Moroccan Chicken with Acorn Squash and Lemon Couscous

Bring all the rich flavours of Morocco to your next family meal and indulge in this delicious Moroccan Chicken with Acorn Squash and Lemon Couscous recipe. This dish is an easy meal that feeds the whole family, and is sure to leave them asking for second servings. Dry rubbed with cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, the chicken is packed with authentic Moroccan flavours. 

Our Round Dutch Oven goes from stovetop to the oven with ease, making it the perfect piece of cookware for this recipe. This versatile piece of cookware delivers superior heat retention and even heat distribution, ensuring the acorn squash infuses its rich flavour evenly throughout the dish. The addition of lemon couscous is designed to offset the strong Moroccan spices of the chicken, introducing a dash of acidity. 

Our Moroccan Chicken with Acorn Squash and Lemon Couscous is a definite must try, epitomising what Dutch Oven cooking is all about. This recipe serves up between four and six portions, taking just over an hour to prepare. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need and the steps to follow before you take a trip to Morocco from the comfort of your own home! 

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Halve the acorn squash and remove the seeds. Slice into thin half-moons. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, cinnamon and coriander. Rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs.

In a Round Dutch Oven over medium-low heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the acorn squash and sauté until starting to brown on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the chicken thighs to the pot skin-side down and sear until skin is a rich golden-brown color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low if spices are browning too quickly. Turn and continue browning on the other side, about 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove to the plate with the squash and set aside. Let pot cool slightly and then carefully wipe out.

Return heat to medium-low and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shallots to the pot. Stir well to coat with the oil and cook until shallot is just starting to brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the couscous and garlic, and cook until couscous is lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, lemon zest and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.

Add the squash, chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot on top of the couscous. Cover and transfer pot to the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 F in the thickest part of the chicken thigh, and the couscous is al dente.

Remove pot from the oven. Transfer the chicken and squash to a plate. Season couscous to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the chopped parsley.