Take a weeknight culinary adventure to North Africa with this Moroccan-inspired chicken recipe. Sweet onions are the ideal ingredient to contrast the strong spices used to season the chicken breasts. The bold spices are so potent you only need to marinate the chicken breasts for 10 minutes before cooking. You can eat this light chicken dish as is for a low-calorie dinner—one serving is only 308 calories—or pair it with roasted vegetables and a side of whole grains to make a full plate. Brown rice would be great if you have it on hand. Try stirring in a spoonful of tahini, which is a sesame seed paste, for a punch of flavor.
How to Make It
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add ras el hanout to pan; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Combine spice mixture and chicken breast halves in a large zip-top bag; seal and shake well to coat chicken. Marinate chicken at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove chicken from bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat skillet over medium-high heat; lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Remove chicken from pan. Add butter to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; sauté 2 minutes or until onion starts to brown. Return chicken to pan; drizzle chicken mixture with honey. Place pan in oven; bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Chef's Notes
MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.