Aromatic, well-seasoned chicken breast stewed with dried apricots and lots of vegetables. This Moroccan chicken is flavorful, juicy, and tender. I served it with parsley couscous.
This is a very aromatic dish – I seasoned it with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and chili flakes. This is not a typical Moroccan dish, it’s rather a Moroccan-style stewed chicken breast with vegetables. The recipe below was inspired by a recipe that I found on a couscous package about 10 years ago. I modified it a bit throughout the years and we really really love it!
Ingredients:
Ingredient substitutions:
- Instead of chicken breast, you can also use chicken thighs. They may need to be cooked just a little longer.
- Instead of broth, you can use water.
- Instead of spices listed in the recipe, you can also use Moroccan spice mix – ras-el-hanout + a little more cinnamon (it really works so well here).
- The apricots can’t be omitted! They’re so sweet and just make wonders in this recipe.
- You can also use other vegetables you have on hand but I find that the carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini work best with this recipe.
How to make it step by step:
These are complete instructions with step by step photos showing how to make this dish. Scroll down for printable recipe card with the ingredient list.
STEP 1: PREPARE ALL THE INGREDIENTS:
- Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, stir the spices together (1 tablespoon cinnamon + 1 tablespoon cumin + 1 tablespoon coriander + 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or more, to your taste)).
- Prepare the chicken: Cut 2 large chicken breasts (1lb/450g) into 1-inch (3 cm) cubes. Rub with the ½ of the spice mix, 1 tablespoon oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside (if you have time, you can leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge).
- Prepare the vegetables: dice 1 large onion, cut 6 cloves garlic into thin slices, 1 large carrot into thin, about 1/16-inch (1-2 mm) slices, 2 bell peppers into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) stripes, 1 large zucchini into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) half-slices, 7 oz (200g) dried apricots into small pieces (approx. ½-¼-inch / 0.5-1 cm pieces).
STEP 2: Cook the onions and garlic: heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a big frying pan. Add the onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onions and garlic to a plate.
STEP 3: Cook the chicken: Set the heat to the highest setting. Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces, cook on one side until browned, then turn over and cook until almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate (don’t mix the chicken with onions though), it doesn‘t have to be cook through completely, it will be later briefly stewed with the vegetables.
STEP 4: Cook the vegetables: add all the chopped vegetables in an even layer to the pan, sprinkle with the remaining spice mix. Don‘t stir for the first few minutes!! Wait until the vegetables at the bottom are nicely browned, then stir everything thoroughly.
STEP 5: Add the onions with garlic back to the pan, add the chopped apricots and 1.5 cups (360ml) broth. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Vegetables should be tender but still have a bite to it.
STEP 6: Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1-2 more minutes (the chicken should be now cooked through). Take the pan off the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, stir everything together.
STEP 7: Make the couscous: season a cup of couscous with salt and pepper, pour a cup of boiling water / broth over, stir and leave for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley.
Serve the chicken with vegetables and couscous.
Enjoy!
Storage:
This recipe reheats and freezes very well! Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
More chicken dinner recipes you may like:
- chicken fritters
- harissa chicken with rose water sauce
- Cranberry balsamic chicken
- Chicken with cheese sauce and broccoli
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken tomato soup with mushroom
Moroccan chicken with vegetables and dried apricots
Ingredients
chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts 1 lb (450g), or skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon frying oil for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon frying oil for frying
- ½ spice mix see below
- salt and pepper to taste
spice mix:
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes or more, to taste
vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons frying oil
- 1 large onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 large zucchini
additionally:
- 7 oz (200g) dried apricots or a little bit less, we like a lot!
- 1.5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth or just water
to serve:
- 1 cup couscous 6 oz (175g) + 1 cup boiling water / broth (240ml)
- chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
- Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, stir the spices together.
- Prepare the chicken: Cut it into 1-inch (3 cm) cubes. Rub with the ½ of the spice mix, oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside (if you have time, you can leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge).
- Prepare the vegetables: dice the onion, cut the garlic into thin slices, carrot into thin, about 1/16-inch (1-2 mm) slices, bell peppers into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) stripes, zucchini into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) half-slices, apricots into small pieces (approx. ½-¼-inch / 0.5-1 cm pieces).
- Cook the onions and garlic: heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a big frying pan. Add the onions and a small pinch od salt. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onions and garlic to a plate.
- Cook the chicken: Set the heat to the highest setting. Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces, cook on one side until browned, then turn over and cook until almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate (don't mix the chicken with onions though), it doesn‘t have to be cook through completely, it will be later briefly stewed with the vegetables.
- Cook the vegetables: add all the chopped vegetables in an even layer to the pan, sprinkle with the remaining spice mix. Don‘t stir for the first few minutes!! Wait until the vegetables at the bottom are nicely browned, then stir everything thoroughly.
- Add the onions with garlic back to the pan, add the chopped apricots and broth.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Vegetables should be tender but still have a bite to it.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1-2 more minutes (the chicken should be now cooked through). Take the pan off the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, stir everything together.
- Make the couscous: season a cup of couscous with salt and pepper, pour a cup of boiling water / broth over, stir and leave for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Serve the chicken with vegetables and couscous.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient substitutions:
- Instead of chicken breast, you can also use chicken thighs. They may need to be cooked just a little longer.
- Instead of broth, you can use water.
- Instead of spices listed in the recipe, you can also use Moroccan spice mix – ras-el-hanout + a little more cinnamon (it really works so well here).
- The apricots can’t be omitted! They’re so sweet and just make wonders in this recipe.
- You can also use other vegetables you have on hand but I find that the carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini work best with this recipe.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
- Storage: This recipe reheats and freezes very well! Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
4 Comments
Alex
9 January 2022 at 15:04Was wondering how much of the prepared ras -el-hanout I should , recipe looks delicious
Thx
Aleksandra
9 January 2022 at 15:15I would add 2-3 Tbsp but it depends on how spicy your spice mix is. You can add less at the beginning then increase the amount if the dish is not too spicy for you.
Mayce
15 July 2021 at 23:17Delicious!
Aleksandra
16 July 2021 at 06:49Thank you for letting me know!