Taste buds are amazing things! They have the power to remind us of places, people, and events—almost like stepping back in time.
When my family lived in Central African Republic, we could get a spice mix that was called “Couscous Spice”. My parents would use it to make a delicious chicken sauce that they served over couscous. We, sadly, never learned what spices were in the mix. The combination of spices in this recipe takes me back to when I was a little girl. It may not be exactly like the mix that we had, but it has enough similarities.
I’ve done quite a bit of exploring and have struggled to find an equivalent blend of spices here in the States. In my searching though, I stumbled upon a recipe called “Couscous with Moroccan Spices”. I have never been to Morocco, so I can’t attest to whether or not this is what Moroccan Chicken actually tastes like, but what I can say is that the flavors blew me away when I first tried it!
Together, all of the spices are mouthwatering and delicious. The original recipe is vegetarian, so, naturally, I had to make some changes ?. The following recipe is the final result of my alterations. It is one of my favorites, and I hope that you will find it delightfully satisfying.
Moroccan Chicken with Couscous
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Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz can tomato puree
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
Using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, melt the butter, and add the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook them for 2-3 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the chicken breast and fry it until the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned.
While the chicken is cooking, measure out your cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, and paprika into a small dish. Once the chicken is done, add all of the spices, stirring them into the chicken/onion mixture. It will be thick and could start to stick a little bit, so make sure that you stir it constantly.
Let the spices cook into the chicken for 2 minutes, then add your chicken broth, tomato puree, and raisins. Stir it well, then place a lid on it and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add your lemon juice. Serve over couscous and enjoy!
