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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 get so frustrated planning weekly meals, but since my friend introduced me to your site, my weeks have been a bit easier. I am looking forward to seeing recipes that line up with seasonal cooking since I live in an area where fresh food isn’t always available. Thanks for making life healthy for so many of us.
Looking forward to making sweet potato casserole with turkey.
I am always looking for tasty chicken receipes that kids will enjoy! Looking forward to trying this one!
My kids love sweet potato biscuits!!!
I love your website & all your recipes! I have a 5-year-old, a 4-year-old, and an 8-month-old, and I love that I can make just about all of your recipes and the entire family can enjoy them. I have actually printed out a ton of your recipes & put them in a 3-ring binder – this is my cookbook! So thankful for you & your website! 🙂
I love Moroccan food; I will try this recipe tomorrow night!
thanks,
Catherine
(p.s. can you correct the spelling in the link, please? “Moraccan” should be Moroccan)
Delicious!
Wonderful, quick, and easy! It was a hit with everyone!
I cannot even express how delicious this was.
Even my picky 16 month old started eating off my plate and wound up eating half my serving!
i don’t see why not! it would be soo good!
do you think i could make this in the crock pot?
this was super easy! i messed up and put in too much Paprika tho – getting distracted by children and i read it as a Tbsp instead of a Tsp. But worked out in the end – and used tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes. Even my picky 6yr old boy ate it up!
i also used organic chicken – yum
Super yummy, super easy, super affordable (I even used mostly organic ingredients!) Definitely went in to my recipe box!!!
I have it on my list to make a Moroccan style dish this week. I have a few I enjoy – veggie versions too. Yours sounds great, simple and delicious, with a list of ingredients that isn’t too long. You’re right too – very kid friendly. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this recipe! I’d like to try it out tonight.. but I have turkey thighs in the fridge, not chicken thighs! How much extra time do you think I’d need to let this simmer?
Yum!!
I love how easy to follow the recipes on the site are. I am always looking for great ways to cook tofu and was a huge fan of your recent post. And I’m always looking for healthier ways to make some of my favorite ethnic foods … so this one is terrific. Thank you.