Moroccan Chicken Recipe with Couscous

Enjoy a festival of flavors with this Moroccan chicken recipe. Chicken breast marinated in aromatic spices, cooked to perfection - and served with delicious couscous - makes this the perfect meal!

One can never have enough chicken recipes and if you're looking for an addition to your collection, this Moroccan chicken is a true gem. Like our Mediterranean chicken recipe, harissa chicken and saffron chicken, this spiced chicken with couscous is also packed with so much flavor. 

Moroccan chicken with couscous

My goal is to bring you more recipes from the other side of the world where I come from. I love to share some chicken recipes with you and show you how simple it is to make delicious main dishes like Zereshk Polo that are like nothing you've tried before yet feel so familiar and homey. The simplicity and warm flavors and spices make this dish perfect for any day and any occasion.

The marinade

This recipe is made with an amazing marinade that has seven spices that combine very well together to make a tasty marinade. You could also simply use ras el hanout spice mix for this recipe. If available, you can also add some preserved lemons to the marinade for more flavor and a touch of brightness.

This marinade is full of flavors that work so well together and make any dish extra tasty. The spices used to make this chicken marinade are:

• Paprika
• Cardamom
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Cayenne
• Cinnamon
• Salt 

It's always best to have fresh spices at hand. While some might think that spices never go bad, they usually lose their aroma and flavor after a few months. So it's a good idea to clean up and organize your spice drawer every now and then to make sure the spices are fresh and aromatic. Check out The Kitchn for practical ideas to store spices. 

How to make Moroccan chicken

Make the spice mix

To make this tasty and easy Moroccan chicken, you need a spice mix. You can either buy the Moroccan spice mix from a spice shop or make it at home. Spare one teaspoon of the spice mix to add to couscous and mix the rest with some olive oil to make a paste.

Prepare the chicken

Rub this spice mix paste all over the chicken breasts and let them marinade for about 30 minutes. Sear the chicken breasts in a skillet for about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer them to a baking sheet and then bake in the oven at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes depending on their size. Once they're fully cooked, cover them with aluminum foil for ten minutes and then slice them.

Grilling instructions

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise and mix with the Moroccan spice marinade. Let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature or up to to 8 hours in the fridge. Once the grill is hot, place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes on each side until fully cooked. 

Moroccan couscous recipe

Making Moroccan couscous is very simple as it's a one pot dish. Saute onion and garlic with some extra virgin olive oil, then add in diced carrots and the Moroccan spice you saved and stir well. Next, add in the raisins and couscous and give it a nice stir. Lastly, add some water and bring it to simmer, and let it cook for about 30 minutes until the couscous is soft but not mushy.

To give this Moroccan dish some acidity, I always add some lemon juice to the couscous right before serving. Also, adding some chopped parsley in the end would make the dish very presentable and beautiful in addition to adding some bright color.

Additions to this chicken and couscous recipe

You can add other ingredients such as green olives or dried apricots to this recipe. Using dried fruit is very common in Moroccan cuisine and using them along side this dish would give it even more flavor. I love the addition of raisins as seen in this recipe because they become juicy and combine well with the Moroccan spices. 

Serving suggestions for Moroccan chicken

This North African chicken recipe is so versatile, you can serve it with white rice, couscous (as instructed) or bulgur. If you would like to serve it with a cold side dish, I suggest Mediterranean Couscous Salad  since it pairs very well with the chicken. 

What to do with the leftovers

You can turn the leftovers into a sandwich with some greens, red onion and sliced tomatoes or into a salad by serving the chicken on a bed of romaine lettuce with some fresh tomatoes, red onions, olives and cucumbers and drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice. 

Freezing instructions

Yes! The best way to freeze this dish is to freeze the marinated chicken breasts. When you make the marinade, spread it all over the chicken breasts, place them in a freezer bag and freeze.

Once you're ready to cook, thaw the chicken breasts in the fridge overnight and proceed with the recipe: sear the chicken and then bake it in the oven until fully cooked and serve with couscous.

Notes and tips

• You can marinade the chicken breasts with the spice mix and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• The amount of cayenne in this recipe is enough for the chicken to have a mild heat. If you prefer the chicken to be spicier, add ½ teaspoon cayenne to the original recipe.
• Both golden raisins and dark raisins can be used in this recipe.
• You can make a larger batch of this Moroccan spice and store it in a jar to have at hand. You can use this spice with breakfast eggs, in rice dishes, or any kind of meat dish for more flavor.
• Once the couscous is cooked, fluff it using two forks. Hold two forks and gently bring the bottom grains to the top and repeat until all the grains have been moved. This helps prevent the couscous from sticking together.