Moroccan-inspired chicken and sweet potato bake with olives and preserved lemon. You can make this casserole-like dish in a baking pan or a tagine. This delicious and healthy dinner recipe is paleo and Whole30-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
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With this chicken and sweet potato bake, I was inspired by Moroccan tagines, with olives and preserved lemon offering a unique and complex flavour to the dish. It’s the perfect one-pot meal with maximum taste and little effort.
The recipe makes about 4 servings which can be served as is or with extra vegetables for a low-calorie meal. For a more substantial meal, serve with a side of couscous, rice or pita bread. For a paleo and Whole30 version, make a batch of cauliflower rice instead. Try this dish my Moroccan beet and carrot salad.
👩🍳 You might also like my Moroccan chicken stew with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, this Moroccan lamb casserole, or this incredible shakshuka (Moroccan eggs in spiced tomato sauce).
Recipe Notes & Swaps
- The recipe is for 3-4 people and you might need a slightly larger baking dish than what I have in the picture (I cooked enough for two people); it depends on how deep the dish is.
- A regular rectangular roasting tray or a casserole dish can also be used.
- If you don’t have preserved lemon, regular lemon zest and some lemon juice can be used and I’ve provided measurements for those.
- I used Spanish black olives, which are mild and not too salty, and I think they work well here. Green olives would also work well. If Kalamata is all you’ve got, make sure to adjust the salt in the recipes as those olives are quite salty already.
- White potatoes work well instead of sweet potatoes as well; you can use a mix of both.
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Chicken Sweet Potato Bake with Olives & Preserved Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts cut up into 1-inch pieces, or use 4 chicken thighs
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large sweet potato diced into cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 preserved lemon diced finely, 2-3 slices (OR use zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice)
- 3 cloves garlic diced finely
- 1/3 cup black olives sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or mild
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock
- Chopped fresh coriander cilantro or parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200° C / 395° F.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown on each side for about 2 minutes. Then add the onion and stir through the chicken. Cook for a minute.
- Add the sweet potato, preserved lemon (lemon zest and juice if using that instead), garlic, olives, tomatoes, spices, bay leaf and salt and stir through for a minute, letting the spices release their aromas. Then pour over the water and stir.
- Transfer the mixture into an oven-proof casserole or baking dish and spread the chicken pieces evenly. Place in the oven, uncovered, middle shelf.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then stir and bake for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
- Serve with a side of steamed greens or a salad.
In the (gorgeous) photos, it looks like chicken with the bone in, but the recipe calls for breasts. Which works better for this recipe? This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it!
We made this last night and it was delicious! Thanks for a tasty and super easy dish. 🙂
You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Great recipe, Sounds great! I will definitely be giving this a go. Personally I think sweet potato is becoming much more popular these days, or is it only me that thinks this?
To me it looks more like a casserole than a bake. You’ve included chicken breasts in your ingredients list, can chicken thighs or legs be used too?
Great recipe, Sounds great! I will definitely be giving this a go. Personally I think sweet potato is becoming much more popular these days, or is it only me that thinks this? To me it looks more like a casserole than a bake. You’ve included chicken breasts in your ingredients list, can chicken thighs or legs be used too?
Just what I was looking for a recipe yo combine sweet potato and left over olives. I added some extra herbs to my taste but overall it was Lovely and tasty and simple to make. Thanks
Thanks, Susanna. Appreciate the kind feedback 🙂 Irena