Moroccan Chicken Stew with Dates and Olives

This Moroccan Chicken Stew is easily one of my favorite dinner recipes; I make it at least twice a month. It combines sweet and savory flavors and the best part is that everything cooks in one pot, making clean up a breeze! Serve it over your favorite whole grain, such as brown rice or barley for a hearty, healthy dinner. 

I’ve wanted to share this Moroccan Chicken Stew recipe with you for awhile now. But the silliest thing has been holding me back…the photos! This stew is so darn difficult to photograph because the colors are dark, and I didn’t want you to think this recipe was just one giant pot of mush. I really wanted to do it justice because it is one of my FAVORITE dinners.

I’ve been making my version of this recipe for a few years, but the original is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Lemonade.  I know you will LOVE this Moroccan Chicken Stew because I’ve made it for many guests, and every one has raved about it. People kept asking for the recipe, which made me realize that I really had to get it up on the blog.

How to Make Moroccan Chicken Stew

Something that I just love about this recipe is that everything is cooked in ONE pot! Don’t you love a good one pot dinner? The ingredient list may look long, but many of the items are just spices used for the chicken rub. I make this recipe so often that I actually make the chicken rub in bulk and store it in an empty spice jar. Measuring spices can be tedious, so this saves me time every time I make this recipe.

Other key ingredients you’ll need are boneless, skinless chicken thighs, kalamata olives (I like the jarred ones from Trader Joe’s), pitted dates, chicken broth, and a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven. This is the dutch oven I have and it’s under $40 on Amazon! (affiliate links)

The chicken and vegetables are sautéed in the dutch oven, and after the remaining ingredients are added, the Moroccan Chicken Stew braises over low heat on the stove for about 45 minutes. I know this stew requires a bit more time than the other recipes on my site, but this recipe is too good not to share. I promise, promise, promise it’s worth it.

If you’re someone who prefers faster weekday meals, then save this recipe for the weekend – let the stew braise on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and your house will smell AH-MAY-ZING. Plus, this recipe can easily be doubled for larger parties or delicious leftovers throughout the week. I actually think this Moroccan Chicken Stew tastes even better the next day!

Can You Use Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts for Moroccan Chicken Stew?

I don’t recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe as they have more potential to dry out and become tough during the long braise. I trim the excess fat off of boneless chicken thighs to keep them as lean as possible, and the chicken ends up super tender, falling apart to the touch at the end of the cook time.

If you’d like to use white meat, then I would recommend skinless, bone-in chicken breasts as they will hold up better during the braise.

One last note for any olive haters out there. The olives add a really nice, savory dimension to this stew. My husband hates olives, so he just picks around them if they end up in his bowl. Otherwise the stew doesn’t taste “olive-y” at all. So don’t skim ’em!

Looking for Other Healthy Chicken Dinners?

Caramelized Onion Chicken with Raspberry Pan Sauce

Slow Cooker Chicken with Dates and Golden Raisins

Persian Chicken Stew (Fensenjan)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Print

Moroccan Chicken Stew with Dates and Olives

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

 

This Moroccan Chicken Stew combines sweet and savory flavors and everything cooks in one pot, making clean up a breeze! Serve it over your favorite whole grain, such as brown rice or barley for a hearty, healthy dinner. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Chicken Broth, Chicken Thighs, dates, Olives

Author: Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

Ingredients

Chicken Rub

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (OR light brown sugar)
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (plus more for seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper (plus more for seasoning)

Moroccan Chicken Stew

• 1.5-2 LBS. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeds and stem removed and chopped into 1 in. pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 12 kalamata olives, pitted
• 12 dried dates, pitted
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• Brown rice or barley, for serving

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine the chicken rub ingredients. Mix well. Rub a generous amount of the spice mixture all over the chicken thighs. You may have some rub leftover.

2. Heat a 5 quart dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add half the chicken and brown about 5 minutes on each side. Try not to flip the chicken too early because you want to get a nice, crusty sear on each side. You do not need to cook the chicken all the way through. After browning both sides, remove the pieces to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken until of the chicken is browned.

3. Turn the heat to MEDIUM and add the second Tablespoon of avocado oil to the pot. Add the chopped onions and bell peppers, and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and ginger to the vegetables and cook, stirring regularly, for 1 minute. Season this mixture with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

4. Add the olives, dates, thyme, and oregano to the vegetables and stir. Return the chicken to the pot and pour the chicken broth over the entire mixture, ensuring the broth just covers the chicken. Bring the pot to a BOIL over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Once boiling, cover the pot and simmer over LOW heat for about 45 minutes. Check the stew after 40 minutes and if the broth looks thin to you, leave the lid off for the last 5 minutes of cook time.

5. Serve in bowls over brown rice or barley.

Notes

Recipe adapted from the Lemonade Cookbook.

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