Moroccan Roasted Chicken

January 8, 2024

Moroccan Roasted Chicken is an easy one-pan dinner that takes just 20 minutes hands-on time to prepare. Rubbed with Moroccan spices, this flavorful and tender chicken will be on repeat for your family.

Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free

Learning how to roast a chicken was, quite frankly, life-changing. In a matter of 20 minutes hands-on time I was able to prepare a dinner for my family of 4 that lasts 2 days. Or at least leftovers for lunch the next day!

If you feel like you’re constantly preparing food for your family, sheet pan meals and roasting chicken is the easiest way to go.

In my quest to share more easy, balanced, one-pan recipes in 2024, I present this Moroccan Roasted Chicken that’s tender, juicy, and full of flavor, thanks to the spices inspired by Morocco.

Fun fact: in high school I went on a summer program to the tiniest, Southern-most city in Spain, Tarifa, and could see Morocco across the ocean on clear days! I’ve yet to visit, but it’s on my bucket list!

Now back to this Moroccan Roasted Chicken…

I know roasting a whole chicken can be intimidating. You have an entire bird and have no idea what to do with it.

Here are some of my best tips to prepare roasted chicken:

Take the giblets out of the middle cavity of the bird. You do not want to roast them!
Season, season, season! If you think you may be skimping, add more.
Moisten your chicken. If it looks dry, use a bit more oil than listed. I usually free-hand it because olive oil is measured with love in my kitchen.
Wear gloves if you’re creeped out by holding the chicken
Just try it!!! Even if you think you’re the world’s worst cook, I know you can roast a chicken. It’s MUCH EASIER than it looks!

There’s no better recipe to start with than this Moroccan Roasted Chicken. It’s…

Easy to prepare (believe it or not!)
Packed with flavor
A one pan balanced meal
Great to serve for company/guests
Satisfying (again, so much flavor + it’s a balanced meal!)

I’ve been wanting to experiment with different flavors since I shared my Classic Roasted Chicken last year, and after sharing these spiced chicken thighs I knew I had to use this spice combo!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Moroccan Roasted Chicken

The bulk of this recipe is spices. You’ll need:

Smoked paprika
Cumin
Garlic powder
Dried oregano
Cinnamon
Salt & pepper

RECIPE NOTE: to add a hint of heat, ADD 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper!

For the chicken you’ll need a whole roasting chicken, sometimes known as a “whole fryer chicken” or a “young chicken” (I don’t know why!).

**If you’ve never roasted a chicken before, I suggest starting with a 5 pound chicken (what most young chickens are).

If you’re feeding more than 4 people I would suggest buying 2 chickens (doubling the recipe).

To make this a one pan meal you’ll also add carrots, brussels sprouts and potatoes to the base of the dish.

I like to toss them in olive oil, but you don’t really need to season them because they’ll get the excess seasoning when you season the chicken and it’s cooked.

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Prepare Moroccan Roasted Chicken

You don’t need any fancy kitchen tools to make a roasted chicken. No roasting pan necessary!

You’ll need:

9 x 13 baking dish (I have an oval pyrex dish I inherited that I love to roast chicken in – see photographs!) You could also use a ceramic dish, like this.
Small bowl or jar to prepare the spice mix
Oven thermometer
Meat thermometer

Love this Moroccan Roasted Chicken? Other chicken recipes to try:

How to Make Moroccan Roasted Chicken

As impressive and overwhelming as roasting a chicken can seem, this recipe is truly quite simple. Hype yourself up, and let’s go!!!

First, you’ll prepare the spice mixture.

Toss together all of the spices in a small ramekin and set aside. Feel free to double or triple the spice mixture and save it in your pantry for next time. You’re going to love it!

Next, you’ll prepare the Moroccan Roasted Chicken.

Place the veggies in the glass dish you’ll roast the chicken in. Drizzle with olive oil & toss together. You can prepare the chicken right on top of the veggies – they’ll absorb the extra flavor!

Now, pat the chicken dry so it can absorb all the flavor you’re about to add.

DO NOT RINSE YOUR CHICKEN!!! This is a food safety hazard and a big no, no in the kitchen!

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the halved orange and onions.

I prefer to rub the spice mixture on before adding oil. Get it in all the crevices. THEN you’ll drizzle with olive oil and continue rubbing the spice mixture all over the chicken.

Let the chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes for maximal flavor.

**You can skip the chill time!**

The first time I made this recipe I did not marinade it and it was still SUPER flavorful. I simply preheated my oven, rubbed the spices and olive oil on the chicken, stuffed it, and sent it on its way in the oven.

Now roast!

I roast nearly everything at 400 degrees F, and this chicken is no different. Check the chicken after 90 minutes with the meat thermometer.

My favorite part about this Moroccan Roasted Chicken recipe is that it really requires very little hands-on time. Go clean your house, do your work (if you WFH), play with your kids… it’s a perfect recipe for those afternoons when you’re home, but have a million other things to do and don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking (but still need to make your family dinner!).

When the chicken is done, let it cool for a bit before carving. Enjoy every bite of this balanced meal!

How is this Moroccan Roasted Chicken a Balanced Meal?

This one pan recipe contains all the essentials to make it a balanced meal…

VEGGIES – carrots & brussels sprouts are super flavorful!
PROTEIN – chicken
CARBS – potatoes
FATS – olive oil

If you want to bulk it up a little bit you could always add a side salad. I love this Massaged Kale Salad. It’s a hearty accompaniment.

Want even easier balanced meals?

**Grab my ebook, Thrive in 5, with 50 simple, 5-ingredient recipes you can make in 20 minutes or less!**