With its aromatic garlic, tender chicken, and hearty chickpeas, Jamie Oliver’s garlic chicken recipe offers a delightful blend of textures and tastes.

The restaurateur and cookbook author shared this recipe, which serves two, from his book ‘5 Ingredients Mediterranean’ on his website.

The Naked Chef star drew inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine to create a nutritious and fragrant meal that can be prepared in as little as 18 minutes.

He said: “Inspired by some of the wonderful flavours of Lebanon, this quick dish is perfect for an easy meal.

“Hunting out nice fat jarred chickpeas is game-changing when it comes to both flavour and texture.”

Jamie Oliver’s garlic chicken recipe

Ingredients

Four cloves of garlic

Two 150g skinless free-range chicken breasts

½ x 700g jar of chickpeas

250g baby spinach

One heaped teaspoon sumac

Instructions

Peel and slice the garlic cloves lengthwise. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil.

Stir the garlic frequently until it turns golden. Meanwhile, cut each chicken breast into three strips lengthwise and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Once the garlic is golden, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan, leaving the oil behind.

Add the chicken strips to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are golden and cooked through, turning them occasionally.

After cooking the chicken, take it out of the pan and add the chickpeas, including their juices.

Incorporate the spinach, most of the garlic, and one tablespoon of red wine vinegar.

Toss everything in the pan until the spinach has wilted and the chickpeas are heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return the chicken to the pan, mix in the reserved garlic, and finish with a good sprinkle of sumac.