Moroccan Steamed Chicken with Spinach and Chermoula Stuffing

ByNada Kiffa
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Chermoula adds zesty flavor to both the chicken and the spinach stuffing in this Moroccan steamed chicken recipe. A short roast in the oven gives beautiful color.

3 steamed and roasted chickens with herbs stuffing served with vegetables
Moroccan steamed and roasted chicken with herb stuffing. Photo: Nada Kiffa | Taste of Maroc
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Among the healthy dishes that Moroccan cuisine boasts is a chapter of tantalizing stuffed chicken recipes. Each has a different filling depending on whether the chicken will be steamed or roasted.

This recipe for Moroccan steamed and semi-roasted chicken with spinach stuffing combines both cooking methods. The birds are steamed ahead of time then roasted for color and texture just before serving. You may also stuff and marinate the chicken the day before and steam one hour before serving, skipping the roasting part if you are in a hurry, which is how it was done in the old days. My dad used to shred the leftovers to use in an omelet or sandwich, but I add salad as an option, sometimes with greens and a lemony vinaigrette.

Steaming and Roasting the Stuffed Chicken

During informal family gatherings, this recipe is one of our "must serve" light options in case anyone is on diet. Steaming chicken (or meat) to make Moroccan mbakh-khar keeps the birds moist and prevents them from drying out. If you try this method, I'm sure that you will love it.

After the chicken is cooked through by steaming, we semi-roast it for a nice golden color just before serving. This second stage of cooking by semi-roasting is a new trend of the last decade which provides color and extra texture before serving.

Red or Yellow Marinade

Chermoula paste is a key player in flavoring the dish as it's used to both marinate the chicken and season the spinach stuffing. It requires generous quantities of fresh cilantro and parsley, so plan ahead to make sure you have them on hand.

Before you marinate the chicken, you'll want to decide which hue you want. You can marinate the chicken with a red effect by adding more paprika and harissa to the chermoula or with a yellow effect by adding turmeric and using less paprika. Both are a matter of choice. In the Fassi (from Fez) tradition, we traditionally go with the first option.