MOROCCAN CHICKEN BAKE

Ingredients

  • 10 Chicken Drumsticks

  • ⅓ cup (80g) Plain Yogurt

  • ⅓ cup (80ml) Olive Oil

  • 1 tbsp (6g) Black Pepper

  • 2 tbsp (36g) Salt

  • 3 tsp (7g) Smoked Paprika

  • 2½ tsp (5g) Cumin

  • 1 tsp (2g) Turmeric

  • 3 tbsp (10g) Fresh Parsley, chopped

  • 7 cloves (21g) Garlic, minced

  • 2 Lemons, thinly sliced

  • Fresh Thyme Sprigs, as needed

  • Saffron, a pinch

  • Potatoes, cut into chunks (Yukon Gold or any variety)

Method

  1. Make the Marinade – In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, olive oil, black pepper, salt, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, parsley, garlic, and saffron.

  2. Assemble the Bake – In a baking dish, lay down the potato chunks as a base. Place chicken drumsticks on top.

  3. Add Marinade – Pour the marinade over the chicken and potatoes. Mix everything together until well coated.

  4. Top with Lemons & Thyme – Layer lemon slices and fresh thyme sprigs across the top.

  5. Bake – Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45–55 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and skin is browned.

Additional Notes

  • Saffron is expensive. I used it in the recipe, but feel free to leave it out—it’ll still taste good, and you don’t need to drop wild money on a spice.

  • You can top the finished dish with olives and preserved lemons. I didn’t, because I don’t like olives, and I wasn’t really trying to learn how to use preserved lemons. Those are two things I’ve personally never used before.

  • I tend to overcook my chicken a little—dry-ish is how I like it. I probably cooked this at 350°F for 50 minutes on each side. But the recipe time and temp I gave you is more in line with what I think most people will prefer. Just keeping it real.

  • This recipe was inspired by @moribyan — here’s the link to her post:
    https://moribyan.com/one-pan-moroccan-chicken-bake/