One Pan Moroccan Chicken Bake

The easiest one-pan dinner inspired by the famous Moroccan Chicken Tagine with olives and preserved lemons! I grew up eating a variation of this every single week and nothing beats my mom’s roasted chicken. This is my take on it and it’s packed with so much flavor from the potatoes to the chicken to the marinade!

Making the Marinade

The marinade is super simple yet super flavorful! If you’ve ever made the Moroccan Chicken Skewers from the blog, this recipe will look super familiar. Only this time we are using chicken drumsticks instead of thighs and no skewers are involved!

HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

• olive oil
• plain yogurt
• parsley
• cilantro
• garlic
• paprika
• cumin
• salt
• black pepper
• turmeric
• ginger
• saffron threads (optional)

Just combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. traditionally, Moroccan chicken uses saffron but I know it can be an expensive ingredient. If you have the ability to add it, definitely go for it as it has such a distinct taste to this dish. Otherwise, you will be just fine without it!

Assembling and Baking

To a large baking dish, you’ll add the chicken drumsticks, baby gold potatoes that have been cut in half, and lemon slices. Pour the marinade in and mix to coat everything evenly. Try to lay the potatoes flat face down on the dish so they can crisp up nicely.

Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 50 to 60 minutes. To get the skin golden and crispy, broil for 3 to 5 additional more minutes at the end but make sure to watch it closely to prevent burning.

Once it is out of the oven, add black or green olives and preserved lemons (the peel only). Garnish with more chopped parsley and/or cilantro to enjoy with bread on the side!

Variations to Try

It is also very common in Moroccan Chicken Tagine to add green peas! If you’d like to add green peas, add them towards the end in the last five minutes since they don’t need much cooking time.

You can use green olives or black olives but the more traditional kind of olives to use are Moroccan-cured black olives.

Traditionally, Moroccan Chicken Tagine is served with french fries and bread. It is not eaten with rice! My mom makes it with french fries or these circular fried potato rounds that are sooo so good. To make this recipe one pan though, we used small roast potatoes cut in half. If you’d like french fries instead, skip the baby potatoes.

Where to Buy Preserved Lemons

You can find preserved lemons at Middle Eastern stores or World Market but your best is to order them from Amazon in advance if you plan on making this dish! Here is the link to purchase them on Amazon from a Moroccan brand called Mina.

Watch How to Make It

More Easy Chicken Recipes to Make for Dinner!

• Chicken Skewers
• Tandoori Chicken Wraps
• Chipotle Chicken Copycat
• Restaurant Style Butter Chicken
• Orange Chicken

If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.

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