Make this one pan healthy chicken and quinoa with spinach and chickpeas in under 30 minutes for dinner! This chicken recipe is super easy, gluten-free, healthy and filling!
I’ve got to be honest with you. This was not a planned recipe. It’s one of those recipes I make when I’m cleaning out the fridge. And the brave volunteers include: some cooked quinoa, some leftover chicken, spinach that did not make it into a smoothie and some leftover chickpeas that did not become hummus that week. Oh, and then there’s the little bit of sour cream that I had to finish.
Put it all in a large skillet, cook for a little bit and…it’s miracle! We’ve got FOOOOOOD. A healthy dinner that was easy to make and tastes great.
3 Steps To Make Chicken And Quinoa
Sauté. You want to start by sautéing the onion with the spices. This step is super important, because it helps develop the flavor of the spices.
Chicken. Right after sautéing the spices with the onion, it’s time to add the chicken, so that it soaks up those flavors and actually gets cooked properly, you do not want to be eating uncooked chicken.
Quinoa. When the chicken is almost done it’s time to add the quinoa and the rest of the vegetables, and cook them for around 2-3 more minutes, so that the vegetables still have that fresh touch.
Use Your Leftover Vegetables
You really can’t do anything wrong with this recipe. Well unless you add vanilla, yogurt or sugar or something.
But if you don’t have spinach and need to use other leftover vegetables, you totally can here.
Broccoli? Put it in there.
Peppers? They belong here.
Carrots? Chop them up and stir them in!
Recipe Options
This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
It can easily be turned into a dairy-free recipe by simply leaving out the sour cream. If you’re doing this, adjust with some more tomato sauce or add your favorite dairy-free sauce.
Now, I am sure many vegans would come to a recipe called chicken and quinoa, but in case you ended up here: make this recipe plant-based by leaving out the dairy and the chicken. Add some more chickpeas or more vegetables and it will be very delicious!
Now here’s the recipe!
One Pan Chicken And Quinoa (with Spinach & Chickpeas)

This one-pan chicken and quinoa is an easy healthy dinner idea you can make in under 30 minutes! With chickpeas and spinach, this quinoa recipe is filling, gluten-free, high-fiber and high-protein!
Ingredients
- 4 oz / 150g chicken breast, cubed
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/3 cup basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion
Instructions
- Sauté the onion with olive oil, cumin, coriander and the crushed red pepper until fragrant.
- Add the chicken cover with a lid for 3-4 minutes or until almost done.
- Stir in the chickpeas and add a little bit of water (if needed, about 2 Tbsp) and the sour cream and tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the quinoa and the spinach. Finally stir in the garlic and basil and cook, while stirring for 1-2 more minutes until everything is combined.
- Serve warm!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 402Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 228mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 9gSugar: 5gProtein: 26g
I hope you enjoy this easy quinoa and chicken, let me know if you make it or if you have any questions!
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