Chicken Recipes/ Cuisine/ Dinner/ meat

Moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables

8 June 2020 | Last Updated: 10 March 2021 By Aleksandra

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.

moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables in a whitle bowl

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.
ingredients needed to prepare moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables

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.

all the ingredients prepared and chopped

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).
a collage of three photos showing preparation steps of Moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables

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.

moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables in a pan

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:

Moroccan chicken with dried apricots, vegetables and parsley couscous in a white plate on a blue background

Moroccan chicken with vegetables and dried apricots

Very aromatic and juicy, moroccan-style spiced chicken (seasoned with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, chilli flakes) with lots of vegetables and dried apricots.
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moroccan chicken with apricots and vegetables in a pan
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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 619kcal
Author Aleksandra

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

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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.
Course dinner
Cuisine international, moroccan
Tried this Recipe? Rate the Recipe and tell us what you think in the Comments!

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!!

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4 Comments

  • Reply
    Alex
    9 January 2022 at 15:04

    Was wondering how much of the prepared ras -el-hanout I should , recipe looks delicious
    Thx

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      9 January 2022 at 15:15

      I 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.

  • Reply
    Mayce
    15 July 2021 at 23:17

    5 stars
    Delicious!

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      16 July 2021 at 06:49

      Thank you for letting me know!

    5 from 1 vote

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