Chermoula chicken is an outstanding Moroccan dish that calls for minimal ingredients and is packed with serious flavor! Moroccan chermoula chicken is one of those dishes that will instantly fill your kitchen with flavorful aromas as it bakes in the oven - my favorite! North African cuisine tends to do that, and I’m here for it. I’ll start by saying this is one of my all-time favorite chicken dishes, just outstanding in flavor and it tastes as good as it smells.
It’s so easy to make, and once you prepare your chermoula marinade, all you have to do is pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes. It’s a simple (and yummy) weeknight dinner idea that is sure to be a hit. I love slathering meats, seafood, and vegetables with the stuff, which is why this recipe is one of my specialties!
How To Make Chermoula In Under 2 Minutes | Ep 559
What is Chermoula?
Chermoula is a North African marinade, relish, sauce, and condiment often seen in Moroccan cooking. It’s traditionally made from fresh herbs, spices, seasonings, and a bit of lemon juice. The star of this dish, chermoula, is often compared to chimichurri, salsa verde, and pesto. While it does look similar to all of the above, the flavor profile is quite unique and uses preserved lemon pulp!
It’s a refreshing combination of citrus, herbs like cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme, and mint - depending on the type of chermoula. It also sometimes features lemon juice and olive oil. It’s spicy, herby, and adds brightness to otherwise standard recipes.
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Simply put, it is a North-African marinade commonly used to marinate fish, like this recipe here, and is also used for other meats. The composition of it varies widely from one region to another, and from one dish to another.
Simply blend or pound together fresh cilantro, parsley, and garlic, as well as turmeric powder, cumin, and sweet Hungarian paprika. Then drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice to form the spice blend into Chermoula paste. The Chermoula tenderizes and gives the meat a bright lemony profile, with the complementing flavors of turmeric and fresh herbs. You can grill, oven-roast or pan fry.
Varieties of Chermoula
There are three different varieties: red, green, and yellow.
- Red Chermoula: features preserved lemon, saffron, paprika and harissa.
- Green Chermoula: features fresh mint as well.
My favorite is the red version. Some chefs like to use it as a sauce and others serve it on the side as a condiment.
Ingredients for Moroccan Chermoula Chicken
- Chicken: Opt for boneless chicken thighs! I prefer the skin off - the chicken stays moist as it bakes thanks to the chermoula marinade.
- Chermoula: I love using my red homemade version, but you may be able to find a store-bought version in a specialty foods store.
- Lemons: You’ll need both lemon juice and sliced lemons for this dish.
How to Make Moroccan Chermoula Chicken: Step-by-Step
- Marinate The Chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and rub with chermoula so that it can marinate.
- Prepare The Lemons. Slice a few lemons in half and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Roast them with the cut side down until they are charred.
- Bake The Chicken. Preheat your oven to 400° F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil. Place the marinade and chicken in the dish and cover with foil.
- Broil And Serve. Remove the foil from the Moroccan chermoula chicken and pour some lemon juice over it. Place under your broiler for about 5 minutes to crisp and char the top. Serve with your preferred rice and vegetables.
Tips for the Best Chermoula Chicken
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels before you marinate with chermoula paste.
- I used a mortar and pestle to pound the onion, garlic and herbs mixture to get the consistency that I wanted (using a food processor will result in a very fine paste).
- Make 2-3 light scores on each chicken piece. This will allow the chermoula marinade to penetrate the meat nicely. Season the chicken with a tiny pinch of salt before you rub them thoroughly with the chermoula paste. Marinate for one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Never heard of the world "chermoula" before? That's alright, don't let that intimidate you! It is simply a Moroccan sauce made of spices like cumin, paprika and coriander but also lemon juice, garlic, fresh parsley and fresh cilantro, just to name a few. Can you already tell this roasted chicken recipe is super tasty? This sauce is traditionally used mostly for fish but it delicious with any kind of meat.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve my Moroccan chermoula chicken with several different types of sides!
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- Serve with rice of choice and vegetables.
- Baguettes or a Homemade Moroccan Bread are the absolute number 1 choice for this dish.
- If you don’t have any bread to serve this with, try serving this Tagine on top of couscous. It’s pretty good!
Recipe: Red Chermoula
Grind the saffron threads in the palm of your hand, or in a mortar and pestle (preferred). Mix with 2 tablespoons of warm water in small bowl. Let sit and allow saffron to bloom and draw out as much color as possible. It should be a deep ruby red.
Slice preserved lemons into quarters, then scoop out the pulp. Discard any seeds, save rind for other use. Roughly chop pulp and place in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir through saffron water and use as marinade, basting sauce or relish for seafood and chicken dishes.
Chicken Chermoula Tagine Recipe
Chicken Chermoula Tagine is a simple, succulent, and lemony dish that is beginner-friendly and made with very simple ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Chermoula:
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh coriander
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1/2 cup hot water for the saffron
- 1 small preserved lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Tagine:
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks (about 6-7 drumsticks)
- 1 large red onion
- 1/2 cup pitted olives (kalamata or green)
Instructions:
- Prepare Chermoula: Place your saffron in a heat-safe cup and pour hot water over it. Let it sit to release for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients of the chermoula. Place the finely minced herbs in a large bowl.
- Prepare your preserved lemon: Cut in quarters, and then remove the pulp by sliding a knife along the interior of the skin. Finely chop the pulp, set aside the skin, and add the chopped pulp to the large bowl. Smash and mince garlic. Add to bowl. Add spices (salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin) to bowl. Pour the saffron water atop. Add olive oil and mix.
- Prepare Tajine: Add in the cuts of chicken to the chermoula bowl and mix with your hands until the chicken is well covered. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 4 hours. Roughly chop red onion. Place 1/2 of the chopped onions at the bottom of the tajine. Place your marinated chicken on top of the onions, then pour the remainder of the sauce over top. Cover with the rest of the onions. Chop the lemon skins into cm-wide strips and add to the top of the onions.
- Warm up tajine on medium heat. Cook at a simmer with the cover slightly cracked to allow some steam to escape. We like to use a tablespoon between the bottom and top of the tajine to leave it slightly ajar. The tajine should have enough liquid because of the chermoula and onions, however, keep an eye and ear on it. If you notice that the liquid does evaporate (if you hear it sizzle, for example), you can add a splash of water to prevent it from burning. Cook on a simmer on medium-low for 40-45 minutes, keep an eye on it. You want to cook it until the meat falls off the bone.
- Once the tajine is ready, uncover the tajine and add the olives atop. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes for a saucy tajine. If you like your tajine on the thicker side, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes instead, to let more liquid evaporate and for the sauce to thicken. Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander or parsley, to preference.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 310 kcal
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