Million Dollar Chicken - Moroccan Style

"This recipe originally won first prize ($1 Million) in a national cook-off of some sort (I think Pillsbury) several years ago. I can see why - it is a wonderful combination of flavours. The recipe is quite easy to make and is very economical. I have also substituted the chicken thighs for boneless, skinless breasts and it works just fine. The thighs are definitely better though as they are more moist. Do try this - you'll love it."
 
Download
photo by CountryLady photo by CountryLady
photo by CountryLady
photo by Dave 7 photo by Dave 7
photo by Amberngriffinco photo by Amberngriffinco
Ready In:
35mins
Ingredients:
11
Serves:
4
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot.
  • Add almonds and cook until golden brown.
  • Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add garlic and chicken to same skillet that almonds were cooked in.
  • Saute, turning once, for 5 minutes or until browned.
  • Mix together salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon.
  • Add mixture to chicken and stir well.
  • Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook.
  • Stir and baste occasionally for 20 minutes.
  • Add more water if necessary.
  • Serve over couscous or rice.
  • Top with chopped almonds.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. This recipe is outstanding! There were 10 of us at lunch yesterday, I made enough of this for 15, and there's hardly any leftovers! I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, craisins instead of the currants, and added a large chopped onion while I was browning the chicken. I also substituted some Moroccan harissa for the salsa, it made it a little more authentic in our eyes. If you do use harissa, don't substitute it one for one with the amount of salsa called for in the recipe, harissa is a gazillion times spicier, use caution. Our guests' youngest son was especially fond of this meal. I asked him how many stars I should give this recipe, and he answered, "63!" I wish I could give you 63 stars, Martha, but I'll have to settle for 5. This Million Dollar Chicken is worth every penny!
     
  2. I reviewed this but erased it to write a fresh one. I've made this about 8x now. It's delicious. For best results, I make sure the pan is good n' hot before browning the chicken. The garlic sticks to the chicken while its browning and adds wonderful flavor. Avoid putting too many thighs in one pan or the browning/sealing of juices effect doesn't work well. Use two pans, if you don't have a large enough frying pan, so the chicken has a little space. Brown those puppies good; takes at least 15 to brown both sides. Onc it's all simmering with the rest of the ingredients, I put the toasted, slivered almonds in the sauce The slivered almonds get tender and the dish goes great with brown rice. Everything else is the same.
     
  3. This was great. I also used chicken thighs which I believe give a richer taste. Substituting a couple of tablesponns of harissa paste for the salsa is a must - just add some more water to make up for the lack of liquid from the salsa. I will make this one again! I agree with the previous reviewer that it works well to add an onion at the start. I also added a can of chick peas at step 7 which adds a little variety and authenticity. (Stole that idea from another Morroccan chicken recipe!)
     
  4. Truly delicious and deserving of a million dollar prize. I used bone in thighs but did remove the skin - used HOT salsa, more garlic than is called for here and craisins...made a bit more sauce and cooked it for much longer than 20 minutes - more like 2 hours! A marvelous combination of flavors. My husband, who isn't fond of chicken or cinnamon, ate 3 servings and said it was the best chicken he's ever had.
     
  5. Delicious! This is a new family favorite. Very easy to make. I used raisins instead of currants and butter instead of oil. I only used 4 thighs, I don't think this recipe would make enough sauce for 8 thighs. Also, I think it would be great to double the sauce recipe and mix it with already cooked bite-sized pieces of chicken or lamb for a stew, and serve that over rice or couscous. Will definitely make again!
     
Advertisement

Tweaks

  1. Stretch the sauce, by adding a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes.
     
  2. Delicious flavors! I definitely recommend making more sauce since the chicken is bland w/o it. Also, next time I would try seasoning the chicken w/ salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder before browning. I made few changes. I had sliced almonds and since they were thin, I decided to brown them in a separate pan w/ very little olive oil. I figured it would be hard to scoop them out w a slotted spoon. And since I had a whole chicken, I cut it up into parts and left the skin on and bones in. I also added a chopped onion to the garlic and chicken when browning in a large All-Clad pot. However, since the garlic and onions started to burn before the chicken browned, I took the garlic and onions out and browned the chicken parts by themselves. I had to throw away the burnt garlic and onions. After browning the chicken (which I split into two batches in order to brown them w/o crowding the pot), I took the chicken out and then browned a new batch of garlic and onions. Once browned, I added the chicken back to the pot. I didn't measure but just eyeballed everything and substituted dry cranberries for the currants b/c that's what I had on hand.
     
  3. Delicious! This is a new family favorite. Very easy to make. I used raisins instead of currants and butter instead of oil. I only used 4 thighs, I don't think this recipe would make enough sauce for 8 thighs. Also, I think it would be great to double the sauce recipe and mix it with already cooked bite-sized pieces of chicken or lamb for a stew, and serve that over rice or couscous. Will definitely make again!
     
  4. Just a comment for now, until I try this again. I used chicken breast for this recipe- and it just does not work, in our opinion. The sauce is good, but the chicken breast made the dish lackluster. DH said before we give up on it, we will try with thighs- I just know that will add lots to the flavor. Also, used chopped dried apricots in place of the currants and upped the seasonings a bit. Stay tuned....
     
  5. Very good recipe. It's definitely different...I've never had anything quite like it. It's better to use chicken pieces with the bone in, I think. I tried it with both breasts (bone out) and bone in thighs/legs and it was better. I subbed cranberries for currants. I served it with the spiced couscous which was very nice.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes