Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives is bursting with mouth-watering flavor. Salty olives and fresh citrus of the lemon create a dish of complex flavors! Serve on top of a bed of Couscous for a savory chicken dish that is a break from the ordinary.
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No boring chicken…everyone will rave over this Moroccan Chicken!
Traditional Moroccan dishes are frequently prepared with preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are marinated in a salty brine and their own juices, adding a unique flavor to the dish. These however are not commonly in our pantry. Preparing my Moroccan chicken with fresh lemons will yield a similar outcome, however be more liberal with your salt seasoning to offset the tartness of the lemons.
Choosing Olives
Castelvetrano Olives offer buttery and salty flavors, using quality green olives will truly make a difference! I like Castelvetrano olives for their firm, mild meat that elevates this chicken without overpowering it. Selecting pitted olives will speed up prep. If you do not have Castelvetrano olives, Cerignola, Manzanilla or California green olives are adequate substitutes.
Couscous is a traditional Moroccan grain side dish. I love couscous as a pair for this Moroccan chicken. The delicious lemon juices from the chicken soak into the couscous and flavors it perfectly. So, I would recommend using plain couscous as a companion dish.
The preparation for this Moroccan chicken is relatively simple and uses only one pan! I like to start with prepping some of my ingredients before I start cooking. Chop the onions and prep the garlic and set aside.
Lemony Explosion!
Thinly sliced lemons ensures that the lemons can really caramelize as cooking with the onions. If the slices are too thick, the lemon peel will be too bitter. You can also use Meyers lemons, however I prefer the tart lemon flavor. This dish will explode with lemony flavor!
Lemon with olives are a delicious flavor combination. Thyme, ginger and cumin elevate the savory flavors. No boring chicken for dinner tonight!
A cast iron skillet is a versatile kitchen item. With the ease to cook on the stove top and then transfer directly into the oven, a cast iron skillet will reduce clean up time and ensures more even cooking.
Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives
Ingredients
- 4-6 Chicken Thighs
- 8 Cloves Garlic, whole but peeled
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 1 Large Yellow Onion Thinly sliced
- 1 Lemon Thinly sliced, seeds removed
- ½ Cup Olives (Castelvetrano or Cerignola) Pitted and sliced
- ½ Cup Chicken Stock
- 2 TSP Dried Thyme
- 1 Lemon Juiced
- ¼ TSP Ground Cumin
- ¼ TSP Ground Ginger
- Coarse Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Dry the chicken and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Using a large cast iron skillet, heat one TBSP of olive oil on medium-high heat. Pan must be large enough for chicken to cook in a single layer.
- Once oil is hot, but not smoking add the chicken. Cook for 7-9 minutes undisturbed.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare the onions and lemons by thinly slicing. Coarsely chop the olives.
- Flip the chicken and add the whole garlic cloves.
- Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes until the garlic softens and begins to brown. Be careful not to allow garlic to burn.
- Remove chicken and garlic from pan and set aside.
- Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to the same pan used to cook chicken. Add onions, lemons, thyme, ginger, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow to simmer about 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have softened and turned golden.
- Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice.
- Add chicken and garlic back into the pan, including any juices that have accumulated while sitting.
- Toss in the olives.
- Transfer pan into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
- Enjoy on a bed of couscous.
I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. You can however use bone-in chicken thighs with skin. When using this option, be sure to cook the chicken skin side down first, allowing the skin to brown nicely. Additionally, you will need to add a few minutes to your oven cook time, monitoring the temperature around 25 minutes to check for it to reach temperature.
Moroccan Chicken with lemons and olives will easily become a family favorite! Tartness from lemons and buttery, saltiness of olives, marrying together with savory spices for dish with Moroccan flair. Impress everyone tonight!
Live fully, eat well!
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