Photo of Moroccan chicken with apricots and squash by WW

Moroccan chicken with apricots and squash

6
Points®
Total Time
1 hr
Prep
18 min
Cook
42 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
This fabulous one-pot meal is packed with Moroccan spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon that infuse the chicken, vegetables, and fluffy, fragrant jasmine rice with rich, complex flavor. Toasting the spices doesn’t take long, and it brings out their aroma and flavor. This dish cooks in an ovenproof Dutch oven but can also be made in a slow cooker. Dried apricots are a favorite fruit in Moroccan dishes and beautifully complement the flavor of butternut squash. Choose squash that feel heavy for their size and have a smooth, hard skin that is free of soft spots. You can substitute pumpkin for the butternut squash, if you like.

Ingredients

Table salt

1 tsp, or to taste

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Uncooked skinless boneless chicken breast

1 pound(s), four 4 oz pieces

Cooking spray

3 spray(s)

Olive oil

2 tsp

Ground cumin

1 tsp, or to taste

Ground coriander

1 tsp, or to taste

Ground cinnamon

½ tsp, or to taste

Vidalia onion

1 large, chopped

Uncooked butternut squash

2 cup(s), cubed, peeled and cut into1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 lb)

Uncooked jasmine rice

¾ cup(s), or basmati rice, rinsed

Dried apricot halves

16 half/halves, roughly chopped

Chicken broth

1½ cup(s), or more if needed

Cilantro

¼ cup(s), fresh, minced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Rub salt and pepper all over chicken; set aside.
  3. Coat a large oven-proof pot with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add oil; heat until it begins to shimmer. Add cumin, coriander, and cinnamon; cook until fragrant, stirring, about 30 second to 1 minute. Add chicken; cook until lightly browned, flipping once, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate; set aside.
  4. Add onion and squash to pot, scraping down sides and bottom of pot to incorporate pan drippings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to turn translucent and squash begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add rice and apricots; place browned chicken on top. Pour in broth; bring to a boil for 1 minute.
  5. Cover pot and bake in oven until rice and squash are tender and chicken is cooked through, checking half way through to see if more broth is needed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving. Yields about 2 cups (including a piece of chicken) per serving.