Chicken in Ras el Hanout

Ras el Hanout! رَأْسُ الحانُوتِ (raʾsu al-ḥānūti) literally means:

  • “head” or “top” — رَأْس (raʾs)
  • “the shop” — الحانُوت (al-ḥānūt)

So رَأْسُ الحانُوتِ translates to “head of the shop”, and figuratively it means “the best (or top) of what the shop has to offer” — usually referring to a premium spice mix made by spice vendors in the Maghreb (especially Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria). It’s used in Moroccan tagines, grilled meats, rice dishes, and even some desserts. Each vendor often has their own unique recipe, which can include dozens of spices

On my trip to Morocco, I bought Ras el Hanout spice mix — I’d heard quite a lot about it, but buying it in Marrakech had its own charm. I tasted several dishes made with Ras el Hanout at our hotel. A few weeks later, our office kitchen chef made poached white fish in Ras el Hanout, and that’s what inspired me to try my own version — this lovely Chicken in Ras el Hanout.

Ingredients #

  • Chicken – 1 medium (cut into 16 pieces)
  • Onion – 2 medium (finely chopped)
  • Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
  • Whole spices – a few black peppercorns, green and black cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise
  • Greek yoghurt – 1 bowl
  • Ras el Hanout – 3 tsp
  • Paprika – 1 tsp
  • Dried apricots – 5–7
  • Cherry tomatoes – 5–6
  • Olives – 5–7
  • Olive oil – 3 tbsp
  • Salt – to taste

Recipe #

  1. Microwave dried apricots in a bowl of water for 2 minutes and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan.
  3. Add the whole spices and fry for about a minute to release the aroma.
  4. Add the chicken pieces and ginger garlic paste, and fry for 3–5 minutes, turning to brown all sides.
  5. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl.
  6. Add Ras el Hanout and paprika to the chicken.
  7. Stir in the Greek yoghurt and leave the chicken to marinate while preparing the base.
  8. Add more oil to the pan if needed.
  9. Sauté the chopped onions until soft and golden.
  10. Add cherry tomatoes and olives; cook for a couple of minutes.
  11. Add the soaked apricots along with their water.
  12. Add the marinated chicken to the pan.
  13. Add a little extra water, cover the pan, and simmer on low heat until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Fragrant, rich and subtly sweet — a true Moroccan-inspired delight!