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A served plate of oven-baked Moroccan chicken thigh featuring a glossy, caramelised reddish-orange sauce. The chicken is placed alongside a bed of fluffy white rice, garnished with fresh parsley leaves and two lemon wedges, served with a fork and spoon.
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Oven Baked Moroccan Chicken

This oven-baked Moroccan chicken is the ultimate hands-off midweek meal where the oven does the heavy lifting. It delivers succulent, perfectly spiced chicken in a tangy, aromatic sauce, offering a one-pan dinner with minimal active prep and clean up.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Chicken & Dry Rub:

  • 1 kg (2 lbs) deboned, skin-on chicken thighs
  • ½ tbsp Moroccan seasoning
  • ½ tbsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tbsp vegetable stock powder see notes below
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp white pepper

For the Moroccan Sauce:

  • ⅙ cup plain greek yogurt
  • ⅙ cup toum (garlic dip) see substitution in notes below
  • ⅙ cup capsicum paste (biber salçası) see substitution in notes below
  • ⅙ cup olive oil
  • ½ tbsp Moroccan seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tbsp vegetable stock powder
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (350°F) fan forced.
  • Prepare the chicken: Arrange the chicken thighs snugly in a greased ceramic roasting dish. Combine the dry rub spices and coat the chicken evenly, ensuring you apply the seasoning under the skin for maximum flavour.
  • Primary roast: Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 50 minutes until almost entirely cooked through.
  • Adjust the liquid: Remove the foil and inspect the pan juices. If the liquid has risen above the halfway point of the chicken, pour out roughly half of the excess to prevent the sauce from becoming watery.
  • Apply the glaze: Whisk the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Douse the chicken thoroughly, ensuring each piece is well-coated.
  • Final roast: Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for a final 15 minutes. Roast until the sauce emulsifies into a glossy glaze and the skin caramelises.
  • Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for five minutes before serving with rice, flatbreads, or vegetables.

Notes

Notes:
  1. Vegetable stock powder is used as a total replacement for salt. If you don't have this on hand, you can successfully substitute it with chicken or beef stock powder.
  2. Toum can be substituted with finely minced garlic mixed with a touch of mayonnaise or olive oil.
  3. Capsicum paste can be substituted with tomato paste or finely minced red bell peppers. Alternatively, you can mix two tablespoons of sweet paprika with a teaspoon of water to form a thick paste.
  4. Adjust the cooking time based on the cut of chicken you're using. Breasts cook much quicker than thighs. Use the cooking chart in the post above as a guide.