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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Main Ingredient / Poultry / One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Rice

One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Rice

Published on March 20, 2020 by Helen Best-Shaw 5 Comments
Last Updated on September 7, 2021

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One-pot Moroccan chicken with rice makes a delicious week-night supper. Packed with the big, bold flavours of North Africa, it cooks in one dish and can be on the table in about 30 minutes.  

A close up of a blue casserole dish of moroccan spiced chicken cooked with rice.

Everything You Need To Know

  • Easy One-Pot Moroccan Chicken
  • Why Make It
  • Buying Chicken
  • How to Make Moroccan Chicken with Rice  
  • Eat Your Greens
  • Hints, Tips & Variations 
  • More Rice One Pots and Rice Dishes
  • One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Rice
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Easy One-Pot Moroccan Chicken

I love a good one-pot dish for all the obvious reasons. They are the perfect for after work; easy, tasty, fast and light on the washing up. Once you get the ingredient ratios right, rice-based stove top dishes are a winner and the variations are pretty much endless.   

In the days when Ed and I both had office jobs, we ate this type of dish several times a week. Cooking after work is a fantastic way to wind down and relax, but you don’t want anything that takes too long or is too fussy. Hands on time for this wonderfully spicy chicken with rice is less than 15 minutes, so you can leave it to cook whilst you get on with something else.  

This recipe makes two very hearty portions. Serve it with some extra vegetables, and you may well have leftovers for a packed lunch the next day. 

I make my one-pots in a shallow enamelled cast iron casserole. However, a heavy frying fan or skillet with a well fitting lid would work well too. 

Why Make It

  • Moroccan chicken with rice is quick and easy to make yet so appetising.  
  • The preparation and clearing up in minimal, with only one pot to wash. 
  • It only takes a quarter of an hour to prepare. Leave it to cook while you relax.   
  • It is easy to adapt to incorporate other meats or add your favourite veg.  
  • It is easy to scale, so make extra for unexpected visitors or for the freezer.
  • It’s light on calories – around 500 kcal for a generous helping. 
  • Leftovers (if you have them) are great for packed lunches.  

The beauty of cooking rice by the absorption method is that you can measure by volume. Just follow the instructions to get perfect rice every time. You just need a heavy pan with a lid that fits properly. Don’t be tempted to peek at the rice as it cooks. 

Buying Chicken

I  only buy free range. The welfare advantages are worth every extra penny and the flavour and texture is different because chickens that can move have more muscle. 

You will always get the best value by buying a whole chicken. You get far more for your money and will have the carcass to make chicken stock.  

If you are buying chicken pieces, I find that thighs have more flavour and a better, moister meat once cooked. You will need one thigh per person for this Moroccan chicken with rice recipe. You can buy fillets, or whole thighs, which are very easy to skin. Remove the bones and save them for stock.

How to Make Moroccan Chicken with Rice  

The ingredients for moroccan chicken with rice.

Measure out the ingredients to check you have everything. This also means that you can put packets away with clean hands.

Chop up the chicken into 1 cm/1/2″ pieces. I find the easiest way to cut chicken is with a pair of scissors or poultry shears, rather than a knife.

Preparing preserved lemons - scraping out the flesh, and cutting the skin into narrow slices.

How to prepare preserved lemons

When cooking with preserved lemons, you only use the rind, and not the salty flesh. You can preserve regular lemons, but typically the ones you buy are smaller and have lots of pith. 

Rinse the lemon, and cut in half. Scoop out the flesh and discard. Slice the rind into thin matchsticks with a sharp knife. Depending one how salty it is, you may also need to rinse the lemon.

Moroccan chicken - cooked onion, before adding chicken

Step One – Set a large sauté pan (or casserole dish) with a lid on a medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil until they start to turn translucent.

Step two - the chicken and onion have been cooked, ready for spices

Step Two – Add the chopped chicken and stir in well. Cook until the chicken starts to colour. 

Step three - cooked chicken onion with spice added, ready for the other ingredients.

Step Three – Add the ras el hanout, and stir well to coat each piece of chicken evenly. Cook for a further couple of minutes.

A collage of stage 4 of one pot chicken, flavoured with Moroccan influences. Before and after adding the main ingredients.

Step Four – Add the remaining ingredients: the rice, stock, olives, preserved lemon, dried apricots, and tomatoes. Then stir and cook. 

Bring to a simmer, put the lid on the pan and turn the heat right down. I need to use a heat diffuser ring with my gas stove. Otherwise, the rice catches and can stick to the bottom of the pan, even on the lowest heat.

Leave to cook for 18 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow to rest for another 5 minutes.  

The finished Moroccan chicken with rice one pot, ready to garnish and serve.

Step Five –  At the end of cooking the rice will have cooked and absorbed all the liquid.   

A close up view of a dish of Moroccan chicken with rice garnished with coriander, pomegranate seeds and flaked almonds

Fluff up the rice with a fork, and check the seasoning. The preserved lemons are salty, so do check before you add any.

Stir through a handful of chopped coriander. Serve Moroccan Chicken garnished with more coriander, mint, pomegranate seeds and toasted flaked almonds.

Eat Your Greens

The tomatoes, olives and fruit in this recipe amount to about two ‘portions’ of fruit and veg per person. I would usually serve it with a salad, or some wilted chard or spinach with garlic and spice, similar to the North African dish bakoula. If, however, you prefer to mix everything in, it is easy to add extra veg to your Moroccan chicken with rice. 

  • Throw in some diced aubergine and fry along with the onion
  • Put some peeled and diced carrot in the pan with the onion (you could use a whole bag of soffritto mix)
  • Add sliced peppers with the ras el hanout 
  • If you have leftovers, stir in a scoop of roasted squash or other roast veg
  • Throw in a handful of chickpeas towards the end of cooking 
  • Stir through a generous handful of spinach at the end of cooking. (Mallow leaf is popular in North Africa too, but spinach is easier to find!) 

Hints, Tips & Variations 

  • Leave the lid on the pan the rice cooks. Make sure the heat is low; too much heat and it can catch and burn at the bottom. Many stoves need a diffuser ring to keep the heat gentle enough. If you are not used to cooking rice on your hob, check it half-way through. If you do need to check, however, you will need to add a little extra liquid because lifting the lid allows the steam to escape. Once you know how your cooker behaves, leave the lid on throughout.
  • Moroccan chicken with rice could be made in the oven. You can see the technique in my chicken biryani, another delicious one-pot dish. Cook the chicken on the stove as above. 
  • Leftover roast chicken works well and is even quicker. Skip step 2 and add it with the spice. Or you could use frozen chunks, or even mince. 
  • Leftover olives can be frozen to use another time. 
  • Instead of the apricots, try using chopped dates or even prunes.  
  • You can bulk the dish out by adding chickpeas. 
  • Any long grain white rice will work. I favour basmati. Brown rice works but takes much longer and will probably need more liquid. 
Golden Moroccan chicken, garnished with jewels of pomegranate and vibrant green herb leaves

More Rice One Pots and Rice Dishes

  • Spanish chicken
  • Peri peri chicken
  • Greek chicken
  • Nandos rice
  • Spicy rice
  • Mushroom rice
  • Leftover lamb biryani
  • Pilau rice (Pressure Cooker Pilau rice)
  • Leftover chicken biryani 
  • Leftover turkey biryani
  • Other easy rice recipes 
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5 from 4 votes

One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Rice

Easy Moroccan chicken with rice is a simple but delicious one-pot recipe, packed with flavour from fruit, herbs and earthy North African spice.
Servings: 2
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
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Ingredients

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp ras el hanout
  • 1 tsp harissa paste (optional – for extra heat)
  • 1 onion (peeled and diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 chicken thighs (about 225 g filleted, diced)
  • ½ cup rice (115 g )
  • 1 cup stock or broth (chicken or vegetable – 240 ml)
  • 40 g olives (stoned, sliced)
  • 1 preserved lemon (small – about 40 g, rinsed well)
  • 8 dried apricots (chopped )
  • 3 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
  • coriander leaf (a large handful, chopped)

To garnish (optional)

  • coriander
  • mint
  • flaked almonds (toasted)
  • pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  • Set a large sauté pan (or casserole dish) with a lid on a medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil until they start to turn translucent.
  • Add the chopped chicken and stir in well. Cook until the chicken starts to colour.
  • Add the ras el hanout, and stir well to coat each piece of chicken evenly. Cook for a further couple of minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down low.
  • Leave the dish to cook for 18 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir through a handful of chopped coriander. Serve Moroccan Chicken garnished with more coriander, mint, pomegranate seeds and toasted flaked almonds.

Notes

  • Leave the lid on the pan the rice cooks. Make sure the heat is low; too much heat and it can catch and burn at the bottom. Many stoves need a diffuser ring to keep the heat gentle enough. If you are not used to cooking rice on your stovetop, check it half-way through. If you do need to check, however, you will need to add a little extra liquid because lifting the lid allows the steam to escape. Once you know how your cooker behaves, leave the lid on throughout.
  • Moroccan chicken with rice could be made in the oven. You can see the technique in my chicken biryani, another delicious one-pot dish. Cook the chicken on the stove as above. 
  • Leftover roast chicken works well and is even quicker. Skip step 2 and add it with the spice. Or you could use frozen chunks, or even mince. 
  • Instead of the apricots, try using chopped dates.  
  • You can bulk the dish out by adding chickpeas. 
  • Any long grain white rice will work. I favour basmati. Brown rice works but takes much longer and will probably need more liquid. 
Nutritional Information 
  • This recipe is 18 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion 
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 484 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 99mg33%
Sodium 1358mg59%
Potassium 805mg23%
Carbohydrates 56g19%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin A 1651IU33%
Vitamin C 65mg79%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main, One Pot
Cuisine: Moroccan
Keyword: Moroccan Chicken and Rice
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Filed Under: Easy Rice Recipes, Main Meal, Other Cuisines, Poultry, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Recipes by Course Ingredients: Chicken, Rice, Spices

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Chloe

    5 stars
    This came out so good. I love the Moroccan flavors, it really spiced up a chicken dinner!

    Reply
  2. Deanne Frieders

    5 stars
    This recipe had two things our family (or I) loves – one pot and ready in under 30 minutes. The flavors were delicious – we’ll be making this moroccan chicken again!

    Reply
  3. Neli Howard

    5 stars
    Oh wow…. Looking amazing, Helen! I can almost smell it through the screen! I am imagine the rice soaking up all that tasty juices. Heavenly one pot meal!

    Reply
  4. Toni

    5 stars
    This was so good! Everyone at my house loved it!

    Reply
  5. Cookilicious

    I making this for dinner tonight minus the chicken…looks absolutely yumm!

    Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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