Easy, made in one pot, and full of flavor, One-Pot Spiced Rice and Chickpeas is the perfect weeknight comfort food. This 30-minute recipe makes a great side dish or hearty base to rice bowls!
Add the olive oil and rice to a saucepan (one that you can put a lid on later) and cook on med/med-high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
Once the rice has started to turn golden, add all of the spices. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas, bay leaf, and broth to the rice, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Give it a stir, put the lid on, and reduce heat to low/medium-low so that it simmers. Set a timer for 18 minutes.
After 18 minutes, turn off heat and leave the lid on. Let the rice sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. Garnish with chopped cilantro when serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Aleppo pepper gives this dish a mild heat. Omit it if you are adverse to spicy foods. I linked to the one I used to develop this recipe.
This makes about 6-8 side dish servings or 3-4 servings if used as the base of a rice bowl entrée.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge and use within 4 days.
You can freeze this in freezer-safe containers for 3-6 months, but the texture of the rice may change when reheated.