Delicious Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous
Looking for a cozy, flavorful dish that’s perfect for weeknights or weekend gatherings? This Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous is straight from the kitchens of Le Creuset — and trust us, it’s a total hit! Juicy chicken slow-cooked in fragrant spices pairs perfectly with bright, citrusy orange couscous. It’s vibrant, hearty, and surprisingly easy to make at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Not only does this dish deliver incredible layers of flavor—thanks to spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon—it’s also packed with nutritious ingredients like fresh vegetables, olives, and citrus. Plus, using your Dutch oven makes it super simple to cook everything to perfection!
Ingredients for the Orange Couscous:
- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups couscous
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients for the Braised Chicken:
- 1 (3-4 lbs) whole chicken, butchered into 10 pieces (or use cut-up parts)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 fennel bulb, julienned
- 1 onion, julienned
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 10 cilantro sprigs, chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 peeled, seeded chopped tomatoes
- 1 Japanese eggplant, large dice
- 1 zucchini, large dice
- 1/3 cup Nicoise olives, pitted
How to Make It
For the Orange Couscous:
Bring orange juice and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the couscous, cover, then turn off the heat. Let it steam for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, then stir in olive oil. Set aside.
For the Chicken:
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Remove wing tips, back, and wishbone, then cut into 10 pieces, keeping the bones for flavor.
Preheat your Dutch oven to medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
Brown the chicken in batches, skin-side down until golden, then set aside.
In the same Dutch oven, cook bell pepper, fennel, onion, and bay leaf until tender. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
Stir in ground spices, tomato paste, and salt, then deglaze with white wine. Reduce by half.
Add chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro, honey, and tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.
Add eggplant, zucchini, and olives, then bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve hot over bright orange couscous garnished with extra cilantro.
