Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Carrots
Baked boneless chicken with fresh orange or lemon wedges and carrots is an easy, tasty weeknight meal. It's made with simple Mediterranean ingredients inspired by Moroccan-style flavors including ground spices, dates and ginger. The chicken is delicious over couscous, quinoa or with warm flatbread on the side.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 pound (450 g) peeled carrots cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 navel orange or 1 lemon, cut into 2-inch wedges
- 3 green onions white and green parts sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 2 pitted Medjool dates finely chopped (optional)
- 1 2-inch knob ginger peeled and grated
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ - 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- ½ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro mint or parsley leaves
- Green sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 (225 C) degrees.
- Arrange the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Add the red onion, carrots, orange or lemon wedges, green onions, garlic, dates and ginger to the chicken. Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle everything with the cumin, coriander, salt, and chili.
- Toss well with your hands so that all the ingredients are evenly coated with the oil and spices (go ahead and use tongs if you don't want to touch the raw chicken). Space the chicken and vegetables so they are in a flat, even layer.
- Roast 22-25 minutes. The orange should be charred in spots, the carrots tender and the chicken nicely golden brown and cooked through.
- Squeeze the orange wedges with tongs, or press on them with the back of a spoon to release their juices. Sprinkle the cilantro over and serve.
Notes
- For a quick pan sauce, pour a 1/4 cup water or broth into the hot pan and scrape up any browned bits.
- Fresh orange: Sliced orange wedges are key in this recipe because as they soften and char in the oven, the fruit releases plenty of sweet, tangy juice while the chicken cooks. You can substitute with lemon.
- To save time, you can peel and chop the carrots, slice the red and green onions and measure out the spices a few hours ahead. Keep the vegetables covered in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
- Or, get everything for the recipe prepped and combine with the chicken and seasonings in a heavy-duty storage bag. Let it marinate while you're at work or out of the house.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 53gFat: 24gSodium: 780mgFiber: 6gSugar: 17g
