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Home » Recipes

Easy Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives Recipe

Jan 14, 2023Last Modified: January 17, 2023

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about an Easy Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives Recipe!

A whole chicken on a white platter rimmed with gold. The chicken is covered with an onion sauce, and there are olives, pieces of lemon rind, and Italian parsley as garnish.

I received "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" by Claudia Roden for Christmas. This book has opened up a whole new world of amazing cuisines to explore. My recipe for Easy Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives is inspired by and adapted from Ms. Roden's book.

Ms. Roden states that this dish is a speciality of Morocco.

If you'd like to taste and enjoy succulent and tender chicken with olives, tangy lemon, and deeply flavorful spices, then please read on!

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • Suggestions for Serving Your Middle Eastern Chicken
  • FAQ
  • Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
  • Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
  • Easy Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives Recipe

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You will love this recipe for Middle Eastern chicken because:

  • This dish is delicious and deeply satisfying. You'll love the rich and wonderful flavors which develop over the braising period and reduction of an onion laden sauce.
  • It's easy to make this dish. There is minimal prep involved and cooking is mostly hands off.
  • You can bring a fantastic taste of one of the Middle East's special dishes to your table for your whole family to enjoy.
  • This chicken is perfect for special occasions! It can be a centerpiece of a feast or just enjoy it whenever you want!
A whole chicken on a white platter rimmed with gold. The chicken is covered with an onion sauce, and there are olives, pieces of lemon rind, and Italian parsley as garnish.

There's everything to love about making this easy chicken recipe which would be great paired with a beautiful Moroccan Orange Salad.

So now I'll tell you what you'll need for this amazing dish!

🥘 Ingredients

A whole chicken on a white plate, bowls filled with olive oil, salt and pepper, parsley, olives, ginger and paprika, and cumin and cinnamon. There are also 2 onions and a lemon.

You will need the following ingredients to make this dish:

  • One whole chicken
  • Onions (one onion sliced, and one onion finely minced) - the onions play a key role in developing the rich flavor of the sauce created during braising the chicken
  • Olive oil
  • Olives (I used black olives, you can also use green olives)
  • Ground ginger
  • Paprika
  • Cumin
  • Ground Cinnamon or cinnamon stick
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Parsley (as garnish)
  • Lemon - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a key component of this dish and will give it that wonderful tangy taste we are after.

These ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores.

🔪 Instructions

Now I'll move on to the easy instructions to make this delicious meal!

You will need a large pot with a lid to make this recipe. I highly recommend using a Dutch oven if you have one available.

Begin by heating olive oil on medium heat in a pot or dutch oven that is large enough to hold a 4-5 pound chicken. Sauté the sliced onion for around 3-5 minutes until it is softened. Now add the ginger, paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of the salt along with ¼ cup of water and stir for one minute to combine.

Sliced onions in the bottom of a dutch oven topped with various seasonings.
Sauté the onions then add the spices.
Sliced onions in a dutch oven tossed with seasonings so that they are a reddish color.
Stir to combine the onion and spices.

Lay the whole chicken on top of the onion and cover the pot. Turn the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 1 hr and 30 minutes.

Turn the chicken every 30 minutes during this cooking time.

A dutch oven with a whole chicken in it.
Lay the whole chicken on top of the onions.
A whole chicken at the bottom of a Dutch oven. There is brown colored braising liquid and sliced onions in the dutch oven as well.
Turn the chicken every 30 minutes.

At the end of the hour and a half, add the finely minced onion and ½ additional teaspoon of salt, then cover and cook for 30 more minutes. Be sure to stir the onion into the braising liquid.

A whole chicken at the bottom of a dutch oven topped with lots of diced onion. There is an orange colored liquid which is fat in the dutch oven.

Preheat your oven to 425F during this time.

Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven or pot and place it into a roasting pan. Baste it with some of the oil that you will find at the top of the braising liquid. Let it roast at 425F for around 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, so that the entire chicken is browned.

A whole chicken on a roasting rack being basted with a blue baster.
Baste the chicken with the oil from the braising liquid.
A whole chicken on a roasting rack that has been browned in the oven.
Brown the chicken in your oven at 425F.

Reducing The Sauce

We will work on reducing the sauce while the chicken is roasting. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and reduce the sauce by half. This took me around 10 minutes. If you have a lot of oil, use a spoon to skim off as much oil as you would like to remove. Pour in the lemon juice and lemon pieces and stir, then add the olives.

A dutch oven containing a dark sauce rich with onions, olives, and pieces of lemon rind. There is a blue spoon with a wooden handle resting in the dutch oven.

NOTE: If you are watching your salt you can parboil the olives for a bit to remove some of the salt.

Taste and adjust for seasoning by adding additional salt or pepper if necessary.

Serve by pouring the sauce over the chicken, making sure that some olives and pieces of lemon accompany each plate. Garnish with Italian parsley and enjoy!

A whole chicken on a white platter rimmed with gold. The chicken is covered with an onion sauce, and there are olives, pieces of lemon rind, and Italian parsley as garnish.

Ok that's it! Now get ready to enjoy an incredible chicken dinner!

Suggestions for Serving Your Middle Eastern Chicken

A white plate containing rice and chicken. The dish also contains onions, lemon, olives, and Italian parsley. There is a salad in the background, a jar and small white bowl with a spoon.

It's time to enjoy your delicious Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives dish! I served the chicken with basmati rice, the king of rices! You can also serve it with couscous, the national dish of Morocco.

Most importantly, be sure to pour the rich delicious onion sauce over the chicken for maximum flavor and enjoyment!

FAQ

Do you need a tagine to cook Middle Eastern Chicken?

A tagine is a wonderful way to cook Middle Eastern Chicken. However for this recipe you can use a Dutch oven or large pot.

How can I store any leftovers?

Be sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. This is best enjoyed within four days.

Can I use preserved lemons in this recipe?

Absolutely yes! Preserved lemons would be fantastic in this recipe! I have tried to keep this recipe as easy as possible so am using regular lemon instead of preserved lemons. However, if you have preserved lemons they would be better for sure!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy:

  • Bright and Beautiful Moroccan Orange Salad
  • Lahmajoun (Middle Eastern Pizza)
  • Koshari - Egypt's National Dish!

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

A whole chicken on a white platter rimmed with gold. The chicken is covered with an onion sauce, and there are olives, pieces of lemon rind, and Italian parsley as garnish.

Easy Middle Eastern Chicken With Lemon and Olives Recipe

Grace (adapted from and inspired by Claudia Roden's Recipe for "Chicken With Olives" from "A Book of Middle Eastern Food"
Taste and enjoy succulent and tender chicken with olives, tangy lemon, and deeply flavorful spices with this Easy Middle Eastern Chicken Recipe!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle East, Moroccan
Servings 5 people
Calories 417 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven can use a large pot with a cover

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken select one between 4-5 pounds
  • 2 onions 1 sliced and 1 finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup olives can use black or green olives
  • 1 ts ground ginger
  • 1 ts paprika
  • 1 ts cumin
  • 1 ts ground cinnamon can sub 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1.5 ts salt split
  • 1 ts black pepper
  • ½ lemon juiced and the rind cut into small pieces after juicing
  • ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Begin by heating olive oil on medium heat in a pot or dutch oven that is large enough to hold a 4-5 pound chicken. Sauté the sliced onion for around 3-5 minutes until it is softened. Now add the ginger, paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt along with ¼ cup of water and stir for one minute to combine.
    Sliced onions in a dutch oven tossed with seasonings so that they are a reddish color.
  • Lay the whole chicken on top of the onion and cover the pot. Turn the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 1 hr and 30 minutes. Turn the chicken every 30 minutes during this cooking time.
    A whole chicken at the bottom of a Dutch oven. There is brown colored braising liquid and sliced onions in the dutch oven as well.
  • At the end of the hour and a half, add the finely minced onion and ½ additional teaspoon of salt, then cover and cook for 30 more minutes. Be sure to stir the onion into the braising liquid. Preheat your oven to 425F during this time.
    A whole chicken at the bottom of a dutch oven topped with lots of diced onion. There is an orange colored liquid which is fat in the dutch oven.
  • Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven or pot and place it into a roasting pan. Baste it with some of the oil that you will find at the top of the braising liquid. Let it roast at 425F for around 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, so that the entire chicken is browned.
    A whole chicken on a roasting rack being basted with a blue baster.
  • Now turn up the heat to medium-high, and reduce the sauce by half. This took me around 10 minutes. If you have a lot of oil, use a spoon to skim off as much oil as you would like to remove. Pour in the lemon juice and lemon pieces and stir, then add the olives. NOTE: If you are watching your salt you can parboil the olives for a bit to remove some of the salt. Taste and adjust for seasoning by adding additional salt or pepper if necessary.
    A dutch oven containing a dark sauce rich with onions, olives, and pieces of lemon rind. There is a blue spoon with a wooden handle resting in the dutch oven.
  • Serve by pouring the sauce over the chicken, making sure that some olives and pieces of lemon accompany each plate. Garnish with Italian parsley and enjoy!
    A whole chicken on a white platter rimmed with gold. The chicken is covered with an onion sauce, and there are olives, pieces of lemon rind, and Italian parsley as garnish.

Notes

NOTE: If you are watching your salt you can parboil the olives for a bit to remove some of the salt.
Also, typically black olives have less salt than green olives, so it's advised to select black olives if you are watching your salt. 

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 29gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1230mgPotassium: 409mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 587IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg
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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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