Cooked with onions, garlic, lemon, and olives and seasoned with bold North African spices, this Moroccan chicken is incredibly flavorful.
Many of my chicken recipes are simple. Crispy chicken thighs, grilled chicken breast, Greek chicken - you get the picture. But when I want to make something truly remarkable, company-worthy, yet perfect for a family dinner, I make this Moroccan chicken. It's incredibly flavorful, and despite its complex flavor profile, it's not difficult to make. It's ready in about an hour, and the reasonable time investment is well worth the delicious results.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- To season: In addition to salt and pepper, I use paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Chicken: I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Oil: I use olive oil to cook the chicken and onions. Ghee is a good substitute.
- Aromatics: Onions, garlic, and ginger. I typically use yellow onions, but you can use Vidalia onions, a sweet variety that works well in this recipe.
- Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth if you have some, but store-bought is fine, too.
- To finish: Lemon slices, pitted green olives, and chopped cilantro. I often use Meyer lemons, which are milder and sweeter than regular lemons.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides and brown them in olive oil.
Remove the chicken to a plate and cook the onions in the same pan. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Add the broth and use it to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken back to the pan with lemon slices and olives. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
The whole family loved it. I served with couscous, and the children ate it up. Thanks! We have a new chicken recipe.
Jeanette
Read more comments
The whole family loved it. I served with couscous, and the children ate it up. Thanks! We have a new chicken recipe.Recipe Tips
- Depending on the size of your saucepan, you might need to brown the chicken pieces in two batches. I use a fairly small Dutch oven to make this recipe, so I brown four of them first, then the remaining ones. You don't want them too crowded in the pan - if they are, they won't brown as much, and the dish won't be as flavorful.
- You can use boneless chicken thighs, but you'll need to brown and cook them for a shorter time. Brown them for 2 minutes per side and cook them for 20 minutes, then check to see if they're done. Their internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- I don't recommend using chicken breasts. Thighs have more fat and are juicier. Chicken breasts will be drier and not as flavorful.
- Fresh garlic and ginger greatly enhance the flavor of this dish. Please avoid using powders.
- Storage: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them covered (to prevent splatters) in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Moroccan chicken is a saucy dish, so you'll want to serve it on top of something to absorb those yummy juices. The traditional bed for Moroccan chicken is couscous, but I often go with one of the following:
- Cauliflower rice
- Mashed cauliflower
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash noodles
- Sauteed spinach
- Hearts of Palm pasta
You can also serve this dish on top of raw baby spinach leaves. The hot cooking juices will wilt the spinach just enough to lightly cook it.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with serving it with no sides at all, in which case I serve two per person in shallow bowls with soup spoons in addition to knives and forks, as shown in the photo:
Recipe Card
Moroccan Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Spice mix:
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken thighs - bone-in, skin-on; 6 thighs
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root - minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon - thinly sliced
- ½ cup green olives - pitted
- 2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
Instructions
- Combine the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, in a single layer (work in batches if necessary). Cook them until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side for about 3 more minutes. If the pan becomes too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, for about 5 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Add the minced garlic, ginger, and spice mix. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the chicken back in, skin side up. Nestle the lemon slices and olives around the chicken pieces. Bring the mixture back to a steady simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, for 20-30 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Depending on the size of your pan, you might need to brown the chicken pieces in two batches. I use a fairly small Dutch oven to make this recipe, so I brown four chicken pieces first and then the remaining ones. You don't want them too crowded in the pan - if they are, they won't brown as much, and the dish won't be as flavorful.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered (to prevent splatters) in the microwave at 50% power.
- You can freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months and thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Zaima says
Great recipe but where’s the chicken stock in the instructions?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hey Zaima,
The chicken broth is added in step 6.