And yes, this is flexible. It works wonderfully as a filling for a savory crepe, and it’s just as delicious served over basmati rice. The fact that my chickpea and chicken curry happens to be naturally dairy free and gluten free makes it perfect for serving to a wider audience. I actually plan to bring this to the PTO presidents’ meeting where I am in charge of lunch. Omit the chicken and add an extra can of chickpeas, and you can turn this into a great vegan dish, too.
Can you tell I’m in love?
How to Make Chickpea and Chicken Curry
As with any Indian dish, start with a good wide bottom pan. I love my bouillabaisse pot, as it rounds to the sides. Turn your heat to medium, and let it heat while you chop your onion. Add oil to the pot, then the onion.
While the onion starts to cook and turn translucent, mince your garlic and add it to the pot, then grate your ginger over it. Stir and cook just until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add turmeric and curry powder. Stir and let cook another couple minutes until fragrant.
Add bay leaves and tomatoes, including the juice, and let cook down for five or so minutes.
While this cooks down, rinse and drain chickpeas and chop your cooked chicken into bite size pieces. Add chickpeas, salt, chicken, and coconut milk, then stir. Cover your pot, then turn the heat down to low so the mixture can simmer. Cook for a half hour covered, then uncover and let simmer another half hour.
Taste for seasoning, and add more salt if needed. Remove bay leaves and serve as a filling for crepes or over basmati rice.
What’s your favorite Indian dish? Have you ever tried a chicken curry at home?

Chickpea and Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 4 teaspoons curry powder
- 15 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 15 ounces can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 13.5 ounces can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound chicken cooked and chopped
Instructions
- Turn heat to medium, and heat a heavy wide bottom pan while chopping the onion. Add oil to the pot, then the onion.1 tablespoon oil, 1 medium yellow onion
- While the onion cooks, mince garlic and add it to the pot, then grate ginger over it. Stir and cook just until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add turmeric and curry powder. Stir and let cook another couple minutes until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 4 teaspoons curry powder
- Add bay leaves and tomatoes, including the juice, and let cook down for five or so minutes.2 bay leaves, 15 ounces can diced tomatoes
- While this cooks down, rinse and drain chickpeas and chop cooked chicken into bite size pieces. Add chickpeas, salt, chicken, and coconut milk, then stir. Cover pot, then turn the heat down to low so the mixture can simmer. Cook for a half hour covered, then uncover and let simmer another half hour. Taste for seasoning after it has cooked and add more salt if needed.15 ounces can chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 pound chicken, 13.5 ounces can coconut milk
- Remove bay leaves and serve as a filling for crepes or over basmati rice.
Notes
- Sub out the chicken for another can of chickpeas to make this a vegan dish, as well. This is perfect for a Lenten Friday or Meatless Monday meal. Leftovers the next day are even better, as the flavors have more time to marry.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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[…] but I didn’t believe her. I set out to prove her wrong, and I succeeded when I first made my standard version of chicken curry. The recipe for the Instant Pot version is fairly similar, but I switched up a few […]
Mmm! We love Indian food. I usually take the lazy route and use the jarred simmer sauces but they don’t have a good curry sauce. I need to try your recipe. I also mix chickpeas with cauliflower in Indian recipes. They taste delicious together.
I always just got with what I have in the pantry, which generally means no simmer sauces for me – mostly because I don’t plan enough in advance! 😉 This was great and yes cauliflower would be fabulous in this, too! But again… that planning thing. I didn’t have any in my fridge this time. I’ll have to remember that and pick some up for next time. Great idea!