Pressure Cooker Chicken with Moroccan Spices

Moroccan spices bring deep flavors to this Instant Pot chicken recipe. Make a satisfying tagine-style dish with chicken thighs, olives, lemon, garlic, onions, and raisins.

By
Coco Morante
Coco Morante
Coco Morante
Coco began developing recipes for Simply Recipes in 2016 and is the author of five cookbooks. She is an industry expert on Instant Pot cooking.
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Updated November 30, 2021
Coco Morante
Morrocan Chicken in the Pressure Cooker
Coco Morante

On weeknights, I am all about the boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They’re easy to prepare and always end up juicy no matter how they’re cooked.

Elise makes a recipe for Moroccan-spiced chicken using the slow cooker that is absolutely fantastic, but I wanted to adapt it for the pressure cooker so I could make it at a moment’s notice on a busy weeknight.

Chicken in the Pressure Cooker with Moroccan Spices
Coco Morante

A Beloved Chicken Recipe Adapted for the Instant Pot

To adapt Elise’s recipe for the pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot!), I started off by sautéing the onions and garlic for a few minutes, then stirring in the spices to release their complex aromas.

I also added some chicken broth to the recipe, so that there would be enough liquid for the pot to come up to pressure. (If you’re using a 6-quart pressure cooker, you’ll need at least a cup of liquid for the pot to come to pressure.)

What to Serve With Moroccan-Spiced Chicken

You can do a quick pressure release and serve the chicken right away, of course, but this recipe also does fine if you need to leave it on the warm setting for a little while, although after an hour or two, the texture of the chicken might become overly soft.

Serve the chicken thighs with rice, couscous, riced cauliflower, or zucchini noodles for an easy meal.

Coco Morante

Bonus Tip! Use the Pot-in-Pot Method to Cook Rice

This recipe works well if you want to cook the rice along with the chicken using what is called the "pot-in-pot" method! Here's what to do:

  1. Combine 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups white rice in a 1 1/2-quart stainless steel bowl (like this one). Season with salt if you like (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon).
  2. Set the bowl aside and proceed with the recipe.
  3. After stirring the chicken thighs in with the other ingredients, place a raised steam rack (like this one) on top of the chicken, making sure its legs touch the bottom of the pot. Put the bowl of rice on top.
  4. When the cooking program ends and you've opened the pot, use heat-resistant mitts to lift out the bowl of rice and the steam rack. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the chicken.

More Pressure Cooker Chicken Recipes

What Is Ras El Hanout?

In her slow cooker version of this recipe, Elise describes the spice blend used in her recipe as “more spices than you would ever think you could use at once.” She’s talking about ras el hanout, a typical blend of spices used in a lot of Moroccan cuisine. It means "head of the shop" and each spice seller has their own blend; there's no one way to mix it. Paprika, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon are among the sweet and savory spices you'll find in it.

You can buy pre-mixed ras el hanout spice blends. The recipe lists the individual spices in case you can’t find it. Ras el hanout blends can include many more spices, but this recipe gives you a starting point more realistic for an American cook's spice shelf.

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Pressure Cooker Chicken with Moroccan Spices

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

For stovetop pressure cookers: Follow the instructions as written, but decrease pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.

For pot-in-pot method of cooking rice alongside this dish: See headnotes.

Recipe tester notes: This recipe also works just as well with black olives or with golden raisins. Next time, I might sprinkle some chopped almonds on top, as well! ~Emma

Ingredients

  • For the spice blend (or substitute 2 tablespoons store-bought ras el hanout ):
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the Chicken:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup pitted green olives (with or without pimentos)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced thinly, seeds removed
  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • To Serve:
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and/or parsley

Method

  1. Make the spice blend:

    In a small bowl, stir together the spices and salt.

  2. Cook the onions, garlic, and spices:

    Select your pressure cooker’s “Sauté” setting and heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are softened and the garlic is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook for one more minute.

    Morrocan Chicken in the Pressure Cooker cook the onions
    Coco Morante
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook:

    Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot release any browned spices. Stir in the olives, raisins, lemon slices, and chicken thighs.

    Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure the pressure release valve is set to its “Sealing” position. Select the “Poultry,” “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting, and set the time to 15 minutes at high pressure.

    When the cooking program ends, either perform a quick pressure release by moving the pressure valve to its “Venting” position, or let the pressure release naturally and leave the chicken on your pressure cooker’s warming setting until ready to serve.

    Pressure Cooker Chicken with Spices add the chicken and olives
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Chicken with Spices release the pressure
    Coco Morante
  4. Serve:

    Sprinkle the chicken with chopped cilantro and/or parsley, and serve it with rice, couscous, riced cauliflower, or zucchini noodles.

    Moroccan Chicken in the Pressure Cooker
    Coco Morante