Slow Cooker Moroccan Style Chicken

North African cuisine and slow cooking go hand-in-hand, to bring out the best of bold spices and hearty ingredients. This simple recipe is inspired by the rich culinary traditions of Morocco. Marinated chicken thighs are slow-cooked alongside potatoes, olives and raisins – transforming over hours into a meal that promises to leave a lasting impression. The ease of this Moroccan-inspired dish makes it a homemade favourite of mine. I hope it will become a favourite in your kitchen too!

The Essence of Morocco:

The standout ingredient in this dish is a spice mix called Ras el Hanout, which is commonly used in North African cooking. There can be up to 30 different spices in the mix, including cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric. You will be able to find it in the spice section of most large supermarkets. Once you’ve got it in stock, it’s great in a variety of stews and tagines, and is brilliant when rubbed over meat or vegetables before roasting.

Combine the Ras el Hanout with olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic and lemon zest to create a brilliant Moroccan-inspired marinade. We love mixing this with chicken the night before the slow cook. Just leave it in the fridge and it will infuse the meat with flavour as well as tenderise it. If you don’t have the time or patience, you could just mix everything up well and crack on! However, this will benefit from even a couple of hours of marination if you have the time – or if you can leave it for longer then even better!

In this recipe I use bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed. If you can’t buy these prepared, you can pull the skin away from chicken thighs easily with the aid of a small knife. Alternatively, you could use prepared boneless and skinless chicken thighs. You could also use chicken breast in this recipe if you prefer. If using chicken breast, cut into bitesize chunks before marinating and cook for the shorter times on the ranges listed below.

The Slow Cooker Magic:

To the marinated chicken, add slices of lemon, chicken stock, a helping of olives, potatoes and raisins. In this recipe, I use lemon slices and discard them at the end. To be more traditional, you could use preserved lemons. Cut them into small pieces and mix them in with everything.

After hours of slow cooking, the chicken will be fall-apart tender and the potatoes soft. Just before serving, sprinkle over of chopped parsley for a final touch of freshness and colour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Easy marinade: The Moroccan-inspired marinade is simple and ensures each bite of slow cooked chicken is packed with flavour.
• One-Pot: All ingredients cook together, making preparation and cleanup a breeze.
• Versatile: Perfect for a cosy dinner, yet elegant enough for entertaining.

---