Is there any food that says Morocco more than chicken and rice? The recipe comes from North Africa and was perfected in Morocco (at least, in my opinion). 

Traditionally, Moroccans use short-grain white rice with chicken, but you can substitute brown rice, couscous, or even quinoa to make it healthier or appeal to different tastes. This traditional Moroccan recipe is easy to make at home, and your family will love this entrée!

Moroccan cuisine is known for its bold flavors, and dishes with chicken are no exception. In Morocco, chicken is always cooked with vegetables and served with bread. We have other uses for the rice. I love ethnic food and was craving some chicken and rice… I wanted to experiment with rice and chicken but the Moroccan way. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I like to use spices that aren’t often present in standard American dishes. I want to expose you to bold new flavors that invigorate your senses and curiosity.  Pairing spices like Star Anise and Cardamom gives any basic dish a flavor boost that’ll arouse your taste buds. 

What is Anise, and what is it used for?

Anise or aniseed is a plant spice used most often in middle eastern recipes. It has a sweet smell, and the taste is akin to licorice. It’s a spice I’m accustomed to using, so I enjoy the flavor. Anise can be used in many types of foods, and it’s used in desserts, drinks (primarily in Liqueurs), and candies. 

Recipe for Chicken and Rice the Moroccan Way

First, gather your ingredients: 

Ingredients

• One whole chicken (cut into four pieces)
• One plain Greek yogurt 5.3oz
• 1tsp ginger powder or fresh
• Two medium onions
• Three garlic cloves
• 1 tsp Coriander
• Juice of lemon
• Five cloves
• 1 Star Anise
• 1/4tsp Cardamom
• 1/8tsp cinnamon
• One cinnamon stick
• 1tbsp dry cilantro
• 1tsp Paprika
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1tsp turmeric
• 5tbsp ghee butter
• 2-4 jalapeños
• 4tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups basmati rice

Instructions

1. Clean the chicken. Remove the skin and excess fat.
2. Add salt and vinegar.
3. Combine all spices, minced garlic, lemon, and yogurt mix well in a bowl. 
4. Rub mixture onto the chicken. Cover the bowl and store it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. In a medium saucepan, warm olive oil and 1tbsp ghee butter, add chopped onions sauté for 6 minutes. 
6. Add the chicken pieces and sauté for 10 minutes. 
7. Add the remaining marinade sauce, chicken stock, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves.
8. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat.
9. At this time, add rice and water to a bowl and let it sit for 15 mins, then rinse well to remove excess starch (I rinse it about six times). 
10. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and 1/4 cup of the sauce and set it aside.
11. Cook the rice in water following the 1 cup to 1.5 cup water ratio or cook the rice in the remaining sauce. (Tip: If cooking the rice in remaining sauce, measure whatever is left, then adjust and add water accordingly). 
12. Bring the water and sauce to boil with a tablespoon of lemon juice and salt to taste, then add rice and whole jalapeños
13. Cook rice on low heat for 20 minutes. 
14. In a small saucepan, boil water. Once the water is boiling, add almonds, and cook for 10 minutes. 
15. Drain and remove the skin once it cools down. 
16. Rinse and let air dry or dry them with a paper towel
17. Transfer to a small pan lined with aluminum foil, drizzle canola oil, mix, and roast until gold, and place atop the dish.

Quick Tips 

• Feel free to add more spice to your dish by adding cayenne pepper or chili powder. Mix in onions or any other veggies you would like in your dish. 
• Want to add a little extra pizzazz to your meat? Season it using salt and pepper.
• You can substitute Rice for Couscous.
• Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken and Rice 

If you have an Instant Pot and want another way to cook Moroccan Chicken and Rice, try this recipe from Food Network. The recipe is similar and uses a lot of the same ingredients, however, this version doesn’t use Anise and Cardamom, which I think, takes away from the boldness of the Moroccan Flavors. It takes about the same amount of time and energy to make. However, if you want a genuinely delectable Moroccan dish, make your Chicken and Rice the authentic way. 

How to Serve Chicken and Rice 

Try Moroccan Chicken and Rice with a salad, side vegetables, or alone. You can also top it with your favorite sauces or salsas. A green garnish will help draw out the bold aroma, and it will also add vibrancy. There are many unique ways to serve chicken over rice, experiment for yourself, and discover your favorite way to enjoy Moroccan Chicken and Rice. If you’re looking for an adult beverage to pair with your dish try a glass of white wine, it’s a compliment to the aromatic flavors in the dish.  

Let me know how you serve your chicken and rice; if it’s different from what I’ve mentioned above, post your pictures! I would love to see them!

Serve hot and enjoy!

For those doing keto or are gluten sensitive, fried food can sound like it’s off-limits but guess what? It’s not! With the right recipe and ingredients, you can have that delicious fried flavor without any regret.

You may be wondering how you can have fried food on a keto diet since the definition of keto practically spells it out as off-limits. The secret is the breading and what you fry it in. This recipe uses almond flour instead of regular flour and ghee butter in place of oil. Those two combined give this recipe the keto seal of approval.

The keto diet

The keto diet is all about minimizing carbs while focusing on high-fat intake. The emphasis on fats makes this an ideal choice for anyone who wants to lose weight while still feeling satisfied after every meal.

The purpose of the low-carb aspect is to keep your body in a state called ketosis, where it produces ketones, which are produced when your body breaks down fat stores.

When you first start this type of diet, there is an adjustment period that might feel a little overwhelming. The first couple of weeks can be pretty harsh as your body tries to adjust to running on ketones instead of glucose. But once your system adjusts, weight loss becomes much easier.

This diet benefits weight loss because it limits food options, making you less likely to give in to temptation during your strict routine. It also helps that keto has so many health benefits when done correctly. But some people have trouble sticking with this type of eating plan… which brings me back to the keto-friendly chicken tenders.

Did I mention I fry them? Actually, fry them. I don’t pull out the air fryer for this recipe. The secret is simple, is ghee butter.

Why I use ghee butter 

Let’s start with what ghee is. 

According to Medical News Today, Ghee is essentially butter without the milk fats. You can make your own or buy it at your local grocery store. It originates from India, but it’s become easier to find locally due to keto’s popularity in Western culture. 

Ghee has advantages over the usual butter or oil when it comes to frying, especially for those on a keto diet.

First, ghee gives you more bang for your buck in the keto world in terms of fats (and since keto is based on an 80% fat diet, this is a big deal). Second, ghee is also much more stable than butter and able to withstand higher cooking temperatures, like those that happen while frying.

Due to the high heat, the breading on this recipe crisps up beautifully and creates a perfect golden color. The outside is crispy while the inside stays tender and juicy.

I made fried chicken with a lighter version of this breading, but it wouldn’t stay as crisp and golden. The extra egg white and almond flour in this recipe really make a difference.

Not only will keto-fried chicken tenders taste great, but you get the added bonus of increasing your vitamin and mineral intake without it leaving you feeling hungry. That full feeling, that’s the healthy fats doing their job!

Why I use almond flour 

Almond flour is rich in protein and fiber while also low carb, making this an easy choice for many on a keto diet. I use almond flour because it crushes into a fine texture that ends up creating what looks like regular flour, but contains way fewer carbs.

In my opinion, it’s the perfect replacement for regular flour.

I know what you’re thinking: almond flour is super expensive! I thought that too when I first started keto. But, if you don’t like the cost, you can always make your own almond flour. It’s easy to do with just a few simple ingredients, and it makes that price per pound go way down!

You may be wondering how to make your own almond flour too. It’s super simple and requires almonds, a blender, and about 5 minutes of your time. The Minimalist Baker gives an excellent overview of how to do it as well as the difference between almond meal and almond flour. It’s a cost-effective way to eat healthier without killing your monthly grocery budget.

I also want to mention that almond flour is full of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and iron among other healthy minerals. This means that when you eat this breading, your body will get plenty of good nutrients in return.

Now, let me show you how to make your very own keto friendly and gluten free chicken tenders!

Recipe Fried Chicken Tenders

First, gather your ingredients: 

• Chicken tenders (the equivalent of two breasts)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 cardamom
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Almond or sesame flour for breading 
• Ghee butter for frying (don’t worry, this recipe doesn’t require deep frying to keep it on the keto side)

Instructions

1. Clean the chicken under cool running water and pat to dry using paper towels.
2. Combine the egg with all the spices.
3. Dredge the chicken in the egg and spice mixture.
4. Cover each chicken slice in the flour.
5. Over medium heat, I add two tbsp. of ghee to a non-stick pan.
6. Pan fry each tender until golden and thoroughly cooked.

Serve hot with your favorite dressing.

Serving ideas

Part of any culinary experience is in the presentation and serving as much as it is in the actual flavor of the food itself. For this recipe, I have a few suggestions on how you can present your delicious meal with style. 

First, contemplate the most important part. The dipping sauce. 

There are several keto-friendly dipping sauces on the market. My personal favorite is the homestyle ranch. What can I say? You can’t go wrong with a classic. However, if you want something a bit different with that same great ranch base flavor, look for avocado oil ranch dressing. 

Second, what will you serve with it? For side dishes, I go for a keto-friendly Caesar salad or cauliflower hash browns. If you have a mushroom lover at the table, look up a recipe for creamy garlic mushrooms with bacon. Yummy.

As a last but not least suggestion, let’s talk about the garnish. A bit of parsley and lemon zest adds a nice pop of color to your keto-friendly chicken tenders recipe!

Cook and enjoy! Then come back and share in the comments what you thought.