Quick and Easy Weeknight Chicken and Lentils Recipe

Sometimes weeknight dinners come out so dang delicious. A few simple ingredients and you can create this amazing weeknight chicken and lentils recipe. Some nights everything just comes together nicely.

This dinner was no exception. After a long day in the kitchen, we needed a quick but hearty meal to end the day. With a few minutes of prep, this chicken and lentils recipe comes together quickly. While it is cooking away, your hands are free to finish tidying up from the day.

This recipe is loaded with clean protein and fiber. A great meal that can also carry over into left overs the next day.

All the recipes posted on our blog are open for revision. By no means are the ingredients set in stone. If there is an ingredient that you dislike or maybe would like less or more of, then by all means make that adjustment. Get creative and colour outside the lines.

Easy Weeknight Chicken and Lentils Recipe

Recipe

Onion – 1 Large diced

Garlic cloves – 4 – smashed and rough chop

Olive Oil for cooking

Chicken (thighs & breasts) – deboned, skin removed, cut into 1” pieces

Lentils – 2 cups precooked

Coriander – 2 tsp

Paprika – 1 tbsp

Ground fennel – 1 tsp

Oregano – 2 or 3 sprigs leaves removed from stem and chopped

Canned tomatoes – puree 2 cups

Water - 1 cup

Kalamata Olives – ½ up rough chopped

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Garnish

Feta Cheese – 2 tbsp per serving

Parsley

Olive Oil

Substitutions

Chicken can be subbed out for pork, lamb or even goat.

Rather make a vegetarian dish? Lentils, navy beans, chickpeas are all great choices for a plant based protein.

Instructions

Precook lentils to al dente. These can be cooked in advance.

1. Rinse lentils and remove any small stones (lentils sometimes have stones in the packaging)

2. Cook the lentils in 3 cups of water until tender (season with salt while cooking)

3. Set aside to cool

4. Cut chicken into small bite size pieces. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, fennel and coriander. Set aside until ready.

5. Sweat onion and garlic in olive oil until clear and aromatic

6. Add chicken into the onions and cook until chicken is tender

7. Add in the precooked lentils, tomatoes, oregano and kalamata olives

8. Cook until the liquid is reduced by ¼

9. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Prepare garnishes

1. Rough chop a good handful of parsley

2. Crumble feta cheese

Assembly

1. Place chicken and lentils into a wide bowl

2. Top with a generous amount of parsley. More the better. Parsley is packed with vitamin C

3. Crumble feta cheese on  top and drizzle the entire dish with olive oil

4. Serve with fresh sourdough

Most importantly, ENJOY!