Moroccan Chermoula chicken is an exciting way to cook chicken that no one can resist. You can serve this chicken recipe for lunch or dinner any day of the week, and it's always a winner!
Slathered with Chermoula paste and lightly fried, then baked, this aromatic Moroccan sauce chicken is the truth! It will have your family and guests begging for more till it's all gone.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
You will absolutely love this mouthwatering chicken flavor with bold, ethnic flavors. It cooks the chicken tender and crisp, and the taste of the sauce completely saturates it.
It drenches the chicken pieces in aromatic, mind-blowing flavors, and the chicken turns out so deliciously juicy!
Chermoula chicken is also great for leftovers. You can use leftover chermoula chicken in a myriad of dishes. You're only limited by your imagination.
💭 What is chermoula?
Chermoula sauce is a North-African paste that you typically serve with chicken or fish. It usually contains olive oil, coriander, parsley, cilantro, ground cumin, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, or lime juice.
Some say chermoula is the Moroccan version of pesto sauce, only without nuts and a lot tastier. It also has numerous nutritional benefits, including inflammatory and immune system support.
🧾 Ingredients Used
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- Chicken thighs: I use four bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. But you can use chicken breasts or your favorite chicken parts.
- Olive oil: You'll need a drizzle of olive oil to fry the thighs. You can use your favorite cooking oil instead.
- Chermoula paste: This spicy Moroccan sauce is what gives this recipe an amazing flavor!
- Spices: Salt and black pepper.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Rinse your chicken thoroughly under running water and pat each chicken leg or thigh dry with a paper towel.
- Rub the chicken with salt and a little black pepper.
- Add olive oil to a skillet or large frying pan on medium heat. When heated, brown the chicken for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Rub the chermoula paste on the chicken and place it in the oven in a cast-iron pan or a roasting tray.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes. Add more chermoula paste to the chicken thighs and serve.
🥫 Storing and Reheating
Store leftover chermoula chicken in the refrigerator for up to four days. Remember to first put it in an airtight container to preserve its freshness properly.
You can also freeze it to store it for longer. First, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about an hour or two. Then transfer them to an airtight container or sealable freezer bag and freeze.
Reheat the leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop till hot. You can also pop them in the microwave oven or reheat them in your oven.
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
You can enjoy this chermoula recipe as a standalone meal or with a large variety of dishes. On a low-carb diet, I pair it with some cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, or veggies. They go wonderfully with steamed or air-fried vegetables.
Alternatively, you can rip up leftovers and put them in a salad or wrap. You can't go wrong, whichever way you choose to enjoy chermoula chicken!
💭 Tips on making this recipe
- Make this recipe an easy one-skillet dish using a cast-iron pan from the stovetop to the oven. This means less cleanup for you.
- Ensure you fry the chicken in a single layer in the skillet, so they brown evenly.
- Frying the chicken pieces before baking will give them a nice crispy skin.
- Since you fry then bake the chermoula chicken thighs, there's no need to use a meat thermometer to check its doneness.
- You can skip frying the chicken thighs, but the chicken skin won't be very crispy. Simply bake them for 40 - 45 minutes instead.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
Chermoula is a North African spice blend that comprises fresh herbs like cumin, coriander, garlic, cilantro, and other herbs. Olive oil is added to this blend to make a paste you can eat raw or cooked. It originated in Morocco but is widely gaining popularity worldwide.
Chermoula is sometimes called African pesto sauce, but it doesn't contain any nuts. Instead, it contains fresh cilantro leaves, fresh coriander, flat-leaf parsley, and ground spices. It also includes olive oil to make it a paste. Argentinian Chimichurri sauce is sometimes used as a substitute. However, it contains red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
📚 Related Recipes
Enjoy these other healthy chicken dinners!
Instant Pot Chicken Leg Quarters
Poulet Yassa - Senegalese Chicken
📖 Recipe
Chermoula Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoon chermoula paste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rub the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Add olive oil to a skillet.
- Brown the chicken for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Rub the chermoula paste on the chicken and place it in a cast-iron pan.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes.
- Add more chermoula paste to the chicken and serve.
Notes
- Make this recipe an easy one-skillet dish using a cast-iron pan from the stovetop to the oven. This means less cleanup for you.
- Ensure you fry the chicken in a single layer in the skillet, so they brown evenly.
- Frying the chicken pieces before baking will give them a nice crispy skin.
- Since you fry then bake the chermoula chicken thighs, there's no need to use a meat thermometer to check its doneness.
- You can skip frying the chicken thighs, but the chicken skin won't be very crispy. Simply bake them for 40 - 45 minutes instead.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
Hi,
can you marinate the chicken in the chermoula paste for a few hours? or even over night? I want to grill them !
Yes, you sure can.
Great recipe! I had some friends over the first time I made it and it was a hit. They were asking for the recipe.
That's awesome to hear, Melody! So glad it was a hit with your friends. 😊