Chicken & Sweet Potato Bake with Olives & Preserved Lemon

I recently purchased this beautiful baking dish and now I can’t stop making oven cooked dishes such as casseroles, pies and frittatas. So when I needed to use up some leftover chicken and sweet potato, I decided to make a tagine inspired dish that I could bake.

This paleo friendly chicken and sweet potato bake (or should I call it casserole?) is a perfect one-pot meal with maximum taste and very little effort. 

Recipe Notes

• 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), it really depends on how deep the dish is.
• Regular rectangular roasting tray 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 really 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.
• And finally, those avoiding nightshades should omit the paprika and tomatoes from the recipe (add a little extra liquid to replace the juice the tomatoes would add).

Chicken & Sweet Potato Bake with Olives & Preserved Lemon

★★★★ 4 from 2 reviews

• Author: Irena Macri
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This lovely chicken and sweet potato bake is inspired by a Moroccan tagine. It’s easy to make and makes a great one-pot meal. Add a little chilli for an extra kick.

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Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut up into 2-3 cm pieces (skin can be left on)
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, diced into cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 preserved lemon, diced finely (OR zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice)
• 3 cloves garlic, diced finely
• 1/3 cup Spanish black olives, sliced
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet or mild paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup water
• chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley to garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.
2. Heat ghee or coconut 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.
3. Add the sweet potato, preserved lemon (lemon zest and juice if using that instead), garlic, olive, tomatoes, spices, bay leaf and salt and stir through for a minute, letting the spices to release their aromas. Then pour over the water and stir.
4. Transfer the mixture into an oven-proof casserole or baking dish and spread the chicken pieces evenly. Place in the oven, uncovered, middle shelf.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir and bake for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
6. Serve with a side of steamed greens or a salad.

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