The Best Easy & Flavorful Moroccan Chicken (30-Minute Meal!)
A quick and flavorful Moroccan-inspired chicken and couscous dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner. The recipe features a simple, fragrant stew made with red onions and carrots, seasoned with the Moroccan spice blend ras el hanout and fresh ginger. Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and sweet golden raisins are simmered in the stew. The dish is served over a bed of herbed couscous, which is made by stirring a fresh cilantro paste into the prepared grains, and is finished with a garnish of toasted almonds.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
- 3 carrots, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons ras el hanout (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup couscous
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (about 1 large bunch)
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast (skin removed; about 12 ounces)
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the red onions and carrots and cook for about 4 minutes, until the onions soften slightly.
- Add the ras el hanout, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir to coat the vegetables. Add 3 cups of water and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the couscous according to the package directions.
- Make the Cilantro Paste: In a food processor, puree 1 3/4 cups of the cilantro with 2 tablespoons of water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and stir in the cilantro paste. Cover the couscous to keep it warm.
- Uncover the pot with the vegetables and stir in the cooked chicken and the raisins. Continue cooking over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the chicken is heated through.
- Stir in the honey and the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro.
- Serve the chicken and vegetable mixture over the herbed couscous, and top with the toasted sliced almonds.
Notes
- This recipe is a quick weeknight meal, using shortcuts like pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and quick-cooking couscous.
- Ras el hanout is a complex Moroccan spice blend; the recipe suggests pumpkin pie spice as a potential substitute if it’s unavailable.
- The couscous is given a fresh, vibrant flavor by mixing in a homemade cilantro paste.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/flavorful-moroccan-chicken/