Ras El Hanout Chicken

Whenever I come across a spice shop I have to go in. It’s a non-negotiable, and my husband is usually happy to sniff and examine the unfamiliar mixes we come across. A few years back we stumbled across ras el hanout and instantly fell in love. We sprinkle it on all sorts of things, but our most favorite way to use it is in my easy ras el hanout chicken.

It’s a roasted chicken dish that’s rubbed with lemon juice, ras el hanout, and then glazed with pomegranate molasses. It has a fantastic aroma, intense flavor, and the juiciest tender texture.

Recipe Highlights

• Use bone in chicken pieces, or a whole spatchcocked (backbone removed) chicken.
• Can be made with homemade pomegranate molasses and ras el hanout, or you can purchase ingredients premade.
• Very simple process but yields a juicy, very flavorful chicken dinner.

Ingredients and Subsitutions

There are only a few ingredients needed to make ras el hanout chicken, and each one is very intentional. Together they combine to make a sweet, spiced, and fragrant juicy chicken that’s irresistible.

• Chicken – I prefer 6-8 pieces of bone in, skin on chicken; about 4 pounds total. Or, make it with a whole 4-5 pound chicken. I recommend spatchcocking it, or removing the backbone from the chicken, for even, faster cooking.
• Lemon – Fresh or bottled.
• Onion – Sweet or yellow onions.
• Ras el Hanout – Store bought or homemade ras el hanout work equally well. I’ve found I prefer a finer ground blend over a coarse one.
• Pomegranate Molasses – Usually sold on the ethnic aisles, or near the vinegars I’ve found, rather than on the baking aisle. You can also make homemade pomegranate molasses from pomegranate juice.
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Butter

Can’t find pomegranate molasses? Try mixing 4.5 tablespoons of honey with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice. Or, swap in a concentrated Balsamic vinegar glaze.

Step by Step Instructions

This is a very simple roasted chicken recipe. The amazing flavor comes from choosing the right combination of flavorful ingredients and proper cooking. It’s easy enough to pull off on a weeknight, but it’s also so good I’d happily serve it to guests.

Step 1 – Prep Oven and Chicken

Step 2 – Roast and Baste the Chicken

Place the chicken in a hot oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until it reads between 160-165°F. The cooked temperature of chicken is 165°F, if you remove chicken within that range, it will finish cooking with residual heat. Overcooking it will cause dry, stringy chicken.

Mix the pomegranate molasses with melted butter. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, brush the molasses over the chicken. Repeat when you pull it out of the oven, use all the glaze.

Tips for a Whole Chicken: Roast for 40-55 minutes, depending on the size of your bird. Check the meaty part of the thigh and breast for accurate temperature. Glaze at 10 minutes and then once more when it’s removed from the oven.

Step 3 – Drizzle and Serve!

We like to take the other half of the lemon and cut it into little wedges. Every person gets some to squeeze over their chicken. It’s perfect finishing touch. We like to serve it with rice, lemon pan roasted potatoes, garlic thyme mashed potatoes, garlic dinner rolls, and it’s a bonus if I happen to tzatziki on hand (not at all traditional, but delicious!)