I love Moroccan recipes so I was excited to try this Moroccan chicken recipe a friend gave me.
Middle Eastern recipes are some of by absolute favorites. They are warm and spicy without being hot, healthy without being ordinary and flavorful with still using ingredients we all probably have in our cupboards.
I think you will enjoy this healthy chicken recipe for all the same reasons. Plus it is so easy to put together, you will have lots of time to do other things as it bakes away in the oven.
Although you would think that these two cuisines couldn’t be farther apart, both cinnamon and cumin are common spices found in Moroccan cuisine and in Mexican cooking. They are combined quite differently with other flavorings and foods though, resulting two delicious, but quite different, cuisines.
This is a wonderful gluten free recipe. It is good for diabetics too, unless you are super sensitive to carbohydrates. If so, the bit of honey and the currants may be too much for you. Try it and judge for yourself. You can replace the honey with coconut sugar if you need or want too. It is much easier on blood sugar.
Moroccan Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless skinless or chicken pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups salsa
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup currants
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup almonds, toasted & slivered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC).
- Brown the chicken in oil and place it in a large baking dish. Meanwhile, lightly sauté the onion and garlic. Spoon this mixture over the chicken.
- Combine the salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon and pour it over the chicken. Cover the baking dish and bake in preheated 325ºF oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Sprinkle with almonds.
Nutrition
Serves 4
I would serve this chicken recipe with Moroccan chickpea tagine with quinoa and apricots or a simple, but flavorful, rice pilaf.
Note:
Don’t worry about the salsa seeming out of place in this recipe. If you use a plain mild or medium salsa it will be perfect. One that is quite seasoned or possibly a specialty salsa may not be suitable. You need something plain enough that the spices you add will stand out and meld all the flavors together.
The almonds are optional, but they add a wonderful crunch to the dish, plus added nutrition, so I would really recommend that you add them.
To find more healthy chicken recipes, like our Moroccan chicken recipe, browse here.
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