Mediterranean Chicken Marbella with Ras El Hanout

🔥 Mediterranean Chicken Marbella — with a Ras El Hanout Twist! 🔥

Mediterranean Chicken Marbella — with a Ras El Hanout Twist

If you’ve never taken the classic Mediterranean Chicken Marbella and paired it with the warm, aromatic depth of Ras El Hanout, you’re in for something extraordinary. This version layers tangy, sweet, savory, and spiced flavors into a dish that tastes like the Mediterranean made a quick detour through Morocco.

It’s the kind of recipe that fills the house with an irresistible aroma — the sort that drifts right out the front door. Even our next-door neighbor commented on how amazing it smelled, and after tasting it, immediately asked for the recipe. Always a good sign.

Here’s my favorite part: You can easily substitute lamb for the chicken, and the dish transforms into something completely new — richer, deeper, and incredibly comforting. It’s an easy way to elevate dinner without making things complicated.

Serve it with rice, couscous, or warm flatbread and watch it disappear faster than you expected. And if you catch me going back for thirds… just pretend you didn’t.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Marinate: 4 hours or overnight

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the Marinade:

• 4 lbs boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and finely minced (about 10–12 cloves)

• ½ cup red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

• ½ cup olive oil

• 1 cup pitted prunes, halved

• ½ cup pitted green olives

• ¼ cup capers with a little juice

• 3 bay leaves

• ¼ cup brown sugar (or honey)

• 1 ½ tablespoons ras el hanout

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Baking:

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (for sprinkling)

• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

• Marinate the Chicken

• In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, brown sugar, ras el hanout, oregano, salt, and pepper.

• Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, turning the chicken once or twice to keep it well coated.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

• Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large baking dish. Spoon the marinade mixture evenly over the top.

• Pour the white wine around (not on top of) the chicken, and sprinkle the extra brown sugar over each piece for caramelization.

• Bake uncovered for 50–60 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F).

Serve

• Transfer chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter.

• Spoon some of the pan juices over the top.

• Garnish with fresh parsley.

• Serve with couscous, rice, or roasted vegetables — the ras el hanout makes it pair especially well with couscous or saffron rice.

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Chef’s Tips

Ras el hanout varies by brand — taste yours first. If it’s spicy, you can reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon.

A squeeze of fresh lemon over the finished dish brightens the flavors beautifully. Leftovers taste even better the next day — the spices deepen overnight.