Best Moroccan Spiced Chicken Recipes

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Combine spices with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Season chicken to coat both sides.
• Preheat large nonstick skillet, add olive oil. Cook chicken breasts about 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken and keep warm.
• Add the fennel and onions to the pan and saute for 7 mnutes or so. The fennel should be tender but not mushy. If the pan appears to be too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Should be enough to moisten without steaming the vegetables.
• Boil two cups of water with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add couscous to water and turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the grains before serving.
• Add juice, broth and the last 1/4 teasppon salt and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Add constarch mixed in 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until it just begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add chicken and chopped fennel , cook 2 more minutes.
• Spoon coucous onto plate, with chicken and fennel and onions. Spoon portion of sauce on top.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Whisk olive oil, 1/4 cup mint, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne in a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in a separate bowl.
• Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Press air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 5 hours.
• Whisk yogurt, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup mint, 2 cloves garlic, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl to make sauce. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
• Toss green bell peppers and red onion in the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Remove chicken from the bag and discard all marinade. Thread chicken, peppers, and onion alternately onto skewers.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Arrange skewers on the grill. Close lid and cook, turning once or twice, until chicken is firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with cold sauce.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix spices, 2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and the oil in a small bowl. Rub spice paste all over chicken.
• Carefully arrange chicken in a single layer on hot sheet, and arrange lemon wedges around chicken. Bake until chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and juices run clear, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with pan juices and roasted lemon wedges on the side.

SPICED MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH ONIONS AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to same skillet. Sauté until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in flour, ginger, cinnamon and cumin; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth. Add prunes, lemon juice and honey. Boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer chicken and sauce to platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

RAS EL-HANOUT, MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the Ras al-hanout spice mixture: Combine the cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves in a small bowl.
• Thoroughly pat the chicken dry and dredge in the ras al-hanout spices until pieces are nicely covered but not over-loaded. Place in a bowl or large dish and scatter thyme and garlic over the chicken. Pour 1/2 C olive oil over and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if possible, or several hours.
• Remove marinated chicken and place on counter for 30 minutes. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the dish, keeping the marinade, and brown chicken on all sides in the hot oil. (Do not rush this as the browning will help keep the chicken from feeling "dusty" from the spice mix covering it. This is also why you do not want to over-load the chicken with the spice mix.)
• Set the chicken aside and add the onion to the Dutch oven, cook until translucent.
• Return the chicken to the Dutch oven, adding the lemon and the reserved marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add enough broth to almost cover the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the chicken has begun to pull away from the bones and is quite tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid the last 15 minutes of cooking time to reduce the broth. If it needs to reduce further, remove the chicken and boil the broth until nicely reduced to approximately 2 cups, but you can reduce it less if you want more sauce. You can thicken the sauce with cornstarch mixed with water.
• Serve with white rice or other grain of choice.

CINNAMON-SPICED MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon with the cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and toss well to coat.
• Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan. Saute the chicken over medium heat until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.
• Saute apples and dates in the skillet for 1 minute. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon cinnamon; cook and stir to coat. Spoon apples and dates onto chicken. Serve warm.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• First, make the yogurt sauce: Combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well, and chill until ready to use.
• Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, form meatballs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, then place them on a plate or sheet pan until ready to use.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/8-inch olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches, flipping occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on a flat platter. Arrange the meatballs on top, and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and the pine nuts, if using. Serve hot.

GRILLED MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH COUSCOUS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In small bowl, place couscous; set aside.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat broth, butter, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the turmeric to boiling.
• Pour hot broth over couscous, stir well and cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes to allow liquid to be absorbed. Uncover and fluff couscous with fork. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, cranberries, pine nuts and pepper sauce; set aside.
• Meanwhile, place 1 chicken breast on work surface. Notice it has a thick end and a thin end. To create a pocket for the stuffing, insert long, thin knife (a boning knife is ideal) into middle of thick end, parallel to work surface. Slide knife in until it reaches middle of chicken. Move knife up and down within the chicken to form a pocket. You want to have a smaller opening where knife entered the chicken and a larger pocket within the chicken to stuff with couscous mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
• Spray grill rack with cooking spray or brush with oil. Heat coals or gas grill for medium heat. (Check the temperature of the coals by placing your hand, palm side down, near but not touching the cooking grill rack. If you can keep your hand there for two seconds [one-thousand one, one-thousand two], the temperature is high; three seconds is medium-high; four seconds is medium; five seconds is low.)
• Use one hand to hold chicken with thick end up. With other hand, stuff 1/4 cup of the couscous into pocket. Repeat with remaining chicken. Brush chicken with oil.
• In small bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and the pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over chicken breasts.
• Grill chicken covered 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest part is cut (170°F) and stuffing is hot. To serve, slice each breast and layer on plate so stuffing is visible.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Toss the green beans and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each ras el hanout and salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the upper rack until tender and lightly browned, adding the almonds halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon ras el hanout and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to the skillet; cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to another rimmed baking sheet and roast on the lower oven rack until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, then add the apricots, olives and harissa. Cook until the apricots soften and the broth is reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Pour any accumulated juices from the chicken into the sauce.
• Slice the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

ROASTED MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Pat chicken dry and rub with flattened garlic cloves; place garlic in cavity. Squeeze lemon into small bowl; place lemon in cavity.
• Brush chicken with half of juice.
• Mix spices and salt and rub over and inside chicken.
• Tie legs together. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet.
• Add chicken, breast side up. Add remaining lemon juice to skillet. Baste
• chicken withpan juices. Transfer to oven, and bake until juices run clear.
• Baste occasionally. Roast about 1 hour -- .

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN AND APRICOT STEW

Steps:

• 1. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay 6 of the chicken thighs into the skillet, skin-side down; cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker. Using paper towels, remove and discard the browned chicken skin. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the remaining chicken, transfer it to the slow cooker, and discard the skin. 2. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, and paprika; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the apricots and 2½ cups of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. 3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is almost tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Quickly stir in the chickpeas, replace the cover, and cook until the chicken is tender but not falling apart, about 1 hour longer. 4. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Discard the cinnamon stick. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour with the remaining ½ cup chicken broth until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker. Continue to cook on high until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and allow to heat through before serving. Serve with lemon wedges.

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN STEW WITH CARROTS

Steps:

• Place carrots in an oven-proof pot.
• Toss chicken with spices; add to pot.
• Pour chicken broth overtop.
• Cover and bake at 350* for 1 1/2-2 hours, until chicken is tender.
• Add raisins and cook 10 minutes more.
• Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.
• Mix cooking liquid with curry gravy powder until thickened, if desired, and serve overtop of chicken.
• Enjoy!

BASTEEYA - MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN BAKED IN PHYLO DOUGH

Steps:

• Brown the chicken pieces in a large pan. Do not burn the butter. Scatter the onions over the chicken and cook until wilted Add the garlic, tumeric, saffron, ginger, coriander, red pepper, parsley, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is quite tender. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Reduce the liquid to 3/4 cup. For the filling, brown the almonds in the oil. Grind them in a food processor and blend with sugar and ground cinnamon. Whisk the eggs and lemon juice and 3/4 cup of reduced liquid. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and scramble the egg mixture. Brush a large ovenproof pan and begin to layer the phylo. Make 10 layers brushing each with the melted butter as you layer them. Add half of the chicken shreds. Add the egg mixture leaving any liquid out. Add rest of shredded chicken and sprinkle all but 1/4 cup of the nut mixture. Dribble a little melted butter over all. Butter 4 more layers of phylo and use as a cover and bring the edges together to completely enclose the Basteeya. Butter 4 more phylo sheets and add to the top for more cover by folding them under the pie. Bake for 20 minutes at 475 degrees F. Brush melted butter on top. Cover with foil and bake another 20 minutes. To serve, turn upside down, sprinkle with remaining nut mixture and powdered sugar. You can bake for the first 20 minutes and then refrigerate. Then bake the last 20 minutes before serving.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• 1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Place the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion, zucchini and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• 2. Add all remaining ingredients except the couscous and cilantro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN PAILLARDS

Steps:

• Prepare grill pan and start sauce:
• Heat grill pan over moderate heat until hot.
• Meanwhile, simmer all sauce ingredients except butter in a 1-quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Set aside while cooking chicken.
• Make paillards:
• Cook cumin, paprika, and pepper in oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, reserving skillet for sauce (do not clean). Brush some spiced oil on 1 side of each paillard, then sprinkle with some salt. Arrange 2 paillards in grill pan, oiled sides down, and brush tops with some of spiced oil, then sprinkle with some salt. Grill 2 minutes, then turn over and grill until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil. Grill remaining paillards in same manner, transferring to platter.
• Finish sauce:
• Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into reserved small skillet, discarding solids. Add any juices from chicken accumulated on platter to sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, then add butter and swirl skillet until butter is just incorporated. Season sauce with salt and spoon over chicken.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN IN BANANA LEAF

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium heat.
• In a large bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, olives, cardamon, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, onion, 1 tablespoon of the granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Add to a cast-iron pan and put on the grill over direct heat. Bring to a rapid boil, close the lid and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the olive oil, then add the ras el hanout, cumin, cinnamon, remaining 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt and mix until uniformly covered.
• Arrange the banana leaves on a baking sheet. Place 2 to 3 pieces of chicken on each leaf. With a slotted spoon or fork, cover the chicken with the sauce. Sprinkle a teaspoon each of the lemon zest and cilantro on top of each portion. Fold each banana leaf like an envelope and secure with cook's twine or toothpicks.
• Place the baking sheet with the banana envelopes on the grill over direct heat and cook until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

SLOW-COOKER MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. When cool enough to handle, remove the browned skin from the thighs and discard. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Return the pan with the fat to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining half of the chicken.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon if needed.) Add the onions, paprika, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the broth, the apricots, and cinnamon stick, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Pour into the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Quickly stir in the chickpeas, replace the cover, and continue to cook until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour longer.
• Transfer the chicken to a large serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Discard the cinnamon stick. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and flour together until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.
• Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken and serve with lemon wedges, passing the remaining sauce separately.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH MILLET TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: In a large ziplock bag, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, and spices. Add the chicken, and marinate for at least 1 hour. (If using tempeh, use the same marinade, but for 30 minutes.)
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a broiler pan or a sheet tray with wire rack by spraying with oil. Set aside.
• Make the tabbouleh: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Let the flavors meld for at least 20 minutes (which is perfect, since you need that time to cook the chicken).
• Remove chicken (or tempeh) from marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. If your chicken has skin, place it skin-side down.
• Bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, skin side up, until meat has reached 160°F and skin is crisp. Remove from heat, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Add to skillet and cook until brown on both sides.
• Transfer to plate and set aside.
• Add onion to skillet.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Add carrots and stir 2 minutes.
• Add spices and stir 1 minute.
• Return chicken to skillet.
• Add lemon and stock.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Rewarm, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally).
• Serve over spiced couscous, arranging lemon wedges as garnish.

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Preheat grill for direct grilling over high heat; soak 4 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• In a larger bowl, toss chicken cubes with oil to coat; season with spice mixture and toss again.
• Thread skewers with chicken and pepper pieces.
• Lightly oil grill rack and grill kebabs, turning occasionally, until chicken is browned and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Serve over couscous if desired.
• Garnish with cilantro.