Moroccan chicken thigh is a low carb dish consisting of many different flavors in one pot. It is prepared in a shallow clay pot, which is specially designed for this dish.
What makes this recipe Moroccan?
Table of Contents
The spice combination of this dish defines the Moroccan dishes and make an ordinary dish into a special one. The stew has harissa paste with different Moroccan dry spices. If you do not have harissa, you can replace it with sambal or different chili paste.
Concerning the spices, it does make a difference to purchase the cumin as full seeds, give them a prompt toast in a dry frying pan and then crush fresh in a grinder. If that seems more, then use pre-ground spices brought from the supermarket, but get them fresh.
Low Carb Moroccan Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs Chicken thighs or legs - 6 thighs
- Salt & pepper
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 2 cups Chicken stock
- 2-3 Tbsp Harissa (you can use chile paste)
- 1 Tbsp Ground cumin (toasted and freshly ground)
- 1-2 fresh lemons (wedges cuts
- 8 garlic cloves (slightly smashed)
- 1/2 cup coarsely (chopped) fennel bulb
- 1 onion coarsely (chopped or 2 leeks), (white part only), (sliced)
- 3/4 cup black olives
- 1-inch ginger root grated
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the pepper and salt over chicken thighs and fry till it gets brown. Take out the chicken thighs and remove the oil from skillet.
- Include the remaining ingredients excluding mint into the skillet and stir all together completely. Lower the heat to a reduced simmer and add back the chicken. Shred up the mint (1/2 cup) and add it in the pot. Cover the skillet and simmer for one hour.
- Before serving, do the plating and pour the remaining mint over chicken.
Notes
Calories: 813kcal
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 51g
Fat: 59g
Sugar: 5g
Variation Of Moroccan Chicken Thighs
Moroccan Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh
Ingredients
Marinate Chicken
5-6
Chicken thighs bone-in trimmed of excess fat and skin- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp minced ginger
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp cumin spice
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Slow cooker-Moroccan Chicken using Chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp bay leaves
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 medium Onion sliced
- 8 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 canned chickpea rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
Herb Couscous
- 2 tbsp butter or oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 2 cup couscous
- 2-½ cup water hot water
- 2-3 tbsp herbs parsley, basil
Instructions
- Keep the chicken thighs in a bowl (large) or use saucepan. Then add garlic, salt, ginger, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and bay leaves.
- Mix the chicken using a spoon or use hands to coat the chicken well, keep it in the fridge and let it get marinated for 30 minutes.
- Keep tomatoes (canned) in a slow cooker.
- When you are ready, heat a large saucepan or skillet with 2 tbsp oil and then let the chicken get brown for 3-5 minutes. Now remove the chicken and use a crockpot to drain extra oil from your skillet.
- Include onion, smoked paprika, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Also, include cayenne pepper and flavors.
- Then include it to crockpot, make a gravy by adding liquid in your pan with ¾ cup of water in slow cooker, then add chickpeas and olives
- Cover the lid of cooker and let it cook (for 3-4 hours). Later take the chicken thigh out and serve using couscous.
Herb Couscous
- Heat a pan using butter or oil. Include garlic, onions, salt, and sauté for about a moment.
- Mix in couscous to the skillet, about brief at that point include high temp water stock or water. Decrease warmth to a stew. Spread for around 2-minutes or more, include herbs. Lighten, modify for seasonings.
Notes
Cook till chicken thigh become golden brown.
Most Moroccan recipes add conserve lemons.
Chicken Thighs: Nutrition Facts
Amount Per 100 grams
1 thigh skinless (116 g)
1 thigh with skin (135 g)
100 grams
- Calories 177
- Total Fat 8 g DV-12%
- Saturated fat 2.3 g DV-11%
- Polyunsaturated fat 1.6 g
- Monounsaturated fat 3.4 g
- Trans fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 135 mg          DV-45%
- Sodium 87 mg        DV-3%
- Potassium 277 mg DV-7%
- Total Carbohydrate 0 g    DV-0%
- Dietary fiber 0 g     DV-0%
- Sugar 0 g
- Protein 24 g DV-48%
- Vitamin AÂ Â Â Â Â DV-0%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vitamin CÂ Â Â Â Â DV-0%
- Calcium        DV-1%          Iron   DV-6%
- Vitamin DÂ Â Â Â DV-1%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vitamin B-6Â DV-25%
- Cobalamin   DV-6%          Magnesium DV-6%
Why Should You Eat Chicken Thighs?
Chicken Thighs Cook Faster
When you cook chicken with bone, it adds more juiciness and taste, but chicken thighs are meaty cuts. Cooking chicken properly also add bone benefits.
Chicken Thigh Is Easy to Cook
Many people find it difficult to cook the whole chicken at higher temperatures. It may difficult to get crispiness, moist, dark meat all at once. Generally, chicken requires more attention to cook and prevent overcooking to save nutrition.
Chicken Thighs Contain Good Fat
Chicken thighs have more fat than chicken breasts. Do not think about its harmful fat, but chicken thigh has monounsaturated fats, which is good fat. This fat helps to lower the bad cholesterol
Chicken Thighs Own Crispy Skin
Chicken thighs are suitable for crispy recipes as it has crispy skin. You will need bone-in and skin-on thighs. Cook the chicken thigh in a cast-iron skillet on a medium heat using a small quantity of oil. Cook it until it becomes golden brown and crispy. Cook them overheat of 375 F in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes. Cast iron is helpful for safe oven cooking.
Chicken Thighs Are Juicier
All things considered, all protein cells comprise a similar measure of water. So, it isn’t so much that thighs contain more “juice” than a chicken breast, but instead, when you cook them, they hold a greater amount of that juice than chicken breast do, partially in light of the skin, and to some extent due to the bone. Chicken thighs likewise contain more collagen and fat than breast, delivering an increasingly juicy mouth feel when you bite into them, particularly when braised.
Chicken Thighs Are Tasty
The chicken thighs bring tastier flavor in contrast to the chicken breast because it is considered a dark mean, which is naturally flavorful. They also consist of more fat than the breasts, and fat is the main source of tasty flavor. Not only fat but also bone contain flavor, particularly if you fry the chicken thighs, which helps to bring rich flavors present in marrow.
Chicken Thighs Are Versatile
Have you tried boneless drumstick? No right, because there’s hardly enough meat on a drumstick to make the procedure advantageous. In any case, thighs, then again, are present bone-in, skin-on, just as skinless and boneless, and can be cooked in a wide range of ways, as on the barbecue, the oven-baked, roasted in a pan, dish simmered, braised, or stewed, to give some examples.
Chicken Thighs Are Unlikely to Overcook
It does not mean that you can keep it on the grill all the time. Especially when prepared with the moist heating method of cooking like braising, chicken thighs are extremely acceptable. One thing may happen of overcooking that the meat will leave the bone.
Chicken Thighs Are Suitable for Braising
Technically, you can braise anything, but thighs consist of bone and connective tissues, such as cartilage at the endings of bones. It also has muscle fibers because of access to exercise thigh muscles work and braising unlocks a large amount of collagen. From this cooking method, the collagen converts into gelatine, which provides more juiciness.
Easy to Grill
As chicken thighs are naturally juicy and covered with skin layer, they are suitable for grilling. You can cook chicken thighs on high heat but do medium grill as they will turn out juicy and tender. Marinating before grilling will help to give the best result.
Chicken Thighs Are Affordable
If you like to enjoy more juiciness, flavor, and crispy skin, you will be happy to learn these features that do not cost much. Chicken thigh with bone cost averages about 1/3 of price every pound of skinless and boneless chicken breast. Boneless thigh cost extra charges, but they only 1/2 to 1/3 as much as boneless and skinless chicken breast.
Chicken Thighs: Guide to Buying
It can be overwhelming to choose when you buy chicken sections like thighs. You will get many options, but you have to understand the different cuts and their specific cooking method. Here is the guide for buying chicken thighs.
What Are Chicken Thighs?
What are they?
Chicken thighs are a section of chicken leg with its drumstick. It is a cut above the chicken knee. This portion is also called as dark meat because of excess fat and deeper hue.
How chicken thigh taste?
As the chicken thigh muscles work more, it is considered a hard cut with high fat and different from lean chicken breast. While chicken breast has lean meat, it is a little chewy and has tender and supple texture.
Why Are They Available Everywhere?
Yes, chicken thighs are everywhere and for good reason. It provides exceptional value and flavor. They are also affordable than chicken breasts.
Different Types Of Chicken Thighs
You can get different chicken thighs with more options than chicken breasts. Here are the 3-types for thighs.
Bone-in Thighs including Skin
The most generally convenient, and famous cut accompanies the bone in and skin. Since no additional work was done to eject the bone, this cut is marginally less expensive than its boneless partner. At a normal cost of just humble of $1.45 per pound, it is altogether more affordable than a boneless, skinless chicken breast, which equates under $3.10 per pound.
Bone-in – Skinless Thighs
The least well known of the three cuts, and one that is not as broadly accessible, these thighs contain bone after skin removed. Since no additional work was done to exclude the bone, this cut is slightly less expensive than its boneless equivalent.
Chicken-Bones:Â Toss or Keep
Chicken thighs are generally sold with bones in it, and it’s your wish to toss it or keep it. They are affordable than boneless chicken thighs and contain more flavor.
Skinless, Boneless Thighs
It is a popular piece of chicken without skin and bone. It comes in versatile and instant cooking than the thighs with bone. This cut is expensive because it requires extra butchering to remove the bone from the thighs.
Which Boneless Thighs Are Skinless?
During the butchering process for removing bone, the skin also gets removed. Therefore, buy skin-on and bone-in chicken thigh. You can ask the butcher to take out the bones or debone it.
Benefits of Chicken Thigh
Niacin – 69% of RDA
Chicken thigh provides niacin that helps to promote energy production, nervous system, mental health. It also prevents fatigue, tiredness, and cancer risk.
Riboflavin – 47% of RDA
The riboflavin also enhances energy production in the body. It boosts vision, blood health, and protect the cell.
Zinc – 55% of RDA
The zinc is a mineral, which is essential for the immune system, cell, DNA, eyesight, and mental processes.
Pantothenic Acid – B% 22% of RDA
It helps in mental performance, energy generation. The pantothenic acid also lowers the fatigue and tiredness.
Selenium – 21% of RDA
The selenium helps to protect cells from the damage of free radicals. It enhances thyroid function and immune system.
Sources