If you're looking for a flavorful, healthy recipe, this 30-Minute Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken is a popular reader favorite!
If your family is like mine, you are constantly looking for one-pot meals that are healthy. Meals that don't take a lot of time in the kitchen, but are full of amazing flavor.
Enter my current fave recipe creation: the one-pot, 30-minute Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken meal. You guys, I am OBSESSED with this pressure cooker Moroccan chicken dish. It's packed with robust spices and flavors, and I hope you will love it, too!
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- One pot, 30-minute meals = dinner bliss!
- 🍗 Healthy Instant Pot Moroccan chicken
- 🫙 Traditional Moroccan spices
- How to make Moroccan Chicken in an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker
- 👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
- 🔥 How to Avoid the Burn Notice
- 🍽 What to serve with Moroccan Chicken
- 🥂 What wine pairs with Moroccan chicken?
- 🥘 More Comfort Food Dinner Recipes
- Healthy 30-Minute Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken
- Pin it:
One pot, 30-minute meals = dinner bliss!
If you follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my weekly Food, Wine, and Travel Bliss newsletter, you know that I love both my 8-quart Instant Pot and 8-Quart Ninja Foodi Deluxe. I use my multi-cookers every single day.
Electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot and the Ninja Foodi are just perfect for creating nutritious dishes like this that are packed with big flavors!
I LOVE one-pot wonder meals, and the multicooker - AKA the Ninja Foodi and the Instant Pot - makes it all so fast and simple to feed the family healthy meals.
🍗 Healthy Instant Pot Moroccan chicken
I LOVE this Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken recipe so much.
The chicken is so flavorful and moist, and the quinoa turns out just as yummy and fluffy. And best of all, it takes just around 30 minutes from start to finish, all in ONE pot. Less to clean up, and more to enjoy!
The most delicious recipes start with high quality, fresh ingredients.
For this recipe, I find it's best to to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They tend to be juicier, meatier, and absorb more of the delicious Moroccan spice flavors than chicken breasts.
🫙 Traditional Moroccan spices
This calls for a blend of traditional Moroccan spices:
- paprika
- turmeric
- cumin
- kosher salt and pepper.
The measurements in the recipe make enough to cover a pound and a half of chicken, so feel free to adjust the amount of spices if you use less or more chicken.
How to make Moroccan Chicken in an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker
Making Moroccan chicken in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker or Ninja Foodi multi-cooker couldn't be easier.
Season the chicken and then give it a quick sauté on both sides in the pot.
Then the chicken is set aside while you sauté the garlic, ginger, and onions.
After that, add the quinoa, dried cherries, and chickpeas into the Instant Pot. Pour in the chicken broth.
Side note: I like the flavor of dried cherries in this recipe, but you could also use dates, raisins, or even dried apricot.
Close the lid, make sure the vent is on SEALING, then set the dials to POULTRY and set the time to 10 minutes. It takes a few minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure. Once it does, it will start counting down. Once it stops counting down from 10, very carefully turn the knob to VENTING and Quick Release.
Safety tip: I use tongs whenever I turn the pressure release valve knob; you could use a wooden spoon or super thick oven mitts.
After a few minutes, the Instant Pot pin will go down all the way indicating all pressure has been released. That's when you know it's safe to open the lid. At this point, your beautiful Moroccan chicken dish should be done!
You can use a meat thermometer to double check the doneness of the chicken. If it's at 165°F degrees, then your chicken is ready to go!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Try dried apricots or golden raisins. Both have been tried by readers with much reported success.
Yes - but please read these cooking tips first!
In fact, the updated recipe photos you see in this post were taken one of the times I substituted Israeli couscous for quinoa -- with great success! I offer this substitution with the caveat that you must realize it is a different type of grain and you'll likely need to adjust accordingly.
I usually make this dish with couscous in my Ninja Foodi XL 8-Quart Deluxe 9-in-1 pressure cooker.
1: I use *slightly less* couscous than the amount of quinoa that the recipe calls for -- try ¾ cup instead of one cup.
2: Make sure you are using a dry measuring cup for dry ingredients, and a liquid measuring cup when measuring the chicken broth.
3: Try using one pound of chicken - not a pound and a half.
I have made this several times now with regular couscous and with larger Israeli couscous and I have NEVER once received a BURN notice.
You can use the same weight of chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Many readers have used chicken breasts instead with much reported success. However, I would be careful of this kind of substitution because much depends on the thickness and weight of your chicken breasts. You may need to adjust cooking time. I find the recipe works beautifully (and quite frankly, tastes better!) using either the skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as stated in the recipe.
🔥 How to Avoid the Burn Notice
I have made this recipe several times over the years, and have not received a burn notice. However, if you do get one, it can be for one or more of several different reasons:
1. Not enough liquid. Try adding more liquid. Sometimes when you make substitutions, depending on the exact brand of ingredient you are using, it may actually expand and take up more room than the original ingredient in the recipe, therefore soaking up more of the liquid during pressure cook time. This can lead to the Burn notice.
2. It could be the order in which you are layering ingredients. If you're putting in ingredients in any order other than what the recipe calls for, it could possibly lead to the dreaded Burn notice.
3. There are bits of food on the bottom of the pot when you start pressure cooking. Remember to deglaze before pressure cooking: scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon after you add liquid and before you start pressure cooking. The Instant Pot is way more sensitive to this than the Ninja Foodi, so be sure to scrape up Every. Single. Bit. of browning at the bottom of the pot.
4. Your sealing ring may be allowing steam to escape, which can cause the IP to overheat. Same if your pressure valve isn't 100% in the Seal position.
There are a few other reasons you might be getting a burn notice, but those are the most common.
🍽 What to serve with Moroccan Chicken
🥂 What wine pairs with Moroccan chicken?
The bold robust spices of this healthy recipe call for being paired with a bright, dry white wine. A dry Riesling would be lovely with this dish, as would a dry Roussane from Southern France.
🥘 More Comfort Food Dinner Recipes
- Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi African Peanut Stew
- Classic Beef Bourguignon
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken Yakisoba
- Instant Pot Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Soy Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Asparagus
- Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
- The Ultimate Burger Bar
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Healthy 30-Minute Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs (6 thighs) boneless & skinless, or skin-on & bone-in
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 can (14.5 ounce) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- optional: finely chopped cilantro leaves or parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Coat chicken with spice rub as evenly as possible on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot pan.
- Press SAUTE mode on the Instant Pot.
- Add chicken to Instant Pot and sauté until slightly brown. Then flip over each piece of chicken and continue cooking until that side is slightly browned. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside on a plate.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in garlic, onions, and ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring slowly.
- Mix in the quinoa (or couscous), dried cherries (or dried apricots), chickpeas, chicken broth, and the browned chicken.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and be sure the pressure release valve is in SEALING.
- Press POULTRY (or Manual) and set time to 10 minutes.
- Instant Pot will bring contents to pressure and the display will say ON during this time. Once the contents have reached pressure (this can take up to 10 minutes), the Instant Pot will beep and start counting down 10 minutes. At the end (when those 10 minutes are up), use tongs to very carefully turn the knob to VENTING in order to Quick Release.
- Once the float valve pin is down, and steam stops being released through the valve (this can take a few minutes; your time may vary), press CANCEL and carefully open the lid.
- Chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the meat registers 165° F.
- Plate, garnish with optional cilantro or parsley leaves, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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Do you love healthy one-pot meals? What type of recipes do you like to search for at the beginning of a new year?
This post was originally published on January 11, 2018. It was updated and republished on December 20, 2020 with new photos and more helpful information to help you make this delicious Moroccan chicken recipe.
Shannon says
Beware with couscous--I quadrupled the amount of broth after the pot shutting down twice with the "burn" message, and I had scraped the bottom thoroughly before adding ingredients after the garlic/onion/ginger saute.
It's just a very different grain than quinoa and absorbs the liquid super fast. Ended up dumping the whole thing into a pot on the stove after the third "burn" and cooked on the stovetop and having dinner at 9pm. Frustrating.
Sarah says
Second time around I added a can of diced tomatoes to the recipe and it came out perfectly! The tomatoes added that extra bit of flavor that was missing, just made sure to drain the extra liquid out of the pot before serving since the tomatoes will leave a lot of liquid after pressure cooking.
jeri lynn says
we made this tonight. super yummy! the three of us finish it off and left no more for the 4th who got home late, he he.
next time we will definitely add another pound of chicken (only used 1.3 because I can't read, lol!), and more cherries. maybe some more veggies. and might try it with rice as another poster suggested. thank you!!
JGed says
Warning if you're making this with couscous in the smaller instant pot. I had 'burn' come up as a message 4x while trying to make this meal. If you're an IP rookie like myself, make sure you scrape the bottom COMPLETELY after sauteeing. Add a bit of water and scrape everything off before adding the rest of the ingredients. Also, for the step after the onions/ginger/garlic, I suggest you add non-starchy items first: water, chicken, beans, cherries, and ONLY THEN DO YOU ADD THE COUSCOUS. Couscous cooks mega fast and will practically absorb all the water you've put in, so add it last otherwise you won't have any water left for the pressurization. Rather than taking me 30 minutes, this recipe took me 2 hrs, sigh.
Lindsey says
This is one of my favorite recipes but, my chicken turns out a little dry! I've made it for friends several times and they love it! Thank you! Let me know if you have any tips about the chicken being dry, I am all ears :D
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Lindsey! Glad you like the recipe! I've never heard of chicken thighs ending up a little dry in this recipe, so it's hard to say why yours did. Often the quality and freshness of the exact chicken thighs you choose has a lot to do with the end result. You could also try adding a touch more chicken broth and see if that helps too.
Shelly says
This was DELICIOUS!!! Will make again for sure!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
So glad you loved it, Shelly!
Tim Geib says
Very good. Modified recipe by tripling seasoning, doubling stock, and using brown lentils in place of couscous. Everyone told me to make this again.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Glad to hear it, Tim! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and leaving a nice comment. So glad everyone liked it!
SuBethJimBob says
I made this last night, and it's delicious. I used quinoa and 1/4 cup each cherries and (quartered) apricot halves. I will definitely make it again!
The only change to the basic recipe I would make is to reduce the quinoa to 2/3 cup, as it soaked up all the liquid and I like things a little more juicy.
After reading some of the comments above, I think next time I'll add a bag of butternut squash and a block of frozen chopped spinach to make it a truly 1 pot meal. Also, I'll do a mixture of thighs and breasts to bring the calories down a bit.
What do you think of using chopped toasted almonds or pistachios as a garnish?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
So glad you liked it! I think your idea of adding chopped toasted almonds as a garnish sounds delicious!
Kathy Schaaf says
Really nice flavor and texture. I doubled the spices.
Larry says
So pleased with how this turned out, the taste was spot on and proof healthy food can taste great. My only change next time will be to increase the chicken to 2#s +, it was so delicious we just wanted more of it. Thanks for sharing
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
So glad to hear you loved it! Thanks, Larry! Happy cooking :)
Natalie says
This is sooooooo good, YES you should make this!!!
Used raisins as the suggested replacement, since I would be able to find other uses with them instead of cherries. Maybe I’ll use them next time I decide to spoil myself ;)
Ginny Stramaglia says
I just love this recipe!! I was at my sons & decided to make this.. after buying all the ingredients I found out that he only has a 3qt!! I made this in 2 batches.. came out great but it took me almost 2 hours! Still everyone loved it!
Sarah says
So good!
Kris says
Delicious! I’ve just started a gluten free diet and this recipe was a great option for a quick dinner. I followed the recipe but omitted cherries (raisins/apricots) as I didn’t have them, but was still delicious.
Mike McGrath says
It was very easy to make and mine looked just like the photo above, but a tad bland in flavor. I have bad inherited DNA so I eat very healthy. No salt, no oil, no butter. And no dark meat chicken. 3 ounces of skinless chicken, whether wing, leg or thigh, has almost 20% more fat than 3 oz. of sirloin steak. My can chickpeas were organic and already low in salt, but by rinsing you lower the salt an additional one third. I used one large skinless chicken breast that I took the palm of my hand to make all the same thickness. I cut into pieces about 1.5 x 1.5 inches, rubbed all sides in the spice mix, less any salt, and sauteed. I use a spray, such as Pam, on the inside of the pan to sauteed the onions, garlic and fresh ginger in. Next time I will leave the chicken breast whole, then shred with two forks after cooking and add back. I did not have any dried cherries or apricots but did have a bag of dried cranberries and they were an excellent substitute. I admit that the missing salt would have heightened the flavor but I work very hard to follow the AHA guideline of 1,500 mg sodium/day for heart patients. (2,000/women, 2,500/men) I might try adding some Gram Masala to punch the flavor up a bit.