One of the most enjoyable activities in the kitchen is experimenting, especially with spices. Many cooks often stick to tried and true combinations, but exploring new flavors can lead to delightful discoveries. This Moroccan chicken recipe aims to provide a warm, comforting, healthy, and simple dish.
Moroccan chicken is tender, succulent, and full of exotic flavor. It's an easy recipe that can be prepped in advance, making it the perfect dish for company.
Living in a diverse city offers the wonderful opportunity to sample international cuisines. These dining experiences serve as inspiration for creating comforting recipes, blending flavors and spices in unique ways.
This Moroccan chicken recipe is a divinely comforting offering, turning simple split chicken breasts into a meal brimming with spices.
Warmly spiced, this ultra comforting Moroccan chicken is a rich and earthy dish. Prepared with tomatoes, onions, garlic, chickpeas, notes of citrus, plus smokey spices, this abundantly saucy chicken recipe comes complete with a quick and easy lemon and toasted almond couscous for extra coziness!
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This recipe has become a favorite in so many homes across the globe, and I’m going to tell you why. It is perfectly balanced.
If you’ve never had Moroccan-spiced food before, then you definitely need to. And this chicken is a great place to start. You get the smoky flavor of paprika and cumin, with that hint of spice from the red pepper flakes. Then top it with a creamy garlic sauce.
The flavors of lemon, garlic and ginger in these Moroccan chicken skewers are amazing! And that pretty green sauce?
The citrusy, flavorful marinade for this chicken not only infuses the meat with loads of flavor, but it also ensures the grilled chicken will be juicy and tender. Not tough and leathery.
The combination of spices in this recipe came after several test rounds. Garam Masala, a complex blend of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and more, forms the base of this seasoning. Smoked Paprika is another key ingredient and cannot be replaced with regular paprika. Sumac is optional but adds a bright, almost sour flavor that complements the other spices.
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I like to use whole spices when possible, but in the dozen times I have made this the past month I also used all ground spices with equally impressive results.
To coat the chicken I found it easiest to mix the spices in a large zip top bag followed by shaking it with the chicken until it is completely coated. Browning the chicken in the pan before allowing it to cook in the oven leaves an ultra crispy skin.
The notes of cumin, cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, plus orange and lemon zest create a rich, earthy, and slightly citrusy depth to this chicken dish.
And the diced tomatoes, onions, garlic and chickpeas add a layer of texture and hearty comfort that makes each spoonful utterly delectable.
Served over a lemon and toasted almond couscous, this Moroccan chicken is my personal way of making use of some of the classic flavors and ingredients found in Moroccan cooking, and to pay homage to a fantastically flavorful and rich cuisine, made very simply in my home kitchen.
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My Recipe for Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Toasted Almond CouscousFor my Moroccan chicken dish, I like to use two pairs of split chicken breasts with their bones in and skin on. This is the equivalent of four individual chicken breasts that have been separated.
I then like to gently braise the split breasts in the rich sauce that I create, to allow them to become extra tender and juicy, with a succulent texture once simmered.
After a quick sear in the pan, the sauce is prepared and then the chicken is added back in to slowly braise for about 40 minutes, just until cooked through and tender.
When finished, one can either leave the split chicken breasts whole and serve them that way, or cut the meat from the bone to create slices, or even shred the meat, if desired.
Spooning all of this deliciousness over top of the lemon and toasted almond couscous, which takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, completes this dish and tastes a little like heaven!
Here's a glance at my Moroccan chicken recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)To get started, I season my split chicken breasts and sear them off for a few minutes until golden brown in my Dutch oven.
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Moroccan Chicken Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 4 bone-in, skin on, split chicken breasts (smaller ones are better for this)
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 cups chicken stock, hot
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon and Toasted Almond Couscous Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups couscous
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup toasted, sliced almonds
Preparation:
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your chicken ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- In a small ramekin, combine the cumin, coriander, cinnamon and smoked paprika with a fork, and set aside.
- Place the 4 split chicken breasts into a large bowl or onto a large platter, and drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Next, sprinkle about half of the spice mixture from the the ramekin over the chicken breasts, along with a couple of generous pinches of salt and black pepper, and rub the spices into the chicken. Set the remaining half of the spice mixture aside for a moment.
- Place a large, heavy-bottom and deep pan or Dutch oven over medium-high/high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the oil becomes very hot, add the chicken breasts, skin-side down, and allow the skin to sear and become golden-brown, about 5-6 minutes. Then, flip the chicken over, and allow it to sear on the bone-side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, and set them aside for a moment. Then, reduce the heat to low/medium-low, add in the sliced onion, and allow it to lightly caramelize for 2-3 minutes (add a touch more olive oil if needed), scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
- Add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the remaining half of the spice mixture from the ramekin, and stir to incorporate.
- Next, stir in the tomato paste, and allow it to cook for just a moment or two, then add in the chopped tomatoes, the chickpeas, the orange zest and the hot chicken stock, and stir to combine.
- Nestle the chicken breasts back into the pot, bone-side down and skin-side up, and cover the pot with the lid slightly askew to vent. Simmer the chicken gently on low for about 40 minutes.
- While the chicken simmers, gather and prep all of your couscous ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
To prepare your couscous, add the water, olive oil and salt into a small pot, and place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover tightly with a lid for 5 minutes until all the water is absorbed, and after 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork. Add in the lemon zest and the almonds, and fluff with fork to incorporate the ingredients, then keep the couscous warm.
To finish the Moroccan chicken, stir in the chopped parsley, chopped cilantro and lemon zest, and add a pinch or two more of salt/pepper, if necessary. At this point, you can leave the chicken breasts on the bone, whole, or remove the bones/ribs and cut the breasts into slices and place back into the sauce.
To serve, spoon some of the lemon and toasted almond couscous into a bowl or on a plate, place chicken on top, and spoon a generous amount of the sauce with the chickpeas, tomatoes and onions over top. Garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro, or some toasted almond slices, if desired.
Tips & Tidbits for my Moroccan Chicken recipe:
- Split chicken breasts for succulent flavor: I like to use split chicken breasts with the skin on and bones in for this recipe, as they yield a juicy and tender result when gently braised in the spiced, rich sauce. You can substitute skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs, if you prefer, and this will make the dish even richer, with the darker meat. You can also use a combo of thighs and breast, or thighs and legs, if desired.
- Serve with fragrant couscous for an easy side: Couscous is the classic side dish served with meat dishes in Moroccan cuisine, and I love this fragrant version prepared with a hint of lemon and some toasted almonds for crunch. It takes only about 5 minutes to cook, and then five to set before you can fluff with a fork an enjoy. Other tasty options would be roasted potatoes, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Prepare ahead for deeper flavor: A saucy dish such as this always benefits from a day or two of allowing the flavors to mingle together, which creates even more intense flavor and depth. So if you'd like to allow the flavors to mingle a bit more, you can prepare this recipe a day or two ahead of when you'd like to enjoy it with fantastic results. Then, simply reheat and serve.
This recipe has become a favorite in so many homes across the globe. It is perfectly balanced. The chicken has just the right amount of flavor, and pan frying it adds even more flavor with the gorgeously charred edges. The sauce is simple but delivers great flavor.
My secret weapon in this is smoked paprika. It gives a great smokey flavor which goes great in the tomato based sauce.
Moroccan Chicken is the 30 minute meal you have been waiting for, and once you try this, you will be hooked!
Get the sauce ingredients right. The tomato puree in this is often confused with tomato paste. Tomato paste is a very concentrated form of tomato and should not be used in such large amounts! If you can’t get your hands on tomato puree, which is simply pureed tomatoes, you can use your favorite tomato based sauce, like a jarred marinara. It works great, and I always have an open jar in my fridge.
The heavy cream can’t be substituted with milk. If you’re watching your weight, just make half of the sauce, but do not use milk instead. To make this recipe dairy free use a non dairy cream alternative.
I always serve Moroccan Chicken with my easy Honey Butter Roasted Veggies. They are so easy to make, because the even does all the hard work.The sweet and salty vegetables go great with the tangy tomato based sauce of the Moroccan Chicken. You can also add a side of steamed rice or garlic rice. I highly recommend this combination.
Marinate the chicken fillets in everything listed under chicken barring the oil. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in your pan and add the chicken fillets, cooking them on a medium flame. Let them cook on either side for about 4 minutes, or until they get a nice char on them.
Remove the chicken fillets once they’re cooked. Using the same pan add the ingredients listed for the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the flame and let it simmer for 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Add the chicken fillets back in and let them simmer in the sauce for 2-3 minutes to let them absorb some flavor.
Serve with a side of vegetables and steamed rice.
I often get asked if the cream can be replaced with milk. It won’t taste as good and the texture won’t be appetizing. I suggest making half the amount of sauce if you’re watching your calories.
If you don’t have chicken stock, you can use a chicken cube dissolved in water. If you don’t have that either, you can use water.
To prepare the chicken, place chicken pieces in a large bowl and add garlic, chives, cumin, paprika, pepper flakes, oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss it around until mixture is combined. Allow it to marinate, chilled, for at least 2 hours.
Preheat BBQ grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill chicken until cooked through, turning every few minutes. Cooking time varies depending on the cut of chicken. Our drumsticks took about 20 minutes to cook.
To prepare the chicken, place chicken pieces in a large bowl and add all the chicken ingredients (garlic-salt.) Stir or toss to evenly coat the chicken pieces. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Remove chicken from marinade and cook, rotating every so often, until cooked through. The time will vary depending on which chicken pieces you use (boneless or bone-in) but will range from about 10-20 minutes. The lesser time being for boneless cuts.
For the chicken, in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, salt, coriander, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish (preferably with a lid), pour the marinade over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours (if marinading longer than that, the lemon juice might “cook” and toughen the meat).
Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grates with oil (I don’t usually do this on my pellet grill, but I recommend doing so if chicken is prone to sticking on your grill). Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden or metal skewers.
Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once or twice, until cooked through. Ginger: ginger paste is easily and widely found in grocery store produce sections near the fresh herbs/salads. However, keeping fresh ginger on hand is easy…cut fresh ginger into 1-inch pieces and store in the freezer.
Lemons: remember to zest your lemons before juicing!
I don’t endorse any particular brand or type of grill; there are SO many options out there. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a chicken skewer kebab-thingie packed with the level of flavor that’s in these Moroccan chicken skewers.
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tags: #Moroccan
