Two of the best features of this Moroccan recipe are that standard pantry spices coat the chicken, and the chicken and sauce are made in the same skillet. If you don't have couscous, boil-in-bag rice—either brown or white—makes a quick substitute.
Really enjoyed the recipe. Still don't have the hang of cooking couscous though.
I think this is a sophisticated dish that would really impress guests! The recipe is kind of time consuming, but you can mix the spices and store them in a jar and cut the shallots a day ahead of time. Next time I would add more shallots and dates as they are the crown of the dish, but the chicken was tender and juicy with just the right amount of spice (I didn't have coriander and only used half the amount of Paprika as I don't like spicy dishes though). I don't have a skillet that can go in the oven so I switched the dish to a jelly roll pan covered in foil. After switching it once putting the dish back in the skillet without the chicken for one minute at the end seemed pointless so I just skipped it and didn't use the last cup of broth.
A bit time consuming but good. Perhaps a bit too sweet; dates tend to be too overwhelming to my taste buds in a lot of Moroccan style dishes. Next time I may swap out the dates for a third a cup of golden raisins, or just go with half the dates.
I've made this a couple of times and it is very good. Husband LOVES it. I don't like dates, so I use raisins or halved dried apricots instead. The couscous tastes better with it than rice. Served with a tomatoe/cucmber salad with goat cheese crumbles. Easy and delish.
I didn't follow the recipe exactly but wanted to post a review to show another option. I made this in a slow cooker instead of the oven. I used most of the same ingredients (used onions and currants), dredged and browned the chicken thighs, put it in the slow cooker and then made the sauce in the same pan, poured over the chicken and cooked on low for about 6 hours. Ladled some sauce into a small saucepan and reduced to half. Couscous was made as directed. Was wonderful! Great flavors. Chicken fell off the bone. Definitely a keeper.
I halved the cinnamon based on previous reviews. The sauce didn't thicken like in the photo so I added 2 tsps of cornstarch to the sauce before putting the chicken back in the skillet and had it reduce on high heat for a few minutes. It thickened up nicely and the sauce was great.
Really Good One!!
Great recipe - definitely going to make again - huge hit with my husband!
Very sweet. I would cut back on the dates or remove them altogether and add cherries. I almost gagged eating the last bite. I like Moroccan flavors but this was just TOO sweet with the dates and cinnamon. Not a keeper.
Good flavor, quick & easy. Good for every day meal; wouldn't hesitate to serve to company. Used 4 chicken breasts; red onions instead of shallots. For richer flavor I baked chicken with 1C broth instead of 1/4 C. Couscous also had very good flavor. Will make again.
I was a bit disappointed in this dish. Just not enough flavor for me. I did omit the dates since I don't like dates. I was very disappointed there was not enough liquid after cooking. If I did make this again I would double the spices. My daughter did not appreciate this dish at all.
I made this for New Year's Eve one year and it was a HUGE hit. I've had to live up to the success of this dish with every meal I've made for that group since! It's fantastic!
I have made this recipe several times and it has become one of our favorites. I never have dates on hand but I usually have prunes so I make it with prunes and it is excellent. I may try it with dried apricots next time. I would defintely serve this to guests who like the morrocan flavors.
Good, but I've had better Moroccan chicken dishes. Cooking took about 10-15 min longer than the 25 min in oven. It was a little sweet, so next time I'll use fewer dates and/or substitute with raisins because of the cost. (The dates were almost as expensive as the chicken!). Also I will chop the shallots (rather than quarter) to add thickness/texture to the sauce. Mushrooms wld be good, too. I served it with brown rice and a tossed salad.
Oh yeah, new addition to the regular rotation!! I wasn't even expecting all that much out of this, but it's fantastic! Subbed chicken breasts and onions, which makes this basically a pantry recipe. So glad I decided to make it!
Excellent recipe. I found that I had to remove the chicken & reduce the sauce longer for consistency & also depth of flavor. Tried it a second time & added more of the broth up front in order to let it cook down with the chicken & it was fantastic.
I love this recipe! This is one of my top 3 favorite CL chicken dishes. The flavors are amazing and it's easy to make. I too have to transfer my chicken from skillet to an oven dish as I don't have an oven-proof skillet/pan but it's so worth the extra effort!!!
The dates really make the dish. Used Medjool dates, and large chicken breasts with rib meat. Didn't have shallots so substituted with minced onion. Added 10 min to the baking time and it was perfect. Needed salt in my opinion...added upon serving. This is a very flavorful dish...the brown sugar and dates add a light sweet finish to the palate. FABULOUS!
The best Moroccan Chicken recipe, ever! Whether it's a week night meal or entertaining friends, this dish is sure to impress. Makes great leftovers, too! I sometimes use a whole cut up chicken instead of just thighs, I add mushrooms right before baking, and I omit the dates...delicious!
This was great! A little labor intensive (especially with a crying baby!) but VERY worth it! My mom who eats "deep fried everything" enjoyed this dish. Will make this for many family dinners to come.
