Moroccan Chicken and Couscous

5 from 10 votes

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

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Moroccan

Servings: servings

Calories: 720kcal

Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

Moroccan Spice Blend

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cumin
½ tsp Turmeric
¼ tsp Cayenne
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Cardamom
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Chicken Breasts

Moroccan Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoon Moroccan Spice Blend
⅛ cup Olive Oil

Moroccan Couscous

2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 large Yellow Onion Diced
4 cloves Garlic Minced
2 Carrots Diced
1 teaspoon Moroccan Spice
½ cup Raisins
1 ½ cup Couscous
2 cups Water
⅓ cup Parsley Chopped
2 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Instructions

Moroccan Spice Blend

Place all the spices in a large bowl, stir using a small spoon.
Take one teaspoon of the spice blend and save it for the couscous. Two tablespoons of the Moroccan spice blend will be used for the chicken.

Moroccan Chicken

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a baking sheet with non stick spray. Set aside.
Mix two tablespoons of the Moroccan spice blend with the olive oil until it forms a paste.
Spread the paste over the chicken breasts on all sides. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sear the chicken breasts in the pan, 3 minutes on each side. Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until fully cooked. Take them out of the oven, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and let them sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Moroccan Couscous

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
Add Moroccan spices and stir well. Add raisins to the vegetables.
Add couscous and stir well so it's incorporated with the vegetables and spices.
Add in water and bring it to boil. Lower the heat, cover and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes until it's fully cooked. Fluff the couscous using two forks.
Add lemon juice and parsley to the couscous.
Serve the couscous with sliced Moroccan chicken.

Notes

You can marinade the chicken and refrigerate it for up to a day, and proceed with the steps when you're ready to cook.
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe as well. Cooking time may vary. Make sure the chicken has cooked completely before serving it.
The amount of cayenne in this easy Moroccan chicken 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.

Nutrition