Recipes

Moroccan Braised Chicken

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 30 mins

| Cook Time: 1 hr

| Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

You may need: Ras el Hanout

Discover The Recipe

Morocco is like the World Cup of exotic spices and seasonings, where spice markets have stalls overflowing with a rainbow of aromatic blends and ingredients. Moroccan cuisine uses spices in vibrant tagines much like this Moroccan Braised Chicken. Tagine or ‘tajine’ is a unique type of North African cookware with a cone-shaped lid. Likewise, it also refers to the resulting dish that is cooked in the vessel, often producing a stew of rich meat, poultry or fish with vegetables. The conical lid provides an ideal cooking envelope as the steam rises into the cone, condenses then drips back into the dish. Less liquid is generally required and proteins are gently braised to perfection.

Moroccan dishes often balance savory, sweet and sour flavors, producing pleasant, yet complex layers of flavor. Base savory and aromatic flavors are further accentuated with dried fruit, briny olives, powerful citrus (preserved lemons), plentiful spices and fresh herbs to build flavor in stews. Our Moroccan Braised Chicken recipe showcases an intoxicatingly aromatic Ras el Hanout spice blend. This luxurious blend can sometimes consist of up to 20 or even 100 different spices depending on the purveyor and cost. Our proprietary blend contains warm spices like cinnamon, allspice and turmeric; fragrant nutmeg and cloves; complemented by floral notes from lavender, rose petals and cardamom. This recipe transforms succulent chicken thighs into an exotic Moroccan delight that is perfect for busy weeknights and entertaining at home. Use in any soup, stew or roast on meat and veggies for an alluring meal.

Ingredients

6-8 chicken thighs (skin on and bone-in)
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Ras el Hanout blend
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup onion (~1 small onion)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup pitted olives, whole
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped (~ ½ cup)
Chopped cilantro and chopped almonds, for garnish
Cooked couscous, to serve

Notes

Cooking with dried fruits and preserves is very common in Moroccan cuisine. This recipe features dried apricots and olives however you can omit them if you prefer.

You can also use preserved lemon, a salty-citrusy ingredient traditionally used in Morocco.

This recipe tastes even better the next day. Save any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge where it should keep well for 3 days.

Instructions

Season chicken thighs with salt and 1 Tbsp Ras el Hanout spice. Set aside at room temperature for 15 mins. You can also marinate in a zipper bag in the fridge overnight but be sure to bring to room temperature before cooking.

Add oil to a large, heavy-bottom pan over Med heat. Once hot, add chicken skin side down and brown for 5 mins, then flip and brown for another 3 mins. Remove chicken from pan and set aside on a plate. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.

Add olives and dried apricots. Stir to combine. Mix in tomato paste with chicken broth, pouring slowly into the pan and stirring to scrape brown bits from bottom of pan. Nestle chicken back into pan, layer lemon slices onto the chicken and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to Med-Low and simmer for 40-45 mins until the chicken is fully cooked. Feel free to add more liquid if necessary. Turn off heat and season with more salt to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped almonds.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Moroccan Braised Chicken is succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender. This recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners and truly elevates humble chicken thighs with bold Moroccan spices, dried fruits, olives and citrus.
Chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe since they soak up the flavors of the sauce well. Chicken drumsticks are a great alternative as well as chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts, reduce cooking time to about 25-30 mins and cover pan, so that they don’t dry out.
For our plant-based friends, substitute the chicken with a block of extra firm tofu or your favorite vegan chicken alternative.
Check out more of our plant-based Moroccan-inspired recipes like Moroccan Fava Bean Salad, Ras el Hanout Cauliflower Pita, and Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup.
Ras el Hanout is a pungent North African spice blend that adds earthy flavor and floral notes to most braised meat dishes in Moroccan cuisine. Try it in our recipe for Lamb Tagine with Apricots.
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