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This Moroccan chicken is tender chicken thighs cooked in an aromatic sauce with olives and lemon. An easy dinner that’s full of unique flavors!
We eat a lot of chicken in my house – it’s inexpensive, convenient and my kids love it! This Moroccan chicken is a little different from your typical chicken dinner, but it’s packed with the most amazing flavors and it’s super easy to make too!
To make Moroccan chicken, you’ll need chicken thighs, onion, green olives, lemon and spices. The chicken thighs are seared to golden brown perfection, then combined with sauteed onions and spices and roasted until done. Be sure to use an oven safe pan so that you can transfer it from the stove to the oven without any issues.
I always use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this dish because I think they have the most flavor and they don’t dry out in the oven the way that leaner cuts like chicken breast can. If you’re not a dark meat fan, try bone-in skin-on chicken breasts instead, but be aware that the cook time will need to be adjusted up to compensate for the breasts being larger and thicker than the thighs.
The spices that give this dish its Moroccan flavor are ginger, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika. The cinnamon may seem like an odd addition to a savory chicken dish, but it really works so well with the chicken! The olives and lemon juice are added at the very end, along with a sprinkling of parsley. Then you’re ready to eat!
This chicken is great served over couscous or rice. I also often serve a green vegetable on the side like asparagus or broccoli.
I love this Moroccan chicken because it’s easy enough for a busy weeknight, yet fancy enough to serve to company. It doesn’t require any specialty ingredients, yet it tastes like you’re eating at a restaurant!