Description
A flavorful Moroccan chicken one-pot dish featuring tender chicken breasts cooked with aromatic spices, butternut squash, dried cherries, and a vibrant topping of red onion, lemon zest, mint, and feta. Served with fluffy couscous and natural yogurt for a complete and comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Spices
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Vegetables and Paste
- 2 onions: 1 roughly chopped, 1 sliced
- 100g tomatoes
- 100g ginger, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large butternut squash, deseeded and cut into big chunks
Liquids and Sweeteners
- 600ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Additional Ingredients
- 100g dried cherries
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Handful of mint leaves
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- Couscous, to serve
- Natural yogurt, to serve
Instructions
- Season and Brown the Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a flameproof dish or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Prepare the Spice Paste: In a blender or food processor, combine the roughly chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Pulse until you get a rough paste with some texture remaining.
- Cook Onions and Spices: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same dish and fry the sliced onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, and cinnamon and fry for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Add the Paste: Add the prepared vegetable paste to the dish and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to soften and deepen flavors.
- Simmer Chicken and Squash: Return the browned chicken breasts to the dish along with the butternut squash chunks, chicken stock, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender.
- Thicken Sauce and Add Cherries: Remove the chicken from the dish and set aside. Stir the dried cherries into the sauce, then continue simmering uncovered to thicken the sauce slightly while you shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Stir the shredded chicken back into the thickened sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Prepare the Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the finely chopped red onion, lemon zest, chopped mint leaves, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Serve: Scatter the topping mixture over the chicken and sauce. Serve hot with couscous and a dollop of natural yogurt on the side.
Notes
- Use a flameproof dish or a heavy-based skillet with a lid to cook this one-pot dish for best results.
- If you don’t have butternut squash, you can substitute with pumpkin or sweet potato.
- Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of brown sugar if desired.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and taste great reheated.
- For a spicier kick, add some chili flakes when frying the spices.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan chicken, one-pot meal, butternut squash, spicy chicken, easy dinner, healthy chicken recipe
