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This Easy Moroccan Chicken is one of my family’s favorite weeknight dinners, and after spending 10 days in Morocco with my dad earlier this year, I came home with a whole new appreciation for why these flavors work so well together. Chicken thighs, garbanzo beans, canned tomatoes, and a handful of warm spices come together in one pan in about 30 minutes.
The spice combination here (paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger) is simple, but the result tastes anything but. It’s not spicy, which makes it genuinely family friendly, but it’s deeply savory and a little sweet in a way that surprises people every time.
Why I Love This Recipe
It starts with pantry staples. Canned tomatoes, canned garbanzo beans, dried spices, and chicken thighs are things I almost always have on hand. No special trip to the store required.
Chicken thighs stay juicy thanks to the braising method, and absorb the sauce in a way breasts don’t. If you only have breasts (or prefer them), cut them into 1-inch chunks and reduce the simmer time to about 15 minutes so they don’t dry out.
This is also one of those recipes that’s even better the next day, which makes it great for meal prep or bringing to a friend. And, if you love these flavors, my Chicken Tagine with Apricots takes things in a slightly different direction with dried fruit and a longer braise.
If you love bold spiced chicken dinners, my 26 Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes has 26 more weeknight ideas organized by cooking method that you can try!
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Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skip the onion step: Sautéing the onion until it’s fully translucent before adding the spices makes a real difference. It builds a sweeter, deeper base for the sauce.
- Blooming the spices in the oil and sauteed onions for about 30 seconds before adding the liquid wakes them up and intensifies the flavor.
- The sauce will look thin at first. It thickens as it simmers and the chicken releases its juices. Give it the full 20 minutes covered before you decide it needs adjusting.
- Slow cooker variation: several readers make this in the crockpot with great results. Add everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred the chicken before serving for a stew-like version that’s great over couscous.
- Let kids help with the spices: Simple little activities like dumping spices into a sauce may seem boring to adults, but to kids, it’s super fun. They love smelling and tasting each spice while cooking and it gets them excited to eat the final dish.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this over couscous or jasmine rice depending on what I have on hand. Both work well. A simple green salad or Caramelized Carrots with Chermoula and some warm pita on the side rounds it out nicely. If you want the couscous cooked right into the dish rather than served alongside it, my One Pot Spiced Chicken with Toasted Couscous is a great variation to try!
More Go-To Chicken Recipes
If you make this Easy Moroccan Chicken, leave a comment below and let me know how it went. It’s one of those recipes that’s hard to mess up and easy to make your own.
Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Add the paprika, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and salt directly to the onions. Stir and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil, scraping up any spices stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the drained garbanzo beans and chicken thighs, stirring well to coat everything in the sauce.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Remove from heat and serve over couscous or jasmine rice, spooning plenty of sauce over the top.
Notes
- Chicken breasts work too. Cut into 1-inch pieces and reduce the simmer time to about 15 minutes, until cooked through.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors deepen overnight so this is a great make-ahead meal.
- Slow cooker variation: add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred the chicken before serving and spoon over couscous or rice.
I make this in the crockpot with skinless breasts and then shred the chicken so it’s like a stew. Serve over couscous. It’s delicious! It’s my go to when I’m bringing a meal to someone because it’s different and reheats nicely.
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Have you ever tried this in the crockpot? I’d love to know how you did it if so… still in a phase where its easier to make dinner during naps!
I always make it in the crockpot! I use skinless breasts. 2-4 hours on high
I think that sounds delicious!
Do you think this recipe would work well with shrimp instead of chicken? I was thinking of using shrimp and adding it to the tomato, onion, and chickpea mixture at about the last 4 minutes of simmering. What do you think?
We made this last night and it was so easy and fantastic. We served it with jasmine rice, which went very well. Thank you so much!
Without asking them to delete it, is there a way i can delete my own blog comments on someone else’s blog? Please help(:.
Just wanted to comment and say THANK YOU Catherine for sharing delicious recipes with us! I found this one a couple years ago and it’s become a favorite in our house. I always serve with whole wheat couscous and steamed baby carrots…delish & easy!
[…] Moroccan Chicken – this link will take you to the weelicious site for Catherine’s recipe. Just a couple of notes here – 1.) I make this in my slow cooker all the time and it’s fab and 2.) I at least DOUBLE all the spices in the recipe except for the salt. […]
Hi Catherine
The small and taste of this is great! When I made it, the sauce is very liquidy. I am just wondering if this is suppose to happen or if this is a way to ensure it’s not so liquidy.
Thanks!
I double the recipe, use chicken breasts cut into 1/3s or 1/4s and throw it all in the crock pot (high for about 2 hours). Before serving, I shred the chicken, mix it back together and serve it on a bed of couscous. We LOVE this recipe. The flavors are so rich and different and yummy! Guests have loved it as well.
The 20 min is long enough for them to cook!
Catherine, do you have to cook the garbanzo beans before adding it to the recipe or is the 20 min cooking along with the chicken enough?
I made some tweaks to this recipe based on other Moroccan chicken recipes I’ve tried. I added 1 tsp tumeric, carrots, zucchini (to up the veggies), raisins and squeezed in 1/2 a lemon at the end. Utterly delicious!!