This meal prep recipe brings together warm Moroccan spices, juicy roasted chicken thighs, caramelized vegetables, fluffy apricot-studded couscous, and a creamy yogurt drizzle. It’s layered, flavourful, and perfect for batch-cooking ahead of a busy week. Packed with colour, spice, and texture, this recipe makes four generous servings with leftovers for lunch.

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Table of Contents

• Ingredients for Moroccan-style chicken, vegetables, and couscous
• How to make this recipe step by step
• Tips for meal prep success
• FAQ

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Ingredients for Moroccan-style chicken, vegetables, and couscous

This recipe serves 4–6 and includes four components: spiced chicken, roasted vegetables, apricot-almond couscous, and a lemony yogurt sauce.

Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice

Chicken

• 16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.4kg / 3 lbs)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 batch of spice mix (above)
• ½ lemon, cut lengthwise then thinly sliced
• ¾ cup green olives, roughly chopped
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or sub mint or parsley)

Vegetables

• 5 carrots (about 450g), peeled and cut
• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Couscous

• 2 cups couscous
• ½ cup chopped dried apricots (or use dried cranberries)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 100g toasted slivered almonds

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup plain Balkan-style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• ½ teaspoon salt

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How to make this Moroccan-inspired chicken and couscous

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Position oven racks in the upper and lower third.
2. Mix all the spices in a small bowl to make the seasoning blend.
3. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken in thirds, tossing between additions for even coating. Add the sliced lemon and toss again.
4. Arrange the chicken thighs flat on a large rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the lemon slices on top. Refrigerate while you prepare the vegetables.
5. Add carrots, cauliflower, and red onion to a second baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.
6. Roast both trays for 40 minutes. Stir the vegetables and baste the chicken halfway through.
7. Meanwhile, combine couscous and apricots in a large bowl. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and pour over the couscous. Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together all yogurt sauce ingredients. Set aside.
9. When the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned, remove it from the oven and scatter the chopped olives and cilantro on top.
10. Once vegetables are tender and caramelized at the edges, remove from the oven.
11. Uncover the couscous, fluff with a fork, and stir in the toasted almonds.
12. To serve: Add a scoop of couscous to each plate, top with chicken and some pan juices, add a generous serving of roasted vegetables, and finish with a drizzle of yogurt sauce.

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Tips for meal prep success

• You can prep the spice mix, yogurt sauce, and even marinate the chicken a day ahead.
• Store components separately in the fridge, then assemble before eating.
• Couscous is forgiving and reheats well—add a splash of broth if needed.
• The chicken and vegetables also pair well with rice, quinoa, or warm naan.

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FAQ

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, but they may cook faster and dry out. Keep an eye on the timing if you swap them in.

How long does this meal last in the fridge?
Up to 4 days if stored in airtight containers.

Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes. Omit the yogurt sauce and increase the chicken stock in the filling to 300 ml if you’re skipping the creme fraiche or yogurt.

Can I roast everything on one sheet pan?
If your pan is large enough and your oven runs hot and even, it’s possible—but two sheets will give better texture and browning.

Meal Prep Moroccan-Inspired Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

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• Author: Andrea Buckett

Ingredients

For the spice mix

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

For the chicken

16 boneless skinless chicken thighs (1.4kg/3lbs)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 batch of spice mix (above)

1/2 of a lengthwise cut lemon

3/4 cup roughly chopped green olives

1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (can substitute with mint or parsley)

For the Vegetables

5 carrots (450g/1lb)

1 head of cauliflower

1 red onion

3 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper

For the Couscous

2 cups couscous

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (can substitute with dried cranberries)

2 cups chicken stock

100g toasted slivered almonds

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain balkan style yogurt

1 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoons liquid honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and position the racks in the upper middle and lower middle of the oven.

1. For the spice mixture, add the cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon and all spice to a small bowl and mix to combine.

2. For the chicken. Unfurl the chicken thighs and put them in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the olive oil and toss the chicken until evenly coated. Sprinkle a third of the spice mixture evenly over the chicken and toss to combine. Add another third, toss again. Repeat with the final one third of the spices.

3. Trim the ends off the half lemon. Cut the half lemon in half again,  lengthwise down the centre. Cut each in thin, half moon slices. Add the cut lemon to the chicken and toss to combine.

4. Open each chicken thigh and place it on a large (11×17- inch) baking sheet. Scatter the lemons evenly over the chicken. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the vegetables.

5. Cut the carrots in half cross-wise and then cut each half in quarters or sixths depending on how thick the carrots are. Add them to a second baking sheet.

6. Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets and add them to the baking sheet with the carrots. 

7. Cut the red onion in half, through the root end. Lay the cut side on the cutting board and cut the onion, pole to pole into half-inch slices. Add the onions to the baking sheet with the carrots and cauliflower.

8. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. 

9. Place the chicken in the upper middle rack of the oven and the vegetables on the lower middle rack of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Stir the vegetables half way through cooking. Baste the chicken with any juices, half-way through cooking. 

10. In the meantime. Add the couscous and apricots to a large mixing bowl. 

11. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Pour it over the couscous and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with a lid or aluminum foil and set aside for a minimum of 15 minutes.

12. For the yogurt sauce. Mix together the yogurt, hot sauce, lemon juice, honey and salt.

13. Remove the chicken from the oven when it’s cooked through and slightly brown. Scatter the olives over the chicken along with the cilantro. 

14. Remove the vegetables from the oven when they are cooked through, tender crisp and slightly caramelized around the edges.

15. Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Add the almonds and stir them into the couscous. 

16. To serve. Scoop out some couscous onto a plate, top with two pieces of chicken, spoon over some juices and olives from the baking sheet. Add vegetables on the side. Drizzle everything with some of the yogurt sauce.