One-Pot Moroccan Chicken & Chickpea Stew

Q: Is this Moroccan Chicken & Chickpea stew spicy?

No it’s not. This Moroccan Stew is perfect for the whole family because it is quite mild! You have just enough flavour from the combination of spices working together, but it’s not spicy. However, if you want a spicier stew, you can simply add more harissa. If you want it milder, then reduce the amount of harissa.

✦ Join the Kitchen

What more can you ask for when your dish features chicken and it’s a one-pot meal? That’s a total game-changer for me! This recipe was inspired from the Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea & Lentil Stew from America’s Test Kitchen: The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook. I’ve made this dish for years, and whenever I come back to it I feel so warm and cozy! The temperature has really dropped a lot this past week, so it’s the perfect time to make it!

If you’re new to Mediterranean cooking, then this certainly is a dish you must try! Making it one pot makes everything so much easier and less hassle for you! Additionally, it’s extremely healthy and well-balanced from the chicken, chickpeas and lentils. The Mediterranean diet is excellent for physical health, and this dish has everything you need! I go into more details in my 5 top tips to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, how having a theme can push you to be creative and delve into dishes you never thought you’d make before! If Morocco is a Destination Unseen to you, then be sure to try this recipe as part of your one-month Live to Cook challenge! Don’t forget to share your creation by tagging me on Instagram!

Be sure to follow along with me and watch the video! I’d appreciate if you subscribe to my YouTube channel, and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when I upload all of my video recipes! I love to make them to complement the written recipes so you’re guaranteed success! Let’s get cooking!

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew served with fluffy couscous on a white plate, with sauce on the side.

Why You’ll Love This Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew!

Easy to follow: This recipe is quite easy to follow, so it’s perfect for cooks of all levels! We cook everything in one pan (though the couscous will be on the side if you’re making it!), and then the magic comes from the simmering, so you can go ahead and do other things while that happens!
Healthy & balanced meal: The Mediterranean diet is famous for being well-balanced and extremely nutritious! We emphasize protein from the chicken thighs, the lentils, and the chickpeas, and the lentils and chickpeas are excellent sources of carbohydrates.
Warm Mediterranean flavours: The smell of this stew is just out of this world from the combination of Moroccan spices!
Speedy clean-up: The stew itself cooks in just one pot (our cast iron pan here), so that’s the main thing you’ll need to wash! Otherwise, it’s just knives, a cutting board, measuring cups and spoons that you’ll need to wash. If you have a dishwasher, just throw it all in!

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew served in a white bowl with couscous and harissa sauce, red cast iron pot in background.

Equipment for Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Stew

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew served in a white bowl with couscous on the side

Ingredients for Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew

Remember to scroll to the bottom of this post for theFULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD for all ingredient quantities and the complete instructions to save for later, and to scale the ingredients based on how many portions you want to make.

For the Couscous

Couscous: I’m using small, Moroccan couscous.
Butter: To add some flavour to the couscous.
Water: Bring it to a boil to cook the couscous.

For the Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew

Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can have bone-in if you want, but they’ll take longer to cook. They will be cooked and then shredded.
Chickpeas: I’ll be using canned chickpeas to save some time here.
Olive oil: To cook all of our ingredients.
Garlic: Of course I recommend that you use fresh garlic cloves, but if you don’t have any for whatever reason (I’ve had my garlic cloves go bad last-minute unfortunately, it happens!), then garlic powder will work just fine!
Ginger: Freshly grated ginger adds a wonderful aroma in the dish.
Onions: I’m using red onions, but you can use your favourite kind of onion. They will be finely chopped.
Tomatoes: I’m using tomatoes on the vine. You can use roma tomatoes too. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can use diced tomatoes.
Chicken broth: I recommend that you use reduced salt or no salt added here. This gives you more control when seasoning the dish.
Brown lentils: Also known as masoor dal or whole red lentils. I’m using dried lentils, and they will cook with the chicken and chickpeas.
Spices: We’ll use cayenne, paprika, ground cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. We’ve also got some saffron threads to truly enhance the dish.
All purpose flour: Helps to thicken up the stew.
Harissa: This is a Northwest African hot chili pepper paste. You can make it yourself or buy it in a jar.
Cilantro: Freshly chopped for garnish.

Ingredient Substitution Questions

Can I Substitute chicken thighs with chicken breast?▼

Of course! My recommendation would be to use bone-in skinless thighs for the most amount of flavour.

Can I use Dried Chickpeas?▼

Yes you can. However, you’ll need to cook them before adding them to the stew. To get full instructions on how to cook dried chickpeas in an Instant Pot, check out the recipe here!

Can I use pearl couscous?▼

Sure, why not! It depends what kind of side dish you’re looking for. If you want to enjoy this stew with a pasta taste, then you can use pearl couscous. On the other hand, the Moroccan couscous is more like rice. Either one will work just fine! However, just note that pearl couscous cooks like pasta, so it will take longer than Moroccan couscous. You’ll need to bring water up to a bowl and then allow the couscous to become al dente.

How to Make Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew

For the Couscous

In a saucepan, add couscous, water, butter and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, and place off the heat. Let the couscous steam for 5-10 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous and set aside until ready to serve.

Fluffed couscous being scooped with a fork from a saucepan after steaming.

Couscous steaming in a covered saucepan with butter melting on top.

Couscous steaming in a covered dark pot with white lid on stovetop.

Fluffy couscous steamed in a dark pot, ready to be fluffed and served.

For the Moroccan Chicken & Chickpea Stew

Pat and dry the chicken and season each side with salt and pepper.

Raw chicken pieces patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper on a pink cutting board.

Hands patting dry raw chicken pieces with white paper towels on a red surface.

Raw chicken pieces seasoned with salt and pepper on a pink cutting board, ready to be seared.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan or cocotte on medium heat, then add olive oil and the chicken pieces.

Sear on each side for 4-5 minutes or until they have a golden brown sear.

Set aside on a plate for now, they will finish cooking later.

Seared chicken thigh with golden brown crust resting in red cocotte pot with liquid.

Three seared chicken pieces with golden brown crust in a red cocotte, set aside on oil.

Seared chicken thighs with golden-brown crust and black pepper seasoning set on a white plate.

In the same pan/cocotte, add the onions and more olive oil if needed.

Sauté for 3-5 minutes and then add the paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, garlic and ginger.

Mix well and cook until fragrant for 2-3 minutes.

Diced red onions on a white cutting board next to a red pot during Moroccan stew preparation.

Diced pink onions and garlic being stirred in a red pot with herbs and spices for Moroccan chicken stew.

Diced onions and spices being sautéed in a large pot with a wooden spoon, showing the cooking process for Moroccan chicken stew.

Diced onions and spices including paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and ginger being sautéed in a large pan.

Diced onions and spices including paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, minced garlic and ginger in a red pot during sautéing.

Spices being stirred into diced onions and ground meat in a pan during Moroccan stew preparation.

Spices being stirred into diced onions and garlic in a pan during the aromatic base preparation for Moroccan stew.

Add the flour, cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add a splash of broth and mix to combine. Gradually, add the remaining broth while mixing and bring to a gentle simmer.

Diced onions and tomatoes sautéing in a red pot with oil, showing the aromatic base for the stew.

Flour and spices sprinkled over diced onions and tomatoes in a pot with a spatula, ready to be mixed into broth.

Wooden spoon stirring a pot of diced onions and ham in broth during the initial cooking stage of Moroccan stew.

One-pot Moroccan stew with browned meat, onions, and golden broth being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Add the canned and drained chickpeas, brown lentils and chicken.

One-pot Moroccan stew simmering in red Dutch oven with golden broth, chickpeas, and chicken pieces.

Chickpeas being added to a simmering golden curry sauce in a red pot with a wooden spoon.

Cooked chicken pieces on a plate next to a pot of golden Moroccan stew being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Once the broth returns to a simmer, lower the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew simmering in a red cocotte with broth and meat visible.

Ladle lifting chickpeas, lentils, and broth from a simmering Moroccan stew in a red pot.

Remove the chicken and shred with the help of 2 forks while you continue to cook the lentils for 20-30 minutes longer, or until tender.

Shredded chicken being removed from a white bowl with two forks over a simmering pot of stew.

Return the chicken to the pan/cocotte, add the tomatoes, harissa paste and cilantro. Mix well and adjust with salt and pepper to your taste.

Diced tomatoes being added to a white cutting board next to a pot of Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew.

Shredded chicken being added to a creamy yellow broth in a white bowl with a spatula.

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew in a red Dutch oven with shredded chicken, fresh cilantro, and rich brown broth.

Add saffron threads and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

One-pot Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew simmering in a red Dutch oven with shredded chicken, chickpeas, diced red peppers, and fresh cilantro garnish.

Saffron threads held in palm of hand above Moroccan chicken stew simmering in pot.

Serve warm with couscous and enjoy!

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew simmering in a red Dutch oven, served with couscous on the side.

Tips for a Satisfying Moroccan Chicken Stew

Take the time to thoroughly dry the chicken before searing, and avoid over-crowding the pan if making a big batch. This will ensure the chicken is searing instead of boiling.
You can use any cut of chicken, or a combination, be it boneless or bone-in to prepare this stew.
Add more or less harissa paste to your own preference.
It’s important to let the chicken simmer gently instead of boiling for the best texture in the meat.

One-pot Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew with tomatoes and fresh parsley in a red Dutch oven.

Is this Moroccan Chicken & Chickpea stew spicy?▼

No it’s not. This Moroccan Stew is perfect for the whole family because it is quite mild! You have just enough flavour from the combination of spices working together, but it’s not spicy. However, if you want a spicier stew, you can simply add more harissa. If you want it milder, then reduce the amount of harissa.

What to Serve with Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew?

I’ve shown how to make our Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew with couscous! However, you can enjoy it with many different sides! Here are a couple of ideas:

Basmati rice
Cauliflower rice
Quinoa
Pita bread
Crusty bread, such as baguette or Ciabatta
Naan
Orzo
Light Vegan Couscous Salad

Two glasses filled with fluffy couscous, displayed on a wooden surface with a red cooking pot in the background.

Recipe Variations

Switch up the lentils: You can use your favourite lentil! Try green lentils, yellow split peas, whole red lentils or mix them up for a fun mashup.
Protein: Make it vegan by removing the chicken. You could also add or swap with chorizo or lamb!
Veggies: You could add some more vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini and/or carrots.

Can I Make Moroccan Chicken Couscous in Advance?▼

Yes you definitely can! This is such a hearty and filling meal and it’s perfect to prepare for the week! I definitely made a lot of it and I enjoyed it again and again! Let’s go over the storage and reheating instructions.

To Store

Store your Moroccan Chicken Chickpea Stew in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days. If you’ve made couscous with the stew, store the couscous separate from the stew.

To Freeze

Freeze your Moroccan Chicken Stew in an airtight container for at most 3 to 4 months.

To Reheat

You can reheat your Moroccan Stew in the microwave or over the stove. If reheating from frozen, ensure to allow your stew to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

If reheating over the stove, transfer the contents into a pot and bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. For the microwave, ensure the stew is in a microwave-safe container or microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals to make sure it is evenly warmed through.

Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew in a red Dutch oven with flatbread on the side.

Other Chicken Recipes

Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra