Moroccan Chicken Stew
This Moroccan Chicken Stew is full of robust ingredients like cinnamon, sweet potatoes and fresh cilantro, which makes it a tummy warming dish that your whole family will love.
The winter months are all about comfort foods for us, and nothing hits the spot like a great bowl of stew! I know when most people think of a Stew recipe they first think of Beef, but let me assure you that this Chicken Stew is not only quick and easy, but it is full of healthy ingredients and flavors that will leave you wanting a second and third bowl!
In the cooler months we tend to make dishes like our Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Pot Pie quite often, but I really wanted to try something different and couldn’t be happier with how this Stew turned out.
First Published: December 2018 Last Updated: August 14, 2020
Comfort Food
I often find myself making the same delicious meals over and over again once the weather starts to turn, and I know I am not alone! Now, don’t get me wrong, they are scrumptious and all but I just wanted to try my hand at something different.
I was poking around in my pantry one afternoon and noticed I had a couple of beautiful sweet potatoes to use and I knew that we had just done fries the other day so I wasn’t looking to replicate that. We try to keep our meals revolving to keep our tummies and taste buds happy!
So, back to the sweet potatoes! When I make my Beef Stew I always use yellow potatoes but looking at the gorgeous orange color of the sweet ones I knew that I wanted to showcase them in this dish, not just cube em and cover them in sauce.
Also, with the New Year right around the corner, I have been trying to be a little more mindful of the food we are eating, as we have definitely overindulged this Holiday Season!
Like most of my recipes I share with you guys, this one just stated to come together the more I looked in the fridge and saw the ingredients that we had.
I did have to search out some Moroccan spices to get some inspiration for how to season the dish, and I noticed that two things used in most of their dishes were cinnamon and ginger, both things I don’t get to cook with enough! And with that, we ended up with a delicious Chicken Stew that looked like this:
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Sweet Potatoes
- Onion
- Fresh Cilantro
- Chicken Broth
- Flour
- Olive Oil
- Ground Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Lemon Juice
- Couscous (for serving the stew on top)
- Salt & Pepper
- Saffron (optional)
Now we chose to serve ours with couscous to keep with the Moroccan theme but you could easily sub out basmati rice or quinoa if you prefer those grains. Also, you could chop the chicken up rather than using the whole thigh, but we found it was easier for serving sizes to just allocate 1 thigh per person.
Be sure to pin this CHICKEN STEW RECIPE so you have it for later!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is actually very easy to make, it just needs a little time to stew on the stove for all the flavors to come together, but it requires nothing more than some chopping and sauteing, making it great for weeknights or weekend dinner!
As with any stew you want to keep what you serve along side it simple. Everything you need is already in the stew; protein, veggies, etc but it is always a good idea to serve any of the following:
* Simple side salad – think basic greens like red leaf lettuce, arugula, kale or spinach with a lemon vinaigrette
* Crusty bread – anything thick and firm for soaking up all the delicious juices
* Couscous, quinoa, rice or any other grain to use as a bed for your chicken stew to sit on
* Blanched green beans with a little olive oil and white wine vinegar
If there is ONE tip I can give you to making the perfect stew it is this…Dredge your meat in flour with salt & pepper and allow your pan to come to high heat before adding it in.
Give the meat a nice sear on each side to create a nice browning. Remove the meat from the pan, turn the heat to medium and cook your aromatics (onions, celery, garlic etc) in the same pan to pick up the delicious flavors of the meat!
Adding good flavor to your chicken stew really comes down to two things; salt and pepper! You want to make sure your meat is seasoned nicely before cooking it, this will allow it to pick up the other flavors you add in afterwards.
With our Moroccan stew the flavors we like to add are simple spices like Cinnamon and Ginger along with freshly chopped cilantro.
Since our recipe uses sweet potatoes the natural starches help to thicken the stew without having to use anything else. However, if you prefer an even thicker stew (or need the trick for another dish) my favorite way to thicken without compromising the flavor is to do a simple cornstarch and cold water slurry that gets added 5 minutes before the end.
Simple mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 c COLD water and add directly to the pot – give a stir and allow it to come to a low boil before removing.
You may need:
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In order to make any kind of stew I strongly recommend a good Dutch Oven. They hold the heat well, distribute the heat evenly and are incredibly easy to clean. Plus, they come in so many gorgeous colors and are a great kitchen decor item (we leave ours on the stove all the time)!
Easy Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Couscous
Delicious Chicken Stew infused with Moroccan flavors and served with sweet potatoes and couscous.
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 stick Cinnamon, *you can also use 1/2 tsp ground
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup Couscous
- Salt & Pepper
- pinch Saffron, *this is optional, but it adds a gorgeous color to the stew
Instructions
- In a medium Dutch Oven, or heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, mix flour with salt and pepper in a low sided bowl. Dredge chicken one at a time and shake off the excess. Add to hot pan and cook until browned on each side - about 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
- Add onion, cinnamon, ginger and brown sugar to the pot and cook until onion softens (2 mins). Return the chicken to the pot and add in the chicken broth and sweet potatoes. *if using saffron it also gets added here*
- Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in lemon juice. Season with additional salt & pepper if needed.
- While stew cooks prepare couscous following package instructions (generally it is about 1 1/4 c water for 1c couscous, boil and remove from heat to let stand).
- Serve stew over a scoop of couscous and top with cilantro.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 585Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 846mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 11gProtein: 48g
* Please note that nutritional values are not always 100% accurate and are to be used as a guide.
To say we enjoyed this stew would be an understatement! We devoured it and couldn’t wait to make it again. It is easy to make, uses a few simple ingredients, and can even be made ahead of time. In fact I think it tastes even better the next day when your flavors can sit!
Other comfort foods you may enjoy
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Pressure Cooker Sweet Potato Soup
- Old Fashioned Beef Stew – Better Homes & Gardens
- Lentil Shepherd’s Pie – Vegetarian Entree
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Natalie
Saturday 19th of January 2019
I'm all into stew and soups lately. This looks like easy dinner my family would like too. Will give it a try, definitely. I really love the flavors and it looks really delicious.
Marisa Franca
Saturday 19th of January 2019
You don't hear about chicken stew too often -- it's usually beef. I haven't made a good chicken stew in ages and your spin on it with Moroccan spices sounds perfect for this cold wintry day. We have chicken thawing out for dinner tonight - looks like I'll be making your recipe. Will certainly warm me up!
oliveblogger
Saturday 19th of January 2019
Oh I hope you love it Marisa, there is something so satisfying about a simmering pot of chicken stew on a freezing cold day!