Moroccan Style Chicken Stew
- By Amy Dong
- Published May. 9, 2024
Packed with bold spices and a variety of veggies, this Moroccan Style Chicken Stew is not only delicious but also healthy! Serve it over fluffy rice or potatoes for a family-favorite dinner.
In This Article
Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
Out of of all our favorite soup and stew recipes, this Moroccan Style Chicken Stew is packed with flavor. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Family Favorite Dinner: This stew is full of veggies, spices, and protein. Just serve it over a bowl of rice for a balanced meal-in-one.
- Amazing Flavors: Just like our Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes, this Moroccan stew is packed with spices like curry powder and garam masala. Did we mention the bacon?
- One-Pot Wonder: One large pot or Dutch oven means super easy clean up – one of the many reasons why we love simple one-pan meals.
- Meal Prep: Moroccan Chicken Stew gets even more flavorful as it sits making it perfect for prepping ahead.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – We like using thighs with the skin on and bone in for extra flavor and that nice crispy exterior. Chicken drumsticks also work great here.
- Raisins – Raisins provide the perfect little bursts of sweetness in this stew.
- Thick Cut Bacon – Smoky thick-cut bacon adds so much flavor to the stew.
- Veggies – Carrots, celery, and yellow bell peppers add vibrant colors and amazing flavors to this dish.
- Spices – Yellow curry powder, garam masala, and ground ginger give this stew its Moroccan theme.
- Slivered Almonds – Toasted slivered almonds provide crunch and deep, nutty flavors.
- Rice – We love serving this over a bowl of fluffy rice to soak up the broth.
Substitutions And Variations
Take a look at some of our favorite variations to this Moroccan Style Chicken Stew:
- Make It Vegetarian: To make Moroccan stew vegetarian, simply replace the chicken with chickpeas, tofu cubes, or your favorite vegan meat replacement and substitute veggie broth for the chicken stock.
- Add More Veggies: Take some inspiration from our Butternut Squash Chili recipe and try adding cubed squash, pumpkin, or sweet potatoes.
- Add Some Spice: Want to give your stew a little kick of spice? Try adding some cayenne powder to taste until it reaches your desired level of spiciness.
- Change the Starch: Try serving this chicken stew with Instant Pot Brown Rice, Quinoa, or couscous.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Pour raisins into hot chicken stock, and let plump up. Combine curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl.
- Sauté chopped bacon in Dutch oven for about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a small bowl and set aside.
- Brown the chicken pieces in small batches in leftover bacon grease until all chicken is browned.
- Sauté carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic until softened. Add tomatoes, honey, curry powder mixture, ginger, and raisins with the stock. Simmer until sauce thickens.
- Nestle chicken pieces into the sauce. Tent pot loosely with foil and place in lower middle rack of oven. Bake for 25 minutes at 350F. Uncover, and bake another 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and skim fat from surface. Serve over fluffy rice and garnish as desired.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Check out our easy prep ahead secrets for this dish:
- Mix Spices: Measure/mix the yellow curry powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
- Chop Veggies: Chop veggies the night before and store them in the fridge. The next day, just throw everything together.
- Make Entire Stew: This dish gets even more flavorful as it sits. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months for the perfect meal-prep lunch or dinner.
What To Serve With Moroccon Style Chicken Stew
Grains
- Besides white rice, we also love this vibrant quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe served with Moroccan Stew.
- Spruce up your rice game with this easy Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe. The fresh herbs pair perfectly with this stew.
Vegetables
- Serve up a side of greens with these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Sriracha.
- This Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing also makes a great fresh, crunchy side to this warm, comforting dish.
Desserts
- These 3-Ingredient Date Bars make the perfect healthy dessert to this veggie-packed meal.
- Another one of our favorite desserts to serve with Moroccan Style Chicken Stew are these Chewy Coconut Macaroons (dipped in chocolate, of course).
Commonly Asked Questions
Is Moroccan Style Chicken Stew gluten-free?
Yes! Moroccan Style Chicken Stew is completely gluten-free and dairy-free too!
Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs for this dish?
While you absolutely can use chicken breasts for this stew and still end up with amazing results, we recommend the bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs or drum sticks as the extra fat from the skin provides so much flavor and helps the chicken cook extra tender.
Can I make this recipe in the Instant Pot?
This recipe would be great for the Instant Pot. Take a look at our Instant Pot Chicken Curry recipe for tips and tricks on cooking chicken with the instant pot.
Can I make this recipe in the slow cooker?
Though you’ll be exchanging crispy exterior for a fix-it-and-forget-it cooking method, the slow cooker is a good option. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on Low for about 8 hours or until chicken is tender.
Why do you tent the stew with foil while baking?
We tent the stew with foil the first half of baking, because it prevents the chicken from drying out and helps all the flavors really meld together. Then, for the last half of baking we remove the foil to allow the chicken to crisp just slightly for a supremely satisfying outcome.
What about the olives?
Some recipes include green olives, and you’re welcome to add those or any other type of olives to the stew.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Moroccan Style Chicken Stew
Packed with bold spices and a variety of veggies, this Moroccan Style Chicken Stew is not only delicious but also healthy! Serve up a big bowl of this comforting stew for an ultra-flavorful dish the whole family will devour.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chicken broth, low sodium
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 TB yellow curry powder
- 1 TB garam masala
- 4 oz thick cut bacon, chopped
- 12 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, skin and bone on
- 2 ½ cups carrots, sliced
- 2 cups celery, thinly sliced
- 2 cups yellow bell peppers, diced
- 2 cups onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 3 TB honey
- 1 TB ginger powder
- 3 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Optional: Serve with cooked white rice, garnish with slivered almonds and chopped parsley or chives.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Pour chicken stock into microwavable dish and microwave on high for 1 minute.
- Pour raisins into hot stock, and let sit to plump up. In another small bowl, combine curry powder, garam masala, 3 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Set aside.
- Sauté chopped bacon in large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook until bacon is golden brown, about 5 min. Transfer bacon to a small bowl and set aside.
- Using bacon grease still in heavy pot, brown the chicken pieces in small batches over medium high heat. Do not overcrowd. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat until all chicken is browned. Add 1-2 TB light olive oil if needed to finish cooking chicken. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.
- If needed, add 1 TB olive oil. Sauté carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic until softened, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes, honey, curry powder mixture, ginger, and raisins with their stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens around the vegetables, about 8 minutes.
- Nestle chicken pieces gently into the sauce, so that skin side faces up and stays above surface. Tent pot loosely with foil and place in lower middle rack of oven. Bake 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake another 20 minutes. Sauce should be thickened and chicken skin should just begin to crisp.
- Remove from oven and skim fat from surface. If needed, season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Spoon 1 cup hot rice into a wide bowl. Arrange a couple of chicken pieces on top, and generously spoon sauce over chicken/rice. Garnish with reserved bacon, toasted almonds, and parsley.
Notes
- While the extra step of plumping the raisins may seem small, don’t skip it! Plumping the raisins makes them extra juicy and flavorful. It’s also a great technique for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
- To add even more flavor to this dish, try toasting the slivered almonds. Simply heat the almond slivers in a skillet without oil, stirring continuously until they become slightly browned and fragrant.
- Although we don’t use olives in this recipe, you can definitely add chopped green olives to the sauce.
- Moroccan Style Chicken Stew can be made in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. Check out the “Commonly Asked Questions” section above for alternative cooking tips.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6987IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg
More To Cook And Eat
- Beef and Barley Stew – This beef and barley stew is made in the slow cooker for an extra tender, extremely satisfying meal.
- Chickpea Curry with Potatoes – Vegetarian chickpea curry takes only 30 minutes to make and is bursting with bold spices and vibrant colors.
- Easy Lasagna Soup Recipe – We love whipping up this easy lasagna soup when we want all the deliciousness of classic lasagna without all the work.
- Tuscan Style Beef Stew – Tuscan Style Beef Stew makes super tender beef infused with the flavors of fresh rosemary and garlic.