When you are trying to eat on the healthier side of things, it can seem like your days become one big blur of chicken. Whether you are focused on a lean protein diet or just trying to limit calories, it’s easy to fall into the monotony of every weeknight meal being the same. We recently tried out this Moroccan Inspired Harissa Chicken and the flavors are divine! It’s sweet and smokey with just a hint of spice, and the fact that it’s all done in one pan is a definite bonus.

This dish is packed with flavor, and guaranteed to shake up your regular weeknight meals. By first marinating your chicken in the spice mix and then laying the chicken over the top means you have a one-pan-sheet dinner that is absolutely to die for.

If you’ve never butterflied a chicken before, it can be intimidating but is actually very, very easy. Make sure you are using a very sharp set of kitchen sheers. With the chicken breast side down on the board, cut down the backbone from end to end removing the spine. There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube, like this one here.

Th most surprising thing about this dish is how delicious the vegetables are after roasting under the chicken. The addition of citrus lightens the whole dish and the fennel adds a delicious pop of aniseed that compliments the smokiness of the harissa spice paste on the chicken.

Temper the spice to your liking with this one. If you are comfortable with spice add more dried chilli to the past, or even mix in a finely diced up Thai chilli. If you’re not into the heat, omit the chilli all together as Harissa typically comes with a bit of a kick.

Quick Tips for Moroccan Inspired Harissa Chicken

1. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of butterflying a chicken, with the right pair of scissors it’s actually super easy.
2. Store-bought Harissa will work perfectly. Unless you are using Harissa frequently, it makes a lot more sense to buy it instead of making your own. In my experience, it’s been fairly easy to come by very high-quality store-bought Harissa both in the paste and dried.
3. Don’t omit the citrus. The tang from the oranges and lemons lightens up the flavour of the whole dish.
4. Make sure you massage the Harissa marinade into the chicken very well. You want a really solid coating on the chicken to make sure you get as much flavour as possible. You won’t be sorry.

5. Lastly, while it might be tempting to just toss it in and forget it, removing the chicken halfway through cooking, mixing the veggies around and adding the tomatoes really does make a difference. Don’t skip this step! It’ll help your veggies pick up all the flavours and make sure they cook evenly.