Treat your taste buds to mouthwatering Moroccan flavors.
This slow cooker chicken recipe brings together the best of Moroccan flavors and fresh ingredients. Moroccan tagine, or slow-cooked stews, often contain a mix of vegetables, dried fruits, spices, and poultry or meat. Moroccan cuisine also includes olives and garbanzo beans. All of these ingredients come together for a nutrient-rich, tasty stew.
Looking for Moroccan flavors, but in a vegetarian recipe? Try this Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew with Apricots recipe.
Chicken legs such as thighs, or a combination of thighs and drumsticks, are an excellent choice of poultry for this dish. Instead of drying out during a long, slow braise like chicken breasts will, they’ll benefit from slow cooking, resulting in tender, moist chicken. Serve the stew over whole wheat couscous or brown rice to make a filling meal.
When served with grains, this stew is truly a satiating meal and won’t require any sides. But Blood Oranges in Simple Syrup with Walnuts or Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Balls would make delicious, complementary desserts!
To drink? Our Orange Pomegranate Green Iced Tea, of course. Green tea, citrus, and pomegranates are all popular ingredients in Moroccan cuisine. Sparkling Pomegranate Juice is another yummy refreshment. It’s healthful, and can satisfy that craving for bubbly drink.
Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or combination of thighs and drumsticks, skin removed, 8 to 10 pieces
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 1 zucchini medium to large, sliced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 inch ginger root peeled and finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1/3 cup chicken stock low-sodium preferred
- 15 ounces garbanzo beans can, drained and rinsed or chickpeas
- 1 bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and sliced
- 1/2 cup raisins dried, chopped dates or whole
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 4 cups whole-wheat couscous or brown rice, cooked, to serve
Instructions
- Add chicken stock, spices, onions, peppers, olives, tomatoes, zucchini, tomato paste, and carrots to the slow cooker and stir. Add the chickpeas, dried fruit, chicken, and salt and pepper.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender, and the vegetables are cooked through.
Nutrition Information
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when do you add the zucchini to the recipe? Does it go in with all the other vegetables or do you add it at the end?
Emily, You can add the zucchini with everything else at the beginning. I've just modified the recipe. Thanks!
I made this with a whole chicken and shredded it in the crockpot once it got tender enough and stuffed it in a whole wheat pita with fresh cucumbers and spinach. Also, I skipped the garbanzo beans because my husband is a vegetarian and I use them a lot, so I didn’t want to waste them in a meat dish that he can’t eat. However, I will make a vegetarian version with the chickpeas and couscous in the future!
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I have tried several Moroccan chicken recipes from online and yours is by far the best I am now a fan of skinny ms and I’m going to check out more of your recipes …thanks again
Thank you, VJ. We’re so glad you enjoyed our recipe!
Do you just nestle the thighs on top of everything?
Lisa, That works well. 🙂
Hi! Just made this recipe and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing it! Just one question regarding the chickpeas. I soaked them overnight then add them like mentioned in the recipe but they came up a little dry and even roasted for some. Any advice on how to make them more tender?
Julie, I recommend canned chickpeas. However, if you prefer to use dry, please make them ahead of time following the directions on the package.
Very happy with this dish! I dont like zucchini so I left that out, and I added a half can of tomatoes as I had it left over from another recipe. I might add in butternut squash next time.
Alex, Good option. Thanks for the tips. 🙂