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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.
This is a Zojirushi electric skillet! The black skillet part comes out of the electric part making it super easy to clean! http://astore.amazon.com/weelicious-20/detail/B003ODCFKS
Could you tell me what brand and where you got your electric saute pan? I can’t seem to find a good one that looks as durable as yours in this video. Also, is it easy to clean??
We use cloth here most all the time, except for when there is meat, eggs, etc.. inlvoved. The older inserts from the boys’ diapers, make great dust rags and such. I’m all for the “family” cloth thing as well. I know it sounds weird, but I’ve never bought maxi pads, when I occasionally use them. I actually make my own. Just store the “used” ones in a shallow bucket filled with cold water (also has a lid) and throw in with the diapers when I wash. I drain the “used” water and water the houseplants with it. The plants love it.LOVE CLOTH and plan to keep on using until it falls apart.
Turns out my 4 year old loves garbanzo beans (but not the 2 year old;). And my husband and I thought it was delish 🙂 It’s easy to get stuck in a dinner rut so thank you for inspiring us to try new things!
Super yummy and super easy! My husband was skeptical, but ended up having seconds and my 14 month old gobbled it up as well. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes and ideas. Just bought your cookbook yesterday and can’t wait to check it out!!
This has become a family favorite! My toddler is an extremely picky eater and I have such a hard time getting him to eat anything other than white rice or fruit, but he will eat this dish. Thanks so much! Even my husband will eat this, garbanzo beans and all! Just one thing: I like to squeeze a bit of lemon over it once it’s done.
I’m trying this tonight! I’ll let you know how it turns out! If it’s really good I’ll blog about it! I’m sure it will be!
can i ask what you are using to cook the chicken in? looks like a great appliance to have
love your garlic idea…I’m making it tonight and will do that also!
Made this last night. Very good and easy! I did add some honey to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes and also some garlic powder, cause we love garlic. This dish was a delicious new tasty way to prepare some chicken breasts!
Just thought you’d like to know – I was browsing your site for dinner ideas, and when I scrolled past this post my 2 1/2 year old yelled out “THAT ONE! I WANT THAT ONE!”. The prince has spoken 🙂
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Just tried this tonight & it was amazing!!! My husband ate 2 bowls plus my 23 month old’s leftovers!!! Thanks for the new staple!!
This is probably my favorite recipe from this site – I’ve been making it for months. So delicious and easy, and even my picky 4 year old will eat the cous cous and garbanzo beans (hopefully some day she’ll try the chicken)! It’s become a standard go-to dinner in our house. Thank you!!
This was delicious and my favorite part, EASY! Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Can this be frozen? Not sure how the whole chickpeas will fair? Thanks so much