This delicious Moroccan chicken stew is made with spinach, warm spices, sweet raisins, and sun-dried tomatoes, bringing together bold flavors and heartiness in one dish. This healthy stew is delicious on its own with some flatbread or can be served with rice, couscous, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
My Moroccan Chicken Stew Story
While travelling in the camper van a few years back, we met a lot of people and exchanged our favorite recipes. One of the most passed-around recipes ended up being a plant-based Moroccan chickpea stew. I love Moroccan cuisine and have made this with chickpeas many times but decided to try a chicken version instead.
For this stew, I also added a few more veggies, so that it could be a stand-alone meal. You can, however, serve it over cauliflower rice, rice, quinoa, couscous and or extra vegetables.
This Moroccan chicken stew with spinach, raisins and sun-dried tomatoes is gluten-free, paleo and Whole30 friendly. I hope you like it as much as I do and it keeps getting passed down to your friends and family.
How To Make Moroccan Chicken Stew
You will find the full recipe with ingredients in the recipe card below. Here are some step-by-step photos to guide you along.
You can use any type of chicken meat for this dish. I used a mix of chicken breast and tenderloins. Skinless thighs would also work really well. White potato can be replaced with sweet potato and for a more low-carb version, use zucchini instead.
- Step 1. Sauté onions over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly soft.
- Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes, chicken stock and spinach. Stir for 30 seconds to allow the spices to release aromas.
- Step 3. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and spinach. Stir through, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes over slightly higher heat. Stir a few times.
Serving Suggestions
As this chicken stew is made with additional veggies like potatoes, carrots and spinach, it’s a well-balanced, complete meal that you can enjoy as is or with a side or flatbread or garlic naan. For a more substantial meal, serve it with fluffy couscous, quinoa or rice, or with some cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
If you want to continue with Moroccan theme, whip up my cauliflower raisin salad or my beet and carrot salad. Oh, an try my shakshuka Moroccan eggs recipe.
💬 If you’ve tried this Moroccan chicken stew or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb chicken meat 500 grams, diced (breast, tenderloin or thighs)
- 1 large white potato peeled and diced into cubes (sweet potato or zucchini can be used instead, see notes above)
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes chopped (about 1/3 to ½ cup chopped)
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 can tomato purée 14 oz. chopped tomatoes or tomato passata
- 400 ml chicken stock about 1 ½ to 2 cups, I just used the tomato tin to measure
- 1 cup spinach defrosted, roughly chopped (squeeze some of the liquid out first)
- Garnish: Handful of fresh coriander/cilantro
Instructions
- In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and salt. Sauté, over medium heat, for 3-4 minutes, until slightly soft.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes, chicken stock and spinach. Stir over medium-high heat for 30 seconds to allow the spices to release their aromas.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes over slightly higher heat. Make sure to stir a few times during the cooking process.
- I like to let the cooked stew sit off the heat for 5 minutes to set and to cool down slightly. Serve garnished with fresh coriander. Cauliflower rice makes for a lovely side dish.
Notes
Nutrition
More Moroccan Recipes
Moroccan Lamb Stew (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
Beet & Carrot Salad (Moroccan-Inspired)
More Chicken Stew Recipes
question- should the chicken be cooked and ready to go prior?
Yes, you could definitely do that and use something like rotisserie chicken.
PS- I would add a little more cinnamon and more raisins, but that’s a personal taste.
The recipe was delicious. I used white meat chicken but prefer the dark meat, so will use that next time. The one thing I miss in your recipe is when to add the chicken, and is there anything you do to it prior to cooking in the stew?
First of all, thanks and glad you enjoyed the recipe. The chicken is part of ‘add the rest of the ingredients’ – just add it raw, diced and stir through for a minute over heat, then the stock and tomatoes go in. See step-by-step pic as well.
This was really easy and delicious. I subbed zucchini for the potato and added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste as well. The tomato paste plus the sun-dried tomatoes give the dish so much umami.
Thanks, Diana! I can see how extra tomoto would work:)
What type of paprika plain or smoked
Plain mild or sweet paprika.
It’s look delicious and health. I love your recipes. Keep sharing.
Thank you
Love, love this dish! Cooked it a couple of times now. So tasty.
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Great dish. Leftovers we’re even better! Used zucchini instead of potato and was great!
Thank you 🙂 Glad to know the zucchini worked well. I’ve only made it with potato but thought it would work with less starchy veggies as well.
Love your work
Thank you 🙂
I’ve been craving something different with all the holiday indulgences and this looks like just the thing!
You’ll love it, Kari!
I just bought a bag of fresh spinach and was thinking about adding it to a stew to use it up.
What a perfect timing and a perfect recipe.
This is so good! I love the spices in this dish!
OMG, sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favorite foods! I love how you’ve combined them with the cumin and chili, which I use a lot in my Mexican cooking. Such lovely comfort food!
I know, right?!? I love them too. Sun-dried tomatoes forever 🙂
What a great weeknight dinner. We’ll be trying this in our home!
Love moroccan food. The chicken looks so moist and delicious! I want to make this dish now!
Me too, this is a new favourite!
I can just tell from your photos how delicious and flavorful this is! Love all the veggies it has as well, yum.
SO many great FLAVORS IN THIS MAGICAL STEW!! Can’t get enough!
Absolutely, it’s all about the spices.
We ate this last night it was delicious! I love anything with sun dried tomatoes so with those and all of those lovely spices this is definitely a recipe to keep!
I”m not real familiar with Moroccan cooking but I adore all of those seasonings and spices – I will definitely try this!
Sounds delicious. I love all the spices you’ve included!
This looks so simple! Love it.
This looks so very hearty! Perfect for this time of year!!
Thank you, Christina.