A Moroccan Chef Shares Her Secret to Perfect Chicken With Couscous

If you step into a Moroccan home for a family celebration, it’s likely that one of the first things you’ll notice is the rich, fragrant aroma of slow-cooked chicken infused with saffron, ginger, and cinnamon. This is chicken couscous t’faya. It’s more than just a meal—it’s a celebration of Moroccan culinary tradition and hospitality. 

Often served for special occasions in Morocco, this iconic dish features tender spiced chicken pieces topped with a rich caramelized onion sauce known as t’faya, all on top of a steaming bed of golden, fluffy couscous. Its signature sauce, t’faya, is sweetened with raisins, cinnamon, and honey to create a balance of savory and sweet flavors.

The Couscous

The dishes' three main components—couscous, chicken, and t’faya—are all cooked separately. My recipe below includes directions for the chicken and the t’faya, and a link to my simple fluffy couscous recipe. While in Morocco couscous grains are traditionally steamed in a two-part steamer known as a “couscoussière” over the braising meat, my couscous recipe offers a simplified approach, using instant couscous and cooking it separately in the oven to ensure tender, fluffy grains of couscous that don't stick together. As an experienced Moroccan chef, I promise you it still delivers great results, with a simpler process that doesn’t require any special cooking equipment.

The Braised Chicken 

The chicken is slowly braised with onions, ground turmeric, ground ginger, and saffron in a savory broth until the chicken is spoon tender and juicy. I prefer to use skin-on bone-in chicken thighs as they remain moist during their long simmer. Plus, thighs have a richer flavor than chicken breasts, due to their higher fat content. You can, of course, swap in your preferred chicken parts such as breasts, legs, or a combination of parts, but I do recommend that you use bone-in and skin-on chicken for the best flavor. If using other chicken parts you will need to shorten the cooking time accordingly, and if using a combination of parts, you’ll need to pull out the pieces as they finish cooking so the white meat doesn’t overcook. When serving the chicken, some of the remaining braising liquid is poured over the couscous with the chicken, and the remaining broth is served separately in individual small bowls—each person can sip the broth between bites or pour it over their portion of couscous.

The T'Faya (Onion and Raisin Sauce)

While the chicken is simmering, the t’faya sauce is prepared separately in a skillet by slowly caramelizing onions with honey and cinnamon until the onions are jammy and well browned. While t’faya translates to sauce, the final onion t’faya here is thicker than what one might expect of a sauce in the US. It more closely resembles a viscous caramelized onion topping that holds its shape, rather than a fluid sauce. The sweet t’faya paired with the savory braised chicken highlights the classic combination of sweet and savory flavors that’s used frequently in Moroccan cuisine, especially in dishes reserved for special occasions. 

The final combination of tender chicken, luscious onion sauce, and fluffy couscous creates a satisfying contrast of textures and sweet and savory flavors in every bite.

For the Chicken: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and shimmering. Add onions, turmeric, ginger, saffron (if using), salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and mixture is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add chicken and mix to combine with onions and spices, then add stock or broth and cilantro stem bundle.

Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken registers 175 to 185℉ on an instant-read, about 40 to 45 minutes. Discard cilantro bundle and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the T’faya Sauce: Once chicken is simmering on low, in a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat until butter is melted and shimmering. Add sliced onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, 15 to 25 minutes. Add drained raisins, stock, honey, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until most of liquid has evaporated and the onions are golden brown and jammy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For Serving: Place warm cooked couscous on a large serving platter or individual plates, top with chicken and some of the broth, and spoon a generous serving of t’faya sauce over the top. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and reserved cilantro leaves. Transfer any leftover broth to individual serving bowls and serve on the side.

Special Equipment

Large heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven, large skillet, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

To soak the raisin, in a heat safe bowl, add raisins and pour boiling water over them until covered. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain in a fine-mesh strainer.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftovers can be refrigerated together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to a baking dish and warm in a 350℉ (175℃) oven until warm.