When it comes to feeding a crowd this recipe is it! Whether you are feeding the family, or family and friends at a celebration, you cannot beat this Cinnamon Chicken with Rice.
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Cinnamon Chicken and Rice~Gluten and Dairy Free!:
Cinnamon Chicken is an amazingly flavorful Moroccan dish. I used to teach a much more elaborate recipe in my cooking classes that required browning the chicken first and simmering the veggies in white wine before baking. But one day I was running low on time (and wine) so I popped it in the oven without browning the chicken and I used lemon juice instead of white wine and lo and behold: it was just as good (maybe better!) and the chicken was just as crispy without browning first. Win/win! Gosh I love it when a rush job actually turns into a happy accident. This meal is easy to make, beautiful, food intolerance friendly (no dairy, no gluten) quick to prep, and I have yet to meet someone that hasn’t LOVED it.
How I Do It:
I chop the onions, slice the carrots, quarter some dried plums (or apricots) and put them in a casserole dish. Then I whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, broth, garlic and spices, and pour it over the vegetables. Then I place the chicken on top of the veggies and pop in the oven and go do other things. An hour later it’s done! A stunning, meal the family practically inhales. You can serve this meal as is, or over rice, quinoa, or couscous.
Let’s Talk Chicken my Peeps…
See what I did there? Chicken, peeps…funny. When it comes to Moroccan cooking, dark meat is the name of the game. If it were up to me I would use eight bone in skin on chicken thighs. But my better half prefers breasts (I am dying to make another lame joke here, but I will resist) so honoring our love and our marriage vows I appease him and add white meat. You could also use a whole chicken cut into eight pieces: 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 2 wings…whatever floats your boat!
Getting That Crispy Skin!
This chicken has a golden crispy skin because we place it close to the heating element and it’s incredibly tender because it literally steams from underneath as the sauce comes to a boil. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do.
The Recipe: Cinnamon Chicken and Rice~Gluten and Dairy Free!
What you need: a large casserole dish and a good knife.
Serve this flavorful chicken over rice, couscous, or quinoa! This recipe is gluten and dairy free.
- 1 medium white onion peeled and sliced
- 6-8 carrots peeled and sliced diagonally and thinly (between 1/8 and 1/4 inch)
- 4 dried apricots or dried plums quartered (I prefer plums for the color)
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus a little more to brush on chicken
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on your taste buds
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to sprinkle on chicken
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more for chicken
- 4 large cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 8 pieces chicken bone in skin on (I prefer thighs but you can also cut up a whole chicken: 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings, or use whatever mix of breasts and thighs you wish)
- Serve over rice quinoa, or couscous cooked to package instructions.
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place oven rack in upper third of oven
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Prepare onions, carrots and dried plums or apricots and place into a large casserole dish
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Whisk together all other ingredients and pour over veggies
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Place chicken pieces on top of veggies skin side up
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Use a pastry brush to brush chicken skin with olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and pepper
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Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn oven down to 375 and cook for 15 more minutes
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Serve over rice, quinoa, or couscous prepared to package instructions and spoon the juices over your meal!
MAY I PLEASE ASK A FAVOR?
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This chicken looks insanely good!!! You are the queen of beautiful, roasted chicken. I love the cinnamon addition to this one, such a great idea! And that crispy skin (big heart eyes).
Crispy skin always warrants heart eyes 🙂
Never thought to add cinnamon to a chicken and rice dish. Looks wonderful!
It’s a great combination!
The way you served it is so lovely! Perfect for company!
Thanks! But I would recommend a bigger platter…spilling over is great for pictures but no for company so much 🙂
Looks absolutely mouthwatering! Will give this a try for sure!
I love cinnamon anything, add smoky paprika, dried fruit and juicy chicken and just wow! Looks wonderful Linda!
Thanks. It was gone pretty darn quick!
The cinnamon and cumin together, yes!! Love chicken dinners, easy and perfect for feeding a crowd, as you say!
All the wonderful spices you use are making me drool! I love how you like to cook with apricot too, I will have to try it.
OMG, the combo of flavors here has me drooling!! I so want to try this!! Pinning to try!
OMG, the combo of flavors here has me drooling!! I so want to try this!! Pinning to try!
I love happy accidents too! So many good recipes come from them. I love cinnamon in savoury cooking and I really think its underutilized – great recipe.
🙂
There is nothing better than a good chicken dish.
I’ve never thought to add cinnamon to chicken before so thanks for the idea. It’s such a beautiful dish!
Cooking this right now to “heat n’ eat” tomorrow and it smells divine!!
I am so glad! Thanks!
Ok, unlike most of posts I actually made this recipe.
I followed the recipe as given except I used chicken breasts that I brined for 4 hrs and coated heavily with olive oil to try to comp for oily chicken skin. Chicken was moist and tender. I used 1/4 t. cayenne, and plums. This has heat. My family likes heat. Would cut pepper and cayenne if your ppl are bland lovers.
Served with basmati rice cooked in chicken broth w/pinch of tumeric, rough cut salad w/feta and medjool dates and I stir fried some julienned zucchini for my keto diet son. Will keep this recipe, may use again.
I am so glad you tried it and that you modified for your keto son! Thanks for your comment:)
To make this dish without onions, what do you suggest as a substitute? Radishes, celery, or maybe something else?
Hi Rachel,
I would lean toward the celery option, although it will definitely lose the sweetness the onions provide. But in a pinch we do what we have to do right? Let me know what you ended up using and how it worked out:)
I really want to try this recipe but only have boneless, skinless chicken breasts. What would you do differently when it comes to cooking time?
Hi Catherine, I wouldn’t use boneless/skinless for this recipe. It just won’t be good, it will be very dry. I will suggest you try my parmesan and artichoke heart baked chicken instead, that will come out tender and juicy! https://www.theorganickitchen.org/parmesan-and-artichoke-heart-baked-chicken/
Wonderful. I am making this tonight!