Moroccan Chicken with Raisins
This Moroccan chicken with raisins slowly cooks marinated chicken quarters between layers of onions until tender. Honey and warm spices create a rich, gently sweet one-pan sauce.
Ingredients
Raisins
- 150 g raisins
Chicken Marinade
- 1 kg chicken quarters
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 buch fresh parsley chopped
For Cooking
- 4 onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Place 150 g raisins in a small bowl, cover them with water, and soak for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Add 1 kg chicken quarters to a large bowl with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and the chopped parsley. Rub the Moroccan chicken marinade over the chicken, then leave it to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Spread half of the 4 sliced onions across the bottom of a large pan. Arrange the marinated chicken over the onions and cover with the remaining onions. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground ginger,½ tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ tsp ground turmeric. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 50 minutes, spooning the pan juices over the chicken every 10 minutes.
- Add the drained raisins and 2 tbsp honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken a few times. Check that the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C), avoiding the bone, then serve hot with flatbread or rice.
Notes
Use All the Onions: I know four onions may seem like a lot, but they soften as they cook and create the rich sauce around the chicken.
Keep the Pan Covered: I replace the lid as soon as I finish basting so the moisture stays inside and the chicken continues cooking gently.
Drain the Raisins Well: After soaking the raisins, I drain them thoroughly so the extra water does not dilute the spiced onion sauce.
Watch the Final Simmer: Once I add the honey, I keep the heat low and check the pan regularly so the sweetened sauce does not catch on the bottom.
Nutrition
Calories: 628kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 844mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg
