Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes and is super easy to make.

The recipe is inspired by one from the book by Suzanne Somers: Eat Great, Lose Weight (p. 162).

I’ve always cooked it stovetop, but this time I decided to make it in a slow cooker. It was absolutely delish!   

I changed things up a bit from the inspired recipe the very first time I made it. I prefer dark meat in poultry, so I generally use only skinless boneless chicken thighs. However, chicken breasts are fine as well.

I’m too lazy to make preserved lemon rinds as the inspired recipe requires. Instead, I wash the lemon skin really well, then just slice the rind into strips with a twist into the pot. Be sure to remove before serving.

Most of my family loves olives, and I’m sure you couldn’t put a bad one in here. My favorites for this recipe are oil cured. However, Kalamata olives, which I always have in my pantry, are great as well.

Instead of spending a chunk of my paycheck on saffron, I serve the stew over Mahatma yellow rice which I make in a rice cooker. I prefer to keep the rice separate until serving, but I’m sure it would be fine if you mixed it.

I don’t measure things exactly when I cook. I usually just throw things in that approximate the measurement. So, feel free to adjust to your taste.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken

¼ cup olive oil
3 medium onions, diced or one 12 oz. package frozen diced onions
2-2 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 cans Swanson 33 percent reduced salt chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (not Italian)
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinds of one small lemon
1 cup oil cured olives
1 cup frozen corn

Pour olive oil into bottom of slow cooker. Add garlic and onions. Add chicken pieces, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Cook on high for one hour.

Add parsley, cilantro, cumin, ginger, corn, lemon rinds and olives. Cook on low for three hours.

Remove and shred the chicken pieces. Add them back to the slow cooker and cook on low for one more hour.

Serve over rice.

To make the rice:

1-5 oz package Mahatma yellow rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 ½ cups chicken broth

Place everything in the rice cooker. Stir occasionally. Cook until the lever pops.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below.