One Pot Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew with Sweet Potato & Couscous

Are you ready for my most favorite stew EVER?! Good, because this Moroccan-spiced chicken stew is exactly what we need for the remaining chilly winter days.

I first made this warming stew years ago when Tony was traveling and I had the house to myself. I can hardly remember a life before kiddos, but I remember how I used to always bake or cook something cozy for myself. These days, I do it not only for myself, but for my big family — to show them I love and appreciate them each and every day.

So today, I’m re-sharing this life-changing Moroccan chicken stew with you. I encourage you to spend a little time making this as the perfect recipe to say I love you with — whether that’s for you and you only, or for the ones you love.

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Ingredients in this Moroccan-spiced chicken stew

This super cozy Moroccan-inspired stew is packed with over 20g of protein, almost 7g of fiber, and is filled with warming spices. You’ll also get bites of sweetness from the mix-ins that make it absolutely incredible. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Chicken: I prefer to cube up boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe because they hold more juiciness and are still lean. You can also use bone-in chicken thighs and then simply discard the bones and shred the chicken instead.
• Pearl couscous: I love the creamy texture that pearl couscous adds when it cooks up in the stew. Barley would also be delicious and add a similar texture!
• Veggies: this Moroccan chicken stew recipe uses sweet potato, cauliflower, carrot, and onion for a delicious boost of veggies.
• Chicken broth: all of my recipes usually call for low-sodium chicken broth, so that you can control the amount of salt you want in the recipe. Bone broth would also be a great option in here.
• Cozy spices: this recipe calls for ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, cumin, salt, and black pepper. These spices are very common when it comes to Moroccan-inspired cooking.
• For the mix-ins: we’re adding fresh parsley for brightness, pistachios for crunch, and dried cherries for plump, juicy sweetness.

Easy ways to customize this recipe

You can easily make this Moroccan-inspired chicken stew your own! Here’s what I can recommend for ingredient swaps:

• Go vegetarian: feel free to omit the chicken and stir in a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas or 1 block of cooked, cubed tofu!
• For the sweet potato: I think cubed butternut squash or pumpkin would also be delicious.
• Have fun with mix-ins & toppings: feel free to swap the dried cherries for dried cranberries, chopped Medjool dates, or golden raisins. You can omit the pistachios to keep it nut-free, or swap them for toasted almonds. A drizzle of hot sauce and a dollop of yogurt on top would also be perfect!

Looking for a gluten-free option?

Feel free to swap the couscous for white basmati rice or quinoa!

Moroccan-spiced chicken stew made in one pot

1. Brown your chicken. Start by browning your cubed chicken thighs in a large pot with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate. No need to cook completely.
2. Cook your veggies. In the same pot, cook down the garlic, onion, carrot, cauliflower, and sweet potato for a few minutes.
3. Add spices. Stir in all of those warming spices so they become nice and fragrant, then add the chicken back to the pot.
4. Stir the stew together. Slowly stir in the broth, couscous, salt, and pepper.
5. Cook the stew. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, and simmer until the veggies are tender.
6. Garnish & serve. Fold in the dried cherries and parsley, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, then top with more herbs and pistachios!

How to store, freeze & reheat this stew

• To store: store this healthy Moroccan chicken stew in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
• To freeze: let the stew completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). Freeze for up to 2 months.
• To reheat: first, let the stew thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.

More one pot and one pan meals

• Sheet Pan Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower
• Cheesy Tuna Orzo Skillet
• One Pot Butternut Squash Yellow Curry
• Mama’s Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
• Roasted Butternut Squash Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Couscous

Get all of my one pan meals here!

I hope you love this Moroccan-spiced chicken stew! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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One Pot Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew

4.91 from 75 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6

The most delicious Moroccan-spiced chicken stew with sweet potato, couscous, and cauliflower. Simmer everything with cozy spices like cinnamon, anti-inflammatory turmeric, and cumin. Stir in pistachios, dried cherries, and parsley for extra flavor and beautiful textures!

Ingredients

• For the stew
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 3 ½ cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 small head of cauliflower)
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup pearl couscous
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• Mix-ins and garnish
• ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more to garnish
• ½ cup dried cherries
• ⅓ cup chopped shelled roasted pistachios

Instructions

• Cook the chicken: Add oil to a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in cubed chicken and generously season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken thighs for about 5 to 7 minutes until slightly golden. Remove chicken and transfer to a plate.
• Cook the veggies: Add in another tablepsoon of oil, then stir in the onion, carrot, cauliflower florets and diced sweet potato. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion begins to soften.
• Add the spices: Stir in the garlic, ground turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon and allow spices to cook for 1 minute to enhance flavors, then add in the chicken thighs back into the pot. Slowly add in chicken broth, then stir in the couscous and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and make sure the chicken is well coated with the broth. Bring to to a slight gentle boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the lid, stir and allow to simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 more minutes or until veggies are fork tender.
• Next, gently stir in the dried cherries and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with extra parsley + a sprinkle of crushed pistachios on top. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

To make vegetarian: omit the chicken and stir in a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas or 1 block of cubed, cooked tofu.

To make gluten-free: swap the couscous for white basmati rice or quinoa.

See the full post for more ways to customize this stew!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 379calCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 25.5gFat: 9.6gSaturated Fat: 1.8gFiber: 6.2gSugar: 13.9g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on February 21st, 2019, and updated and republished on February 9th, 2026.