This is a recipe from the Laughing Spatula archives we felt needed a redo! we’ve been making this in our family for years. This Moroccan Chicken Stew is served over couscous, and has a pinch of cinnamon in it alongside hearty portobello mushroom slices. It is an easy one pot meal that has been a favorite in our family for years!

What is Moroccan Chicken Stew?

It’s a hearty but healthy dish- a tomato based chicken stew with onions, carrots, portobello mushrooms, stock, and wine (or beef broth if you prefer). Another little secret ingredient? A touch of cinnamon. I know! Sounds crazy, but don’t skip this step…just try a little. It gives it a a delicious warmth and depth of flavor.

Vegetables in Stew

For this recipe, we use a combination of portobello mushrooms, carrots, and onions. You could also add sweet potatoes if you like.

You can substitute Crimini mushrooms for the portobello. Did you know that Crimini mushrooms are really just baby Portobello’s? Something to ponder when looking at the cost or availability at your grocery store.

The trick to getting a delicious and bold flavored stew is really getting a good ‘crust’ on your chicken, which permeates through to the vegetables. After cooking the chicken, remove it from the pan, and sauté the vegetables.

Next, we add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef/chicken broth (or wine), let simmer for about 20 minutes, and that’s it! Sprinkle with cinnamon, ladel over couscous, and top with feta cheese.

Serve with Couscous

We serve our stew over couscous (pearl or regular) but it is great on it’s own as well. You can even thin it out a bit with some additional broth for more of a soup consistency. Oh, and did I mention healthy and low calorie? Clocks in at around 260 calories for 1 1/4 cups. (not including couscous). I’ve been known to make a pot of this just for lunches!

Questions! Let me answer a few about this recipe to make it easier for you.

What kind of chicken do you use?
- We use chicken thighs because they are so tender, however you can use any cut you desire or have on hand.
Where can I buy couscous? What is couscous?
- Essentially- pearl shaped pasta. we get ours at Trader Joes. They have 2 kids- Israeli Pearl Couscous, and Whole Wheat Couscous.
What else can I use besides couscous?
- You could use any pasta you like (orzo, angel hair, and ditalini would be great!). Another option could be jasmine rice. You could also forego serving it over something, and get a good loaf of bread or naan to dip into it.
Do I have to use a portobello mushroom?
- Nope! Crimini mushrooms work great. You could also use 1 drained can of chickpeas if you prefer as well.
Where can I buy Feta Cheese? What else could I use?
- You can purchase Feta in the cheese aisle at your local grocer (Trader Joes carries it as well).
What other soup and stew recipes can you recommend?

Hope you enjoy this delicious, family favorite as much as I do!

What do you think about this recipe?Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!

Hey and check out our new YouTube Channel!