Embark on a culinary journey to the bustling souks of Morocco with our guide to creating an exquisite "Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Olives." This tantalizing dish captures the vibrant flavors and aromas of Moroccan cuisine. Succulent chicken pieces are marinated in a fragrant blend of lemon, garlic, ginger, and aromatic spices, then slow-cooked until tender and infused with delectable flavors. Juicy green olives add a salty-briny note, while preserved lemons lend a distinctive tartness that awakens your taste buds. Served over fluffy couscous or aromatic basmati rice, this dish is a symphony of flavors that will transport you to the heart of Morocco.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat the oil a medium straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken breasts well and sprinkle evenly with the salt. Place the breasts skin-side down in the hot pan and cook undisturbed until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken to the bone side and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate while you build the sauce.
- In the same pan, add the shallots and sweat, stirring occasionally, for a minute. Add the preserved lemon, olives and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the chicken broth and return to a simmer. Add the oregano and the chicken back to the sauce. Spoon some of the liquid over the chicken. Cover the pan and simmer gently until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 25 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest in the sauce for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
- Serve the chicken with a generous helping of the sauce and sprinkled with chive blossoms if using.
MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES
A traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemon. Cooked in a tagine.
Provided by Elise Bauer
Categories Dinner Stew Chicken Stew Lemon Chicken Moroccan Cuisine Preserved Lemons Tagine
Time 2h5m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Stir in parsley, cilantro: Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with couscous, rice, or rice pilaf .
Nutrition Facts : Calories 718 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Cholesterol 230 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 48 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, Sodium 902 mg, Sugar 9 g, Fat 51 g, ServingSize Serves 4 to 6, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH OLIVES
The exotic blend of spices that season this chicken will take your taste buds on a global journey.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 1h25m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Stir together cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric, ginger and garlic. Rub mixture on all sides of chicken.
- Coat chicken with flour. Place chicken in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Stir together water, lemon juice and bouillon granules; pour over chicken. Add olives and lemon slices.
- Bake uncovered about 1 hour, spooning liquid over chicken occasionally, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Serve with couscous.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 280, Carbohydrate 9 g, Cholesterol 85 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 28 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 600 mg
MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVES AND LEMON
Provided by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
Categories Chicken Ginger Olive Sauté Low Cal Dinner Lemon Healthy Cinnamon Simmer Cumin Bon Appétit Sugar Conscious Paleo Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.
MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES
Make and share this Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Olives recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Sydney Mike
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 1h20m
Yield 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In food processor, finely chop onion & garlic.
- Dredge chicken in flour.
- In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, then saute chicken & onion mixture until mixture has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup water, the saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika, salt & lemon zest.
- Bring to boil, then reduce heat & simmer, covered, 35 minutes.
- Remove chicken from sauce & allow to cool a few minutes.
- Cut chicken into small pieces, then put meat back into sauce.
- To the sauce add lemon juice, olives, cilantro & pepper, & simmer gently 5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, in a medium saucepan bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil.
- Add couscous & bring back to a boil, then remove from heat & allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Spoon chicken mixture over couscous & serve.
STOVETOP MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES
Steps:
- Ahead of time if possible, combine the chicken with the onion, garlic, herbs, and spices, including half of the saffron. (Reserve the rest of the saffron for adding to the sauce at a later time.) If time allows, cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
- When ready to cook, transfer the chicken and onions (scrape every last bit out of your bowl) to a heavy-bottomed pot, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cover and cook the chicken over medium or medium-low heat, gently stirring and turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender enough to pinch off the bones. (This will take approximately one hour, but longer if using a free range chicken). Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn't scorch, and only add a little water if you feel you must. Typically the chicken will braise in its own juices.
- When the chicken is cooked, carefully transfer it to a plate and cover.
- Continue cooking the onion mixture and sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids evaporate and the onions can be mashed into a blended mass which separates from the oils. If your onions do not appear to be melding, you can give a few pulses with an immersion blender, but do not overprocess.
- Add the preserved lemon, olives, the rest of the saffron, and a few tablespoons of water, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot to heat through, or place under the broiler to brown the skin.
- Place the chicken on a serving platter, pour the onion sauce over the top and sides, and garnish the top of the chicken with the quartered lemon and some olives.
- For casual meals, consider garnishing the chicken with a handful or two of french fries (patate frite), which may also be offered as a traditional side.
- Moroccan tradition is to eat by hand, using crusty Moroccan bread for soaking up the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 639 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Cholesterol 152 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 48 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sodium 553 mg, Sugar 6 g, Fat 42 g, ServingSize 4 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES
Make and share this Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Olives recipe from Food.com.
Provided by cookiedog
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In a food processor, finely chop onion and garlic. Dredge chicken in flour.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute chicken and onion mixture until mixture has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in one cup water, saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika, salt and lemon peel.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 35 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and allow to cool a few minutes.
- Debone chicken and cut meat into small pieces. Put meat back into sauce with the lemon juice, olives, cilantro and pepper. Simmer gently 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and bring back to a boil.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Spoon chicken mixture over couscous and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 677, Fat 16.5, SaturatedFat 3.8, Cholesterol 241.2, Sodium 627, Carbohydrate 33.1, Fiber 3, Sugar 1.6, Protein 93.3
CHICKEN WITH LEMONS AND OLIVES EMSHMEL
Steps:
- 1. The day before, using 4 cloves of the garlic and 2 tablespoons of salt prepare the chickens as directed below under Basic Method For Preparing Poultry, then marinate both chickens and livers in 1 teaspoon of salt, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin, the spices, and the oil. Refrigerate, covered.
- 2. The next day, place the chickens, livers, and marinade in the casserole. Add 1/2 cup of the grated onion, the saffron, herbs, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, turning the chickens often in the sauce.
- 3. While the chickens are cooking, rinse and pit the olives. (If they seem a little bitter, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and drain.) Set aside.
- 4. Remove the chicken livers from the casserole and mash them fine. Return to the casserole with the remaining grated, drained onions. (This will give a good deal of heftiness to the sauce.) Add water, if necessary. Continue cooking 20 minutes, partially covered.
- 5. Rinse the preserved lemons (discarding the pulp, if desired) and quarter. Add the olives and preserved lemon quarters to the sauce when the chickens are very tender and the flesh falls easily from the bone. Continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes, uncovered.
- 6. Transfer the chickens to a serving dish and spoon the olives and lemons around them. Cover and keep warm. By boiling rapidly, uncovered, reduce the sauce to 1 1/2 cups. Add the juice of 2 fresh lemons to the sauce in the pan. Add more salt (and more lemon juice, if desired) to taste. Pour the sauce over chickens and serve at once.
- Basic Method for Preparing Poultry
- The timing in the recipe includes these steps:
- 1. Wash the chickens or other poultry in salted water and drain. Pound 4 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons salt into a paste. Rub the paste into the cavity and flesh of the poultry, at the same time pulling out excess fat from under the skin and from the neck and rump ends. Pull out the thin translucent membrane from under the skin of the breast. Rinse the poultry well under running water until it no longer smells of garlic. (The garlic is used to rid the poultry of any bitterness that might spoil a sauce; it also brings out its flavor, much like MSG.) Drain the poultry well.
- 2. If you suspect that your poultry is tasteless on account of "scientific breeding," use a method invented by Janet Jaidi to improve its taste: Rub it with the spices to be used in the recipe, a little butter and oil, and marinate it overnight. (If you do this, remember that you may have to readjust the spicing of your sauce at the end.)
- 3. If you are using whole poultry, it must be trussed. Trussing poultry is easy: clip off the wing tips and discard; slip the ends of the legs into a horizontal incision made just about the rump (turkeys often come this way), or slip the legs into incisions made on the lower sides of the breast.
- Note: When stuffing turkeys or squabs or chickens, do not wash with garlic or salt.
- Paula Wolfert shares her tips with Epicurious:
- •Wolfert recommends using organic free-range chicken for its noticeably superior maximum flavor and moist texture. Free-range poultry is available at health food stores, an increasing number of supermarkets, and at dartagnan.com. •Like many Moroccan clay-pot dishes, this chicken can be prepared in a slow cooker with very good results. Wolfert recommends Rival's Versaware model because the crock pot can be removed and used on the stovetop or in the oven (available at rivalproducts.com).
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use fresh lemons. If you don't have fresh lemons, you can use 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice, but the flavor will be slightly less bright.
- If you don't have preserved lemons, you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice instead.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when you're browning the chicken. If the chicken is too crowded, it will steam instead of brown.
- Cook the chicken until it is cooked through, but not dry. The chicken should be slightly firm to the touch.
- Serve the chicken with rice, couscous, or your favorite side dish. You can also serve it with a side of yogurt or tzatziki sauce.
Conclusion:
Moroccan lemon chicken with olives is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The chicken is tender and juicy, and the lemon and olive sauce is flavorful and bright. This dish is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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