Moroccan Inspired Chicken: A Meal for Multiple Senses
I was so excited for this Moroccan inspired chicken dish. Excited beyond measure. It started with this recipe for Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend that I found while searching Pinterest one evening. I had all the ingredients, and the combination of spices, the aroma of that alone was intoxicating.
After that I came across this recipe for Moroccan Chicken which just looked so beautiful. I had some chicken thighs and drumsticks I had been meaning to use, and this would be the perfect recipe for that.
First, I seasoned the chicken with the spice blend and let it sit in a bowl for 2 hours prior to cooking. This dish filled the house with such an amazing aroma. Be it the spices on the chicken, maybe the spices in the broth with the lemon, I don’t know. What I do know is that until this was ready to go, I was STARVING!
Side Dishes
I brainstormed for sides. Rice seemed inevitable. Is there a specific style of Moroccan rice? I found this recipe for Moroccan Rice Pilaf and used it as my inspiration for the dish below.
Problem – I don’t have some of the ingredients…this was during the situation of 2020 and supplies were scarce at times.
Solution – Substitute!
I didn’t have Basmati Rice, what I did have was long grain brown rice. They are not at all the same, and I really should have thought this through. The long grain rice, should have had some more time on the stove, or a soaked for a few hours beforehand. But, because I was winging it, I pulled it out of the oven, stirred it, and cooked for another 20 minutes.
We had no almonds or raisins, not a problem. My solution was to substitute something not at all similar but that I noticed in other recipes I viewed before choosing this one- tomatoes. I drained a can of Rotel and added it to the rice prior to putting it in the oven.
The rice came out delicious. A great combination of an hour of searching through Moroccan Rice recipes.
Needed Something Else…
I was super excited for the chicken and the rice. But it needed just something more. I was inspiring my meal by watching Mark Wiens in his trip to Morocco. If you’re unfamiliar with him and love food, be sure to check his channel out.
So I made this Moroccan Inspired Cucumber Salad which perfectly accompanied this meal with it’s light lemon and olive oil dressing.
This was a delicious experiment in food. I’d love to find somewhere to try Moroccan food and see how close I got it.
Matt’s only request was to use chicken breast next time instead of the drumstick and thighs. Fair enough; however, he does love bone in wings, so I’m not sure about that one….
Hungry for More?
If you liked this post, here are some other recipes you may enjoy!
Also, be sure to follow us on Pinterest so you can save all of the recipes mentioned on our site!
