Whole Roasted Moroccan Chicken
Marinated overnight in olive oil and spices, stuffed with green olives, onions, garlic, and preserved lemons for an extra boost of flavor, and roasted to a crisp and juicy perfection.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 722kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (4-6) pound whole chicken
- ½ cup preserved lemons
- ½ cup green olives
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil separated
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 3 teaspoons salt separated
- 20 small white potatoes
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, ras el hanout and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a bowl and mix into a paste. Massage the paste onto the chicken, covering all sides.
- Remove the pulp from the preserved lemons - we are only using the skins in this recipe. Reserve the pulp for future use if desired. Chop the preserved lemon peels.
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the preserved lemons, olives, onions and garlic. Place in the fridge overnight (uncovered).
- Preheat the oven to 450F degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature (let it sit for about 30 minutes).
- Truss the chicken legs with twine. Place the potatoes in the roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Cover the pan loosely with foil. Remove it halfway through cooking (at the 45 minute mark).
- Place the chicken in the oven and turn the heat down to 400F degrees. Roast the chicken for 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F degrees.
- Halfway through roasting, add the cherry/grape tomatoes to the roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Also, remove the foil at this point.
- Baste the chicken with it's own juices halfway through.
Notes
- Use only the skins of the preserved lemons, discard any pulp, or use it in cocktails, puree it in dips fr extra tanginess, or saute it with veggies (you could use it in this Broccolini).
- Leaving the chicken uncovered while it sits in the fridge allows the skin to dry, which is what gives us that perfectly crispy skin when roasting.
- Chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees. I typically cook the chicken to 160 degrees and remove from the heat. The temperature will continue to rise to 165 degrees. Use an instant read thermometer like this Thermapen to check the temperature.
- If the skin of the chicken starts to brown too much, cover it loosely in aluminum foil while it roasts. Remove the foil at the end to crisp it up.
Nutrition
Serving: 6oz | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 969mg | Potassium: 2843mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1820IU | Vitamin C: 86.6mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 20.8mg