This Moroccan chicken stew is intensely flavoursome and easy to prepare. It is nutty and aromatic, thanks to dukkah, a basic component of many North African meat, fish or vegetable dishes.
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If you are familiar with African cuisine, you’ll know that stews play a prominent role across the continent. And if you are familiar with North African cuisine, then you’ve probably heard of dukkah. If you have not, then allow me to introduce you to dukkah, which is a coarse blend of nuts, seeds and spices originating from North Africa.
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There are numerous dukkah recipes, but the basic ingredients are the same; nuts, seeds and spices. Commonly used nuts include almonds and hazelnuts, while sesame seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds are the commonly used seeds.
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I’ll let you in on the secret to this Moroccan stew – it is Moroccan dukkah, in addition to garlic, smoked paprika, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a few of my favourite spices; coriander seeds, thyme and ground turmeric as the base for the chicken marinade. Thats it. But shhh… let’s keep this between us, shall we?
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The original idea had been to used preserved lemons, but my home-made preserved lemons were not quite ready for use, so I substituted with using fresh lemons. This recipe for this one-pan chicken drumsticks with paprika, lemon and dukkah marinade is quite simple, but the intensity of all the flavours will blow you away. Guaranteed. Just like my African chicken stew, which embodies the flavours of West Africa, this Moroccan chicken stew definitely celebrates the flavours of North Africa.
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I got several enthusiastic thumbs-up when I served these drumsticks for dinner – I am sure you will too! Serve with curry rice or millet pilaf.
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 servings | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 60 minutes | 30 minutes |
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| This Moroccan chicken stew is intensely flavoursome and easy to prepare. It is nutty and aromatic, thanks to dukkah, a basic component of many North African meat, fish or vegetable dishes.
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- 800 g chicken legs
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp moroccan dukkah spice
- 5 g fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 50 g sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tsp moroccan dukkah spice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 500 ml tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 85 g pitted black olives
- handful bay leaves *
- handful fresh thyme sprigs
- handful parsley, fresh and chopped
- Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and all the spices together. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade, ensuring an even distribution over the chicken. Cover with clingfilm and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
- Heat a pan and when hot, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the chicken pieces for 3 minutes per side, to brown them. Ensure that the chicken is not crowded inside the pan. Remove when both sides have been browned and set aside.
- In that same pan, and on medium heat, add the chopped onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Fry for 3 - 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir frequently to prevent the onions from burning.
- Add the dukkah spice and paprika. Stir to mix properly. Then add the tomato sauce, stock cube, brown sugar and the bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs. Add back the fried chicken to the pan and stir to mix.
- Cover the pan, and allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and add the olives. Cook for another 10 minutes uncovered. Then take off the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Is this recipe right for you?
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The information shown is an estimate, and does not replace a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Did you make this recipe?
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Please let me know how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #africaonyourplate.
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I just saw this on your Insta. It looks so delicious I had to find your site to see how you made it. It’s surely like Spiced Stewed Chicken (Caribbean) I’ve similialy made before though not exact, but with Moroccan dukkah spices. I’ve also never heard of dukkah spice before as a huge spice user, so that’s something new I just learn and will have to find some to order online (Amazon).
I’m gonna make this today as a inspired recipe since I don’t have the Moroccan dukkah spice on hand and not likely to find it locally either easily. Maybe I’ll improvise and use Harissa or another Moroccan spice I find for now till I get some dukkah spice. But this looks awesome.
Hey- thanks so much for stopping by.. It truly is a delicious dish and the dukkah makes it very special and flavoursome. Let me know how you get on – I am sure you can find dukkah on Amazon. I live in Switzerland, and was pleasantly surprised to find dukkah in the high-street supermarkets – a testament to how global our world has become. I am looking forward a lot to hearing how yours turned out.
Take care, Emem
I made the dish though I didn’t have the dukkah spice, that was the plan and had to get dinner done. I substituted another Moroccan spice Ras El Hanout since I didn’t have the dukkah spice. I can always remake it when I get the spice blend. Or I can make it via spice mix finding a recipe for the dukkah spice.
But anyway the dish turned out great and flavorsome and definitely a different flavor than my usual. I have a global pallet for flavor so it’s all good too. Adding the olives was a nice touch. I enjoyed the technique though similiar to other Caribbean Stew dishes, but one still always learn something cooking other cultural dishes. Had enough leftovers for two days so that was great too. Posted the pic on my insta. I’ll surely make it again for my one pocket Moroccan dish with dukkah when I get it.
So pleased to hear it turned out great for you! I have to try making it with Ras El Hanout spice, which I love just as much.