Enjoy the flavors of Morocco with richly spiced chicken, savory onions, and tangy olives. Using just one small bowl and a baking sheet, this Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken is just as easy to clean up as it is to prepare!
What is it about Morocco that seems so romantic?
Did I get this idea from the movie Casablanca? I kind of doubt that, considering I only saw it once and fell asleep about 30 minutes into it.
Don’t judge me, I was like 14 at the time and really couldn’t appreciate it. Maybe I’ll give it another go this weekend.
Personally, I think a lot of the exotic feel comes from the food. Everything is warm, richly spiced, and full of subtle flavors.
Paired with the right bottle of red wine, dim lighting, and maybe even a low table with cushion seating, enjoying a Moroccan meal is an absolute feast for the senses.
One of the distinctive features of Moroccan cuisine is the marrying of sweet and savory flavors.
A classic B’Stilla is made by forming a flaky dough around a filling of savory meat, baking it to golden perfection, then topping it with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It’s one of those dishes that sounds a bit strange until you try it yourself.
Also common is the use of dried fruit, such as raisins in this Moroccan Chicken Skillet, or apricots in this Slow Cooked Moroccan Apricot Chicken.
The sweetness factor in today’s Moroccan Chicken recipe comes from, of all things, lemons!
Surprising, right? Here’s the thing: a few lemon slices are scattered onto a rimmed half sheet pan before being topped with oil, onions, and spiced chicken.
As the dish roasts in the oven, the sugars in the lemon slices become subtly caramelized. This is the rimmed half sheet pan I recommend.
Once you pull it out of the oven, scatter some olives and cilantro over the pan, then squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the Moroccan chicken to really brighten up the dish.
Please don’t think that this recipe is too difficult, it is an easy Moroccan chicken recipe in one pan, so give it a try!
Serve this baked Moroccan chicken with a side of couscous and some warm, soft bread. Enjoy!
Other Popular Moroccan Recipes to Check Out:
- Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentils
- Easy Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
- Warm Moroccan Chickpea Salad
- Moroccan Chicken Tagine
- Kefta – Moroccan Meatballs
- Moroccan Chicken Stew
- One Pan Roasted Harissa Chicken
Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
For the Spice Mixture
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter - melted
- 4 cloves garlic - pressed
For the Sheet Pan Chicken
- 1 lemon
- 2 large sweet onions - cut into 12 wedges each
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 skin-on chicken quarters
- 1 cup green olives - pitted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, prepare the spice rub by combining the salt, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and the pressed garlic.
- Cut the lemon in half and set one half aside. Cut the remaining half into thin slices, then arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the onion wedges over the lemons, then drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the onions. Sprinkle the pan with ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric.
- Place the chicken quarters on the pan, skin side up. Pat the top of the chicken dry, then brush the prepared spice mixture evenly onto the skin of each quarter.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear.
- Scatter the pan with the olives and cilantro leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon onto the chicken. Serve warm with couscous and soft bread.
Nutrition
Please note that this one pan Moroccan chicken recipe is often misspelled as: Morrocan chicken recipe, Morroccan chicken recipe, Moraccan chicken recipe, Morracan chicken recipe, and Morrocon chicken recipe.
Massive family favorite!!! So easy and packed full of flavor without a ton of sodium. My kids now request this as one of their all-time favorite meals.
Highly recommend! Very easy to put together and really tasty! We made it without olives and added carrots and baby potatoes. Great meal!
Hi Maddie, thanks for your 5 star review and for sharing your changes! – Linda
I LOVE LOVE LOVED this recipe!! I doubled it and made it for family from out of town. I added green olives, artichoke bottoms quartered, dried apricots sliced in half, whole peeled garlic, roasted pistachios and sliced almonds. I served it over couscous and with roasted veggies. It was a huge hit. I highly recommend this as a crowd pleaser. The depth of flavor is wonderful, and it is such a humble, comforting recipe.
I’d love to make this but I’m carb conscious. Can anyone tell me where all the carbs in this are coming from? Maybe the onions?
I made this dish last month with boneless chicken thighs and it was absolutely delicious. We loved it so much I am making it again for company on Saturday night.
I turned the oven down to 425 and shortened the cooking time. I also added the olives and roasted for five more minutes.
Absolutely delicious!
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I added carrots and brussels sprouts. I brushed the sauce on the vegetables and it was a great accompaniment to the chicken.