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    One-Pot Chicken and Lentils

    February 12, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Healthy, one-pot, and loaded with warming spices and creamy coconut milk — this easy one-pot chicken and lentils recipe truly celebrates wintery things we crave!

    a bowl of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Healthy, one-pot, braised — this easy one-pot chicken and lentils recipe truly is all the wintery things we crave! Red lentils add a ton of non-startchy nutrition, while chicken thighs shine bright as ever because they just love to be braised. Warm spices, and creamy coconut milk round out this beautiful, warming, hearty supper that saves you time and dishes in a nearly magical way. Need even more ideas? Break out your braiser — we’ve got all our Best One-Pot Recipes rounded up so you can enjoy a whole winter’s worth of easy weeknights.

    chicken thighs, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, spices, stock, coconut milk, lentils and swiss chard in prep bowls

    Key Ingredients for Braised Chicken & Lentils

    • Chicken: For a hearty, healthy braised recipe like this, we’re reaching for chicken thighs every time — our round up of the 30 Best Chicken Thigh Recipes proves that! Deeply flavorful, and still a good source of lean protein, we are chicken thigh evangelists. We’ve opted for skinless and boneless chicken thighs for this one-pot dish, simply for ease of cooking and serving.
    • Lentils: Red lentils, to be exact. With creamy coconut milk and lots of Indian spices, red lentils just felt right. They cook faster than other varieties of lentil, too, so they’re ideal for a recipe like this. Last but not least, red lentils are extremely healthy! Loaded with folate, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, potassium and “about a steak's worth of protein,” they’re definitely a nutritional step up from the usual starchy things we’d pair with braised chicken.
    • Coconut milk: Rich coconut milk (use full-fat for best results!) lends heft without the cholesterol bomb that is heavy cream. 
    • Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
    • Stock: Chicken stock or veggie stock both work well — don’t use beef stock here.  
    • Warm spices: Garam masala, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and fresh ginger — you might recognize this flavorful combination of spices from many Indian recipes, as well as from our Cauliflower Curry, or Coconut Curry Lentil Soup. Fragrant and flavorful, these spices offer many anti-inflammatory health benefits — maybe that’s why we crave recipes like this a little extra during cold season. 
    • Garlic & Onion: Can you even cook a braised chicken dish like this without a base built on these beautiful alliums? We don’t want to know. 
    • Dark leafy greens: We like tender, slightly bitter Swiss chard for this recipe — it kind of melts beautifully into the red lentil and chicken stew — but you could substitute any variety of kale, or even collards in a pinch. 
    chicken thighs seasoned with salt being browned in a pan with olive oil
    chopped onion, garlic and ginger being cooked in olive oil in a braiser
    tomato paste, spices, stock, tomatoes & coconut milk added to a braiser with onion, garlic & ginger
    browned chicken thighs and red lentils added to a braiser with a coconut milk based broth

    How To Make One Pot Chicken and Lentils

    1. Prep the chicken by cutting it into generously bite-sized pieces. Tip: this is easier to do if the thighs are very very cold, or even slightly frozen.
    2. Brown the chicken pieces in your favorite big lidded pot (braiser, Dutch oven, or even a big skillet would work here). Set the browned chicken aside.
    3. Now we’re going to build the lentil stew that the chicken will finish cooking in. Start with onions, garlic and ginger. Add tomatoes (both kinds), spices, stock, and coconut milk.
    4. In go the red lentils and chicken!
    5. Bring it to a boil (always essential with lentils), and then crank the heat down so that the chicken and lentil stew is at just a nice, gentle bubble.
    6. Simmer, covered until the red lentils are tender. This will take anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in the chard right at the end, let it wilt and dig in! 
    swiss chard added to a braised with one pot chicken and lentils
    A hearty one-pot meal featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs, creating a flavorful & comforting stew
    a pot of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint
    a bowl of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint

    Tips + How To Serve

    • On lentil cook times: Lentil cooking time can vary a bit depending on the age of your lentils, so definitely start checking for doneness at 15 minutes, but know that the lentils may take a little longer.
    • This one-pot chicken and lentil recipe can stand alone, but if you want to round it out a little, serve it with warm naan, and a dollop of cool, creamy yogurt.
    • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. While this recipe could be frozen, it’s not our favorite freezer recipe because it’s a little tricky to reheat it without compromising some of the glorious textures.  
    a pot of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint
    a bowl of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint

    More Easy Lentil Recipes To Try

    You, Too, Are A (One-Pot) Wonder! 

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    One-Pot Chicken and Lentils Recipe

    Published February 12, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  40 min
    • Calories:  835
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    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
    • 2 teaspoons turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, drained
    • 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, shaken
    • 1 ½ cups dry red lentils
    • 2 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard
    • Plain Greek yogurt, for serving
    • Fresh mint leaves, for serving
    • Naan bread, warmed, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt. 

      chicken thighs, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, spices, stock, coconut milk, lentils and swiss chard in prep bowls

    2. Heat the olive oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. 

      chicken thighs seasoned with salt being browned in a pan with olive oil

    3. Add the onion to the braiser and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute more. 

      chopped onion, garlic and ginger being cooked in olive oil in a braiser

    4. Stir in the tomato paste, garam masala, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, stock, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk. Add the lentils and the chicken and any collected juices and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Swiss chard and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, uncovered, until wilted, about 5 minutes more.

      swiss chard added to a braised with one pot chicken and lentils

    5. Divide the lentils and chicken among 4 bowls. Serve with a dollop of yogurt, fresh mint, and naan, if using. 

      a bowl of one pot chicken and lentils featuring tender chicken simmered with lentils & aromatic herbs topped with fresh mint

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 835
    • Protein 58 g
    • Carbohydrates 67 g
    • Total Fat 36 g
    • Dietary Fiber 25 g
    • Cholesterol 160 mg
    • Sodium 1322 mg
    • Total Sugars 10 g

    One-Pot Chicken and Lentils

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Mike

      Would spinach work in this as I have no access to kale or collard greens at this time? I may go ahead and try this without any greens as it looks delicious. Thank you for sharing it with us.

      Sure! Hope you enjoy!

    • Stephanie

      Hi! Do you think this recipe would work with pearl couscous instead of lentils?

      Not sure if the liquid ratio would hold up here with pearl couscous as we haven't tried it.

    • Devaki

      This is my go to comfort food now. The flavor was amazing and my kids absolutely loved it!

      So glad you all loved it!

    • Gerry

      I expected this to be good, but it was great!

      Thanks Gerry, so glad you loved it!