Moroccan Roast Chicken
This Moroccan roast chicken features bold spices and tender meat. With a homemade Moroccan spice paste, it's an easy Moroccan chicken recipe perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions. Enjoy this best roast chicken with spices alongside roasted vegetables for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅜ teaspoon fennel seed, ground
- ¾ teaspoon sesame seeds, ground
- ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 2 small lemons
- 1 (4-pound) roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the spice mix: Combine the cloves, black pepper, fennel, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare the spice paste: In a blender, add the paprika, lemon juice, prepared spice mix, salt, fresh mint, black pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth, adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil if needed for a spreadable consistency.
- Prep your vegetables: Spread the quartered potatoes and baby carrots evenly across the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Take your rinsed and dried whole chicken. Rub about 1/4 of the spice paste inside the cavity, then coat the outside of the chicken thoroughly with the remaining paste, ensuring even coverage.
- Pierce the lemons all over with a fork and place them inside the chicken cavity.
- Position the chicken directly on top of the potatoes and carrots in the roasting pan. Tent the chicken loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
- Roast: Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for approximately 2 hours, or until the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F (80°C) with a meat thermometer. The juices should run clear.
- Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving. This step allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat moist.
Notes
When I make the spice mix, I quadruple the ingredients listed above and store the remaining 3 tablespoons in an airtight container for 3 more chickens. With a larger batch, you can use whole spices: whole cloves, peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds, and grind them to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Saves work for the next time you make this spicy chicken!