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
Now a family favourite!
Yay! Thanks, Phil!
Hi Suzy,
My wife made this dish for 6 of our friends down here in the south of France today. We often have North African god at home but this was the star. One of our friends said it was the best Moroccan dish he had ever had not excluding meals in Morocco.
I think your recipies are great and we will continue to explore them. Thanks a lot.
John in Toulouse,
Ps Ras el Hanout is essential.
I have made this twice now, both times using boneless skinless chicken thighs. I think this might be the single best dish I have ever eaten. The smell of my kitchen as this cooks is heavenly. I use a preserved lemon and omit the salt in the recipe since the lemons/olives bring salt. I've served this to a few guests and they all love it as well. Flavors in this are just amazing!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Alicia!
Fabulous recipe to which I added courgettes and carrots. One of, if not the, best tagines I’ve tasted outside Morocco.
Wow! Thanks, Ali!
I have just finished cooking your recipe for Moroccan chicken with another recipe for Moroccan pork as I am entertaining 15 people on Wednesday so I doubled the doses. They smell DIVINE and I did have a taste of the chicken...Fabulous! The lemon slices disintegrated though; I’d have loved them to remain whole as they look so pretty and make a contrast in colour with the rest of the ingredients.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll let you know what my guests think after Wednesday.
Fun!! Hope everyone enjoys the recipe!
Wow, just, wow! Just got done eating this. It is fabulous. I have used several of the recipes from your site, but to me, this has been the best. My whole family really liked it. The olives really help it. I used sundried tomato olives from whole foods. My kids had never had morrocan food before, but are not afraid to try new things, and even my pick daughter loved it. Most of the time she thinks chicken is dry, even when it isn't. I used bone in chicken and think the extra flavor from the bone and skin helps. Thank you for sharing your heritage with us! It has made my kids appreciate other cultures and what they bring to the world.
That is so wonderful to hear, Stephen! Thank you!
I googled Moroccan chicken for my birthday dinner on Monday as I’m in quarantine and had some time on my hands. Yours was the first that popped up and I made a lovely variation. I added half a chopped fennel bulb and some zucchini as well. Didn’t have a lot of raisins so I chopped in some medjool dates. I had first coated the chicken with my own spice mix before I saw your recipe but not surprisingly it was almost the same ( I included
some turmeric, ground chilli, cumin, coriander and zataar with the Ras-al-handout which is made up of some of these things anyway!) I served it over brown rice cooked with a bit of orange juice and saffron. It was great so thank you! Still enjoying leftovers today.
Sounds wonderful, Simmie! Thanks for sharing!
OK...so I took a chance and made both this Moroccan chicken, AND your Tahdig recipe last night. I had a ton of time on my hands and wanted a flavorful meal for dinner.
We were NOT disappointed! Both dishes came out great! My wife doesn’t care for dark meat chicken, but I love the flavor, so made it with both skin-on bone-in chicken thighs and boneless/skinless chicken breasts. I browned both types of chicken at the same time, but added the breasts 15 minutes into the main cook time. Both types came out perfect, juicy, and full of the flavors of Morocco.
The Tahdig was surprisingly easy to make (I use Basmati rice for all rice dishes...so prepping the rice was easy for me). The crunch on the bottom (top) put this dish over the top.
Many years ago, I spent some time in the Middle East, as a soldier in the US Army Infantry, and have always enjoyed exploring the flavors of the Region. On an R&R to Bahrain, I went down to the souq in Manama Sur and bypassed the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell to go explore authentic food. I fell in love with the flavors of food in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. The people were always gracious in indulging my desire to eat good food...and I was rarely disappointed. To see a stranger, who was home in their Country, watch me (a stranger in a foreign land) smile as I ate their food...made me so happy to have met them! Sure beat the MREs and chow hall food I was fed most of the time! I was even given spices by the local friends I made so I could spice up the Army food I ate.
For years, I have been hesitant to try and replicate the spectacular flavors of that side of the world, and I would like to thank you for helping me overcoming my fear and diving into the cuisine of your birthplace! I enjoy your newsletters...as I always have a new culinary path to explore.
Tonight, I am making one of your simple chickpea salad recipies (with cucumber and tomatoes) to accompany some homemade falafel and gyros (the gyro meat is store-prepared...I haven’t found a recipe that I have been successful with...yet).
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your recipies! I feel at “home” in your blog...exploring the flavors of the Middle East.
I have permanently added Middle Eastern food to my list of favorites to prepare...added to Indian, Eastern European (my ancestral home) and German food.
Much respect for what you have given to me and my family.
Jeff in Houston
Thank you so much for the kind reviews of the Moroccan Chicken & Tahdig, Jeff! It means a lot to know that my recipes are becoming a regular part of your cooking routine. Can't wait to hear what you think of the others you try! Also, Thanks for taking the time to share your culinary adventures while serving the US overseas! I always love getting a peek into my reader's world :).
Great chicken recipe! Will do this one again…and again…and again!!! I didn’t have the Ras el Hanout but used a 7 Spice from Lebanon…it had most of the spices listed but I’ll get the real deal next try. Used bone-in skinless chicken thighs and marinated 27 hours before cooking. All else same…used preserved lemons and lemon stuffed green olives I found at a Mideast market. This dish is a winner chicken dinner! Delicious!!!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Fantastic!!! I did use boneless skinless chicken thighs and only 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and added 1 tsp of all spice. (We're just not big cinnamon fans)
Thanks for sharing your adaptations here, Liza.
I made the Moroccan Chicken for the family, everyone really liked it. Luckily my family is open to new dishes. I followed the recipe as written. This was my first time using the spice Ras El Hanout, and it was really good. I bought a fresh bottle of spice from Target made by company a called Good & Garther, but next time I plan to order one made in Morocco. Thank you for the recipe. We are sure to make this again.
So glad everyone enjoyed the recipe, Larry! If you are in the US, you can order high quality Ras El Hanout from our online shop: https://shop.themediterraneandish.com/product/ras-el-hanout/ . It's the good stuff!!
I made a double batch of this recipe and I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and more raisins and dried apricots than indicated (I like raisins and dried apricots...). Followed the recipe as directed and this is, without a doubt, the BEST Moroccan Chicken I've ever had. The key (to me) is the Ras el Hanout. Unbelievable blend of spices! Amazing results, and yes, it is better the second day, after the spices and ingredients have melded. My advice is to make a double batch because you will want leftovers! Suzy absolutely knows what this is about!
Awwww! Thank you, Mark!
If you fry the chicken without skins on, won’t the spices start to burn? Just wondering as we don’t do skins! 😬
Hi, Melanie! Nope... skinless thighs would work just fine here.
Like mentioned in the intro, chicken is a go-to meal in our house. We have not experienced Moroccan spices/flavors before. We were a bit nervous at the dark coating after the dry rub. I worried the flavors would be too strong. We really enjoyed the hard-to-describe range to this dish. Different, interesting, works well with couscous. Thanks for opening our eyes to a new set of flavors!
So glad you enjoyed it, Bill!
Any suggestions or changes to recipe steps if I were to use a tagine?
Hi, Sophia! I do not own a tagine so I apologize that I can't give you accurate information on how to use a tagine for this particular recipe. If you give it a try, would you please stop back and share your feedback?
I would like to make this in my romertopf clay pot, which is for oven use. Do you have tips for transferring this to a baked dish?
Hi, Whitney! You can try using the oven at 375 degrees F and watch for the chicken to fully cook through. Enjoy!