Introducing a delicious and flavorful Moroccan Chicken recipe that will guarantee to satisfy your taste buds. This dish features tender bone-in chicken drumsticks simmered in a blend of spices, including paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander.
It is infused with the tanginess of lime or lemon juice and enriched with the briny goodness of green olives. This hearty one-pot meal also boasts a colorful variety of vegetables, including onions and carrots, making it a delicious choice for a family dinner.
How to Make Moroccan Chicken
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Combine all the spices in a small bowl and set them aside. Lightly season both sides of the chicken pieces with kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke.
Brown the chicken pieces in a single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side for about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
Lightly drizzle about one tablespoon of oil into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until it has browned at the edges but retains its shape for 5 to 7 minutes.
If the pan gets too dark, add a few tablespoons of water now and then. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the spices and flour and cook, constantly stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the broth and add about ½ teaspoon kosher salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken back in and reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the Moroccan Chicken is cooked, the carrots are tender-crisp, and the sauce reaches the desired volume and consistency.
Stir in the olives, cilantro, and lemon juice; taste the Moroccan Chicken and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt/cayenne pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous or rice.
Related Recipes:
- Roasted chicken
- Portuguese Chicken
- Crispy baked lemon parmesan chicken
- Chicken alfredo
- Chicken Milanese
- Sichuan Mala Chicken
📖 Recipe
Easy Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- olive oil or any neutral cooking oil
- 2 large onions , halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices
- 3 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins
- 5 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper , to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups low-salt chicken broth ,* (I use Knorr Chicken Broth)
- 5- pound bone-in , chicken drumsticks,
- ½ cup green olives , pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Combine all the spices in a small bowl and set them aside.
- Lightly season both sides of chicken pieces with kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke.
- Brown the chicken pieces in a single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, for about 4 minutes more.
- Transfer the chicken to a large plate. Lightly drizzle about one tablespoon of oil in the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes, add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add the spices and flour and cook, constantly stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and add about ½ teaspoon kosher salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the chicken back in and reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the Moroccan Chicken is cooked through, the carrots are tender-crisp, and the sauce reached the volume and consistency you desire.
- Stir in the olives, cilantro, and lemon juice; taste the Moroccan Chicken and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt/cayenne pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous or rice.
Notes
- Storing: Store leftover Moroccan Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheating: To reheat, place in a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave at medium power in short intervals, stirring in between until heated through. Alternatively, reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a little broth to maintain moisture.
- If you don't like one of the spices, you can reduce or omit that, and it would be just as great.
- You can use a whole cut-up chicken, chicken thighs or drumsticks, etc.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
