This right here is the BEST Moroccan Chicken recipe you will find! Super succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender chicken stew w/ warm Moroccan spices, lemons, olives & dried fruit. No ordinary chicken dinner, this easy one-pot wonder will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible. Be sure to watch the video and grab all my tips below!
More Recipes to Try: Spicy Couscous with Shrimp and Chorizo; Easy Vegetable Tagine; One-Pot Chicken and Rice; Greek Chicken Souvlaki; Ratatouille
If you're anything like me, chicken makes your dinner rotation fairly regularly. It's readily available and relatively cheap, plus, who doesn't like a comforting chicken dinner? But this is no ordinary chicken dinner. This Moroccan chicken recipe takes things to a new level of deliciousness.
Let me explain what you're looking at here. Moroccan chicken is essentially stewed or braised chicken with deep, lovely flavors from a special Moroccan spice rub (which I tell you all about in a second), along with aromatics, fresh lemons (or preserved lemons, if you have some), and green olives. And as Moroccans are known to do, we add in some dried fruits to balance things out. I chose a mixture of raisins and dried apricots.
Some may call this chicken tagine, but your really don't need a special tagine pot to arrive at an authentic taste using just a heavy-based casserole pan or braiser. This is easy to make and the result is fall-off-the-bone tender, super succulent chicken boasting unique warm flavors that will have you returning for more!
Spice Rub for Moroccan Chicken
The flavoring process begins with a special spice rub with cinnamon, sweet paprika, ginger, and Ras El Hanout (or Raz El Hanout), which is really the star spice here. If you're not familiar, Ras El Hanout (or Raz El Hanout) is a complex aromatic North African spice blend, mostly associated with Moroccan cuisine. Our all-natural Ras El Hanout is pungent, combining warm flavors like turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, ginger, mace, nutmeg, and a touch of cayenne. (Find Ras El Hanout Here)
How to Make This Moroccan Chicken Recipe
1. First, pat the chicken dry. Season lightly with salt (remember, you will be adding olives later, so easy on the salt.) Then apply the spice rub all over the chicken. Leave it at room temperature for 40-45 minutes to marinate. If you have the time, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Heat a bit of quality EVOO over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking, then brown the chicken well on both sides. If you left skin on, begin with browning the skin side first, then turn over. (Word to the wise, utilize something like this mesh splatter screen.)
3. Lower heat and add onions, garlic and cilantro. Let those sweat some, then add the lemons, olives, dried fruit. Finally add the liquid. Cover and let cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through and registers and internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
For garnish, I like to add more fresh cilantro and toasted almonds.
What to Serve Along?
I often serve this Moroccan chicken tagine with plain couscous (super easy to make following the package instructions). You can try your favorite grain or Lebanese rice instead, if you like. And to start the meal, simply serve a fresh Mediterranean salad.
A few Tips
1. You can use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe. Be sure to adjust your cooking time down accordingly; boneless chicken will cook more quickly. I prefer to use boneless thighs here than boneless chicken breasts, but both will work. Depending on how many pieces you use, you may not use the entire spice rub amount.
2. If you have the time, refrigerate the spiced chicken for 2 hours or overnight, if you're looking for more pronounced flavor.
3. Store leftovers in tight-lid glass containers in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 3 days. Flavors will continue to settle and deepen. To reheat, you may add a little liquid and warm stove-top over medium heat.
Watch Video Tutorial for this Moroccan Chicken Recipe:
Moroccan Chicken Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 people 1x
Description
BEST Moroccan Chicken recipe you will find! Super succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender chicken stew w/ warm Moroccan spices, lemons, olives & dried fruit. Be sure to check out the step-by-step tutorial up in the post.
Ingredients
For Spice Rub
- 1 ½ tbsp all-natural Ras El Hanout
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper
For Chicken
- 3 ½ lb/1587.57 g whole chicken cut into bone-in pieces (or 7 to 8 pieces of chicken with bone in. Leave skin on or remove it, up to you.)
- Kosher salt
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow on ion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 oz/28.3 g chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced (or 1 preserved lemon, cut up into small pieces)
- ¾ cup/ 58.5 g pitted green olives
- ¼ cup/37 g raisins (any kind)
- ¼ cup/ 47 g chopped dry apricots
- 3 tbsp/49.14 g tomato paste
- 1 ½ cup 352.5 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- Toasted slivered almonds, to your liking, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine Ras El Hanout and the remaining spices to make the rub.
- Pat chicken pieces dry and season lightly with kosher salt on both sides. Now, rub the chicken all over with the spice rub (if you kept the skins, make sure to apply the spice rub underneath the skins for best flavor.) Set aside in room temperature for 40 to 45 minutes or so (or, if you have the time, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. If you do this, take chicken out of fridge and let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking.)
- In a 12" deep ceramic pan or braiser like this one, heat 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken (skin side down, if you kept skin) and brown for 5 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side for another 3 minutes or so.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add onions, garlic, and cilantro. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then add lemon slices, olives, raisins, and dried apricots.
- In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste and chicken broth. Pour mixture on top of the chicken as it cooks.
- Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, then, keeping heat on medium-low, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through registering an internal temperature of 165 degrees F or higher.
- Garnish with more fresh cilantro and toasted almonds, if you like. Serve over plain couscous.
Notes
- Cook's Tip: Allow at least 45 mins of inactive time for the chicken to marinate in the spice rub.
- Cook's Tip: If you do have the time, spice the chicken ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight for more pronounced flavor. And if possible, bring chicken close to room temperature before cooking.
- Cook's Tip: You can use boneless, skinless chicken pieces. Remember to adjust your cooking time down as it will be quicker to cook. Depending on how many pieces of chicken, you may not use the entire spice rub amount.
- Leftover Storage Tip: This Moroccan chicken is even better the next day. Refrigerate leftovers in tight-lid glass containers; it should keep well for 3 days or so. Simply heat stove-top over medium heat. Make sure to add a little more liquid as needed (broth or water).
- Recommended for this Recipe: all-natural Ras El Hanout North African (Moroccan) spice blend; sweet paprika. And from our Greek olive oil collection, Private Reserve.
- SAVE! Create your own 6-pack from our all-natural or organic spice collections. Try our Greek EVOO Bundle.
- Nutrition information assumes no skin. Nutrition information also assumes 4 servings, although this can easily serve 6.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Moroccan
I like the flavor of the chicken but the addition of the lemon slices made the sauce EXTREMELY bitter. I didn’t see anyone else commenting on this so I’m not sure if I did something wrong. If I were to repeat this recipe I’d add lemon zest or juice. The bitterness took away from the taste of everything else.
Oh, no... I'm sorry, Ana. I hope you give it another try.
Hi Ana, I've made this twice. The first time I used "normal" lemons and it was very bitter. Preserved lemons made all the difference (and maybe a few less).
This recipe is absolutely phenomenal.
I also don’t like olives so I added a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of honey.
It was to die for. Soooooo good.
Ok. Gotta get back to eating.
Thanks
LOL! Thanks, Kevin! So glad this was such a hit!
I've made several kinds of Moroccan Chicken recipes, but this is by far the absolute best! My husband and I just love the flavors of sweetness and saltiness of the olives. It is a beautiful dish to eat whether alone or with friends. Thank you so much. I will checking out all your recipes which sound yummy.
Oh, wonderful, Diane! Thank you!
While I cook serious meals several days a week and don’t often follow recipes, I have to say this recipe really delivers. The proportions, method and timing all work together to produce a dish that really melds the flavors into something greater than the individual parts. I added some honey (maybe a tbsp) along with the lemons as I wanted to balance the sharpness, but otherwise stuck fairly close to what Suzy recommends. Served it with a Moroccan flatbread I made, a chickpea, tomato and shallot salad and a buttermilk garlic sauce on the side. Lovely!
Thank you for sharing, Douglas!
After I brown the chicken in a frying pan, how long should I cook chicken drumsticks in the slow cooker on high? Do I need to brown anything else before I put all the ingredients in the slow cooker?
Hello! After browning the chicken, you'll just put it and the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker (adjust liquid if you need to). I believe 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high (give or take) will work. No need to brown the other ingredients.
Thank you Suzy.
This looks great! If I were to omit the olives is there something else I should use in it’s place or just add more salt? I don’t like olives or capers but I’m a fan of most other salty, briney things.
Hi, Sian. I would just omit the olives if you don't enjoy them.
I have to agree with you Suzy, this was amazing! Loved the flavor!
Thanks for the recipe. East to make,very delicious, and the chicken is not too tender,just right.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Ken!
This looks wonderful, if you were to transfer it to the oven once the stock was in rather than cooking it on the hob, what oven temperature and time would you reccommend? Thanks.
You can try using the oven at 375 degrees F and watch for the chicken to fully cook through. Enjoy!
This was incredible, I did not have all the ingredients, so went with what I had and it was so good. Delicious even without the apricots, olives and lemon slices. Next time I will make sure to have them on hand.
Awesome, Betty! So glad to hear it!
So excited to try this recipe! It looks delicious! Would it be possible to make it in a crockpot after I’ve browned the chicken?
Sure, Carmel. Yes, I think you can use your crockpot once you browned the chicken etc.
This was absolutely delicious!!! I followed the recipe exactly. I usually don't purchase specific ingredients that I don't often use, such as the ras el hanout or the dried fruit. I'm so glad I did, though, because this was so tasty that we plan to make it again and again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wonderful! Thank you, Brittany!
During this Pandemic, I've been experimenting with different flavor palette's, as I love to cook, and I have to say, this was an amazing dish. I had a difficult time finding the Ras El Hanout, so I looked up a recipe for mixing my own and it worked well. Loved the sweetness from the fruits, along with the flavors of the spices. Instead of using a whole chicken I used 8 skinless, bone in thighs, and served it over a garlic / olive oil Couscous. DELICIOUS! This recipe is definitely a keeper. If I were to make this for a larger group of people, I think I would brown the chicken in a pan on top of the stove, but actually bake it in the oven in order to keep the chicken in a single layer.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, David! Glad you enjoyed this one! If you're in the US, you can order Ras El Hanout from our online shop: https://shop.themediterraneandish.com/product/ras-el-hanout/
This may be a dupe, but I can't find my original comment! Being of Lebanese/Syrian descent, I grew up with foods prepared with Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture. How does Ras El Hanout differ from Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture? Can I substitute Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture for the Ras El Hanout?
Hi Beverly, Ras El Hanout has a little bit of a different flavor profile combining warm flavors like cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, allspice, cardamom, ginger, mace, nutmeg, and a touch of cayenne. But you can try 7 spice; it may be different but will still be delicious. You can see our Ras El Hanout blend here: https://shop.themediterraneandish.com/product/ras-el-hanout/
Hi Suze,
I’ve made this wonderful dish several times and it has become one of my favorites. some of my guests now prepare Moroccan chicken regularly.
I always add chopped madjool dates which adds even more sweetness the dish.
I’m having 5 over for dinner Friday and one chicken will not be enough so I’m making about 1-1/2 chickens. Is there anything I should know besides the obvious? I have a deep cast iron pot. Is there any issues with making this in a deep pot with 2 layers of chicken?
Thanks for providing this great dish.
Rob
Thank you, Rob. I'm glad you enjoy this recipe. I think if you're making a larger amount, I would watch the cooking time. I do like to arrange the chicken in one layer if at all possible, so a larger pan is better.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So glad, Sally! Thanks for sharing