Moroccan-Inspired Chicken Stew

This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.

Cold. Dark. Dreary.

That's how this winter has felt. The cold weather has been lingering (it was -27°C with the windchill again today) and spring still seems a long way off. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I had a winter hobby like skiing or snowboarding, but I don't, so the winter months are always a bit of a drag. Although we did have a spectacular ice storm back in December... (you can see a few photos in my Turkish Delight post).

The only way I can get through winter without being totally grumpy (ok, I'm still a little grumpy) is by eating something rich and warm. Hot chocolate works, of course, but when it comes to dinner my first choice is always my mom's Moroccan-inspired chicken stew.

This dish combines dried fruit, spices and a hot chilli pepper to create a savoury-sweet stew that will warm you from the inside out.

This dish doesn't take long to cook, making it a great weeknight dinner idea. Just remember to put the chicken to marinate the night before. Also, you might be tempted to skip the stove-top steps, but I don't recommend it. Sautéing the onions and browning the chicken adds a lot of flavour to the dish.

I should also mention that this stew doesn't have a lot of sauce because we didn't add any broth. I like it this way, but if you prefer you could add a splash of chicken broth to the pan before you put it in the oven.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

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Moroccan-Inspired Chicken Stew

5 from 1 vote

Created By: Shareba

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Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• ▢ 1 small red chilli pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon tumeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic

For the Stew:

• ▢ 6 Maple Leaf Prime Chicken Thighs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• ▢ ½ cup onions, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup shallots, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup raisins
• ▢ ½ cup dried apricots, chopped

Instructions 

• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken, zip the bag close and put it in the fridge to marinate overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Place a large Dutch oven (or braiser) over medium heat. Heat the grape seed oil then add onions and shallots. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
• Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes.
• Add the raisins and apricots, then cover and place in oven.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked and the fruit is glossy.
• Serve with cooked white rice or couscous.

Please read the blog post for detailed tips and explanations.

Nutrition Disclaimer: this nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed.

Have you made this recipe?Please leave a review in the comments below!

We used Maple Leaf Prime Chicken Thighs for this dish, and I was really happy with how they turned out. I noticed that these chicken thighs were more tender than the generic chicken we usually buy. It is more expensive, but if you can afford it I think it's worth the price point. I am also a fan of the clean packaging.

To learn more about these products, visit MapleLeafPrime.ca or check out Maple Leaf Prime on Facebook.

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.
All opinions are my own.