Moroccan Chicken Stew
This rich and comforting Moroccan Chicken Stew is the perfect all-in-one dinner. Instead of traditional dried fruit, the tagine-inspired stewy is made with sweet potatoes to provide the sweet and savory flavor Moroccan dish is known for. You’ll need just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time as this comforting chicken stews easily transitions from stove to oven, feeding 6 within an hour.
This hearty chicken stew is a family favorite in our house during the colder months. Don’t get put off by the long list of ingredients. You can use a Moroccan spice blend like ras el hanout instead and the stew feeds 6, making it perfect for meal prep as the stew freezes well for up to 3 months. It’s worth the faff!
Similar to my chickpea chorizo stew, this is another easy low-waste recipe. Skin on sweet potatoes and carrots plus the aquafaba cut down on waste and add extra fiber to the dish. A win in my books!
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Moroccan Chicken Stew
Ingredients
Moroccan Spice Blend
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Stew Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless (about 6 thighs)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 14 oz chickpeas with brine
- 4 carrots sliced
- 2 lb sweet potatoes diced, about 3
- 1 lemon 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 tbsp of juice
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives sliced or green olives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- In a small bowl, combine the dried spices.2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- In a large Dutch oven or pan, add the olive oil over high heat and brown the chicken thighs for 2 minutes each sides. Season them with salt and pepper as you're browning them. Do this in batches if the Dutch oven isn't big enough to avoid stewing the meat at this stage, you're after some quick color.1 tbsp olive oil, 2 lb chicken thighs, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Remove the chicken thighs and add the onion, garlic, and spice blend. Continue stirring and let the spices become fragrant for one minute. Be careful not to burn them at this stage. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, followed by the tomatoes.1 yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, 14 oz diced tomatoes
- Add the remaining ingredients including the chickpeas and brine, carrots, sweet potatoes, lemon zest, and juice. Stir to combine and bring everything up to a simmer.14 oz chickpeas, 4 carrots, 2 lb sweet potatoes, 1 lemon
- Add the browned chicken thighs back in and make sure they're submerged in the broth. Add the lid and transfer the stew to the oven for 40 minutes or slow cook it on the stove.
- Once the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender, season the stew to taste with salt and pepper. Shred the chicken if you like and stir in the olives and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with some Greek yogurt and garnish with shaved almonds if you like.1/2 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup black olives
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken – Boneless and skinless chicken thighs work best for this stew as they stay moist and tender and have more flavor than chicken breast.
- Spices – Mix the spices before starting to cook the stew or use 2 tbsp of ras el hanout plus salt and pepper instead. You can add a cinnamon stick to the stew instead.
- Vegetables – Sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and chickpeas make this an all-in-one meal.
- Liquids – Diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and aquafaba provide the liquid base for this stew. You can use any type of canned or fresh tomatoes and vegetable stock instead. Add more stock if you don’t want to use the aquafaba (chickpea liquid) but I try to keep my recipes low waste and the aquafaba adds some body to the base.
- Fruit – Lemon zest and juice add acidity and bright flavors to the stew. You can use preserved lemons as well. The sweet potatoes add enough sweetness for our taste but you can add some 4-5 chopped dried apricots or 2-3 dates for extra sweetness.
- Olives – Olives give the dish another flavor dimension. I chose sliced black olives but you can use whole black or green olives instead.
- Herbs – Fresh coriander gives the stew another lift. You can use fresh Italian parsley instead.
Slow cooker instructions
To prepare this Moroccan chicken stew in a slow cooker, simply follow the first 3 steps of the recipe but reduce the chicken stock to 1 cup. Transfer everything into a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the olives and cilantro and slow cook it on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
My top 3 chicken stew tips
- Chicken: Choose free-range chicken thighs instead of breast as they tend to dry out.
- Dutch oven: Use a Dutch oven as it turns it into a one-pot meal that reduces the clean up time.
- Veg: I like to incorporate veg for an all-in one meal but you can leave it out and serve fresh greens or a simple side salad such as my insalata mista on the side.
