This is a simple but exotic dish from Syria that is incredibly aromatic. It is made with everyday ingredients and takes just on 15 minutes to prepare to pop in the oven. I like to serve this Syrian Chicken with Giant Couscous but you can serve it with normal couscous, pasta, rice, polenta or even mashed potato.
My blogs are usually upbeat and cheerful, but I couldn’t possibly share a Syrian dish without acknowledging the unrest currently going on in Syria. Syria is a country that has been at civil war for almost 4 years. And the most devastating of this war, as with any war, is the effect on the innocent. More than a quarter of Syrians – 4 million people – have fled their homes to seek safety in neighbouring countries. 4 million people!
“There will come a time when Syria is once again a beautiful and peaceful country.”
And most heartbreaking of all is to think that more than half the refugees are children. Just think about your childhood. Then think about what millions of Syrian children must be going through right now. It puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? UNICEF has a Syrian Crisis Appeal if you would like to make a donation to support the children of Syria. You can click through to it here.
OK, time to lift the mood and move onto a cheerier topic.
Syria is a country that is bordered by the Mediterranean and the Middle East. So the food of Syria is a wonderful fusion of two of my favourite cuisines. Syrian recipes are often flavoured with spices that are frequently used in Middle Eastern dishes like turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and coriander. And the flavours are also very similar to neighbouring Mediterranean countries like Turkey.
“This is one of those dishes that will warm your soul. The fragrance that fills your house while it’s cooking is just incredible!”
If you like strong flavoured food with Arabic aromas, then you will love this dish. The chicken is seared with cumin, coriander and turmeric, then baked with a chili based tomato sauce. It is served on Giant Couscous which tastes just like ordinary couscous, but they are….well, giant!
Giant couscous is actually called Moghrabieh, Israeli or Pearl Couscous. But I started calling them Giant Couscous when I first cooked with them and I can’t shake the habit! Giant Couscous is used in Mediterranean / Middle Eastern cooking and it is made from wheat flour or semolina. It can be used like any other grain like pasta and rice, and you cook it like pasta. You can buy it at large supermarkets here in Australia in the pasta section next to the normal couscous.
If you can’t find Giant Couscous then the best substitute is risoni/orzo (the rice like shaped pasta) or rice. You could also use other types of pasta, or ordinary couscous. But truly, I urge you to try Giant Couscous. They are such a novelty! The slippery little pasta beads are simply perfect for scooping up with the rich sauce.
Love to hear what you think! And as always, if you have any questions at all, just leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to respond!
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Syrian Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets , bone in and skin on (4 to 5 pieces) (see notes)
Chicken Spices
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger , finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , halved and finely sliced
- 2 birds eye chilis , finely chopped (or to taste) (see notes)
- 1/4 cup (combined) mint and coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 14 oz / 400 g canned crushed tomato
- 1 cup chicken stock / broth
- 1/8 tsp saffron powder (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3 sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup dried currants or sultanas (optional) (see notes)
To Serve
- 8 oz / 250 g giant couscous (Israeli or Pearl Couscous)
- Yoghurt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place chicken on a plate or in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Chicken Spices and use your hands to coat the chicken.
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven proof fry pan over high heat.
- Add chicken, skin side down, and sear until the skin is nicely browned. Turn chicken over and cook the other side until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Drain pan of excess oil.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger and chili into the pan. Saute for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent and starting to brown.
- Add canned tomato, chicken stock/broth, saffron powder, cumin powder and thyme. Bring to simmer, then turn the stove off. Nestle the chicken into the tomato broth, then cover with foil (or lid) and place into the oven. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the Giant Couscous according to packet instructions. Usually it just needs to be boiled in salted water for around 4 minutes, then drain it.
- When the chicken is dark golden brown and cooked, remove from oven. Stir through dried currents (if using), lemon juice and half the mint and coriander. Then sprinkle over remaining mint and coriander.
- Serve on Giant Couscous with a dollop of yoghurt, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Another winner in our house
My daughter made this for me for Mother’s Day and it was absolutely delicious🧡
Hi Nagi,
I’ve been following your recipes for a few years now, and i’ve always enjoyed reading the introductions for them. This time around though, i was really disappointed to see you mention the actual names of giant couscous and instead of mentioning palestinian maftoul, you mentioned israeli couscous which is the appropriated name for it by the israeli occupation. In mentioning that name, the wider appropriation of palestinan culture and the cleansing of it and its people is furthered. So I hope you’d consider changing that part of the recipe. As always thank you for the recipes.
YUM
I read through your recipes quite often and wanted to say thanks to you and Dozer.
Absolutely delicious recipe and simple to make!
Nagi,
I cannot decide which recipe I like more: the chicken shawarma or your Syrian chicken. We made the Syrian chicken this past week, and it was a hit! The flavor and aromatics literally transport you to somewhere else as you are eating. I bet it would pair nicely with your Rice Pilaf with nuts and dried fruit…which is also a family favorite. I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site. Thanks for the wonderful recipes.
Your recipes have become my “go to” recipes for authentic Asian dishes in particular. But am doing Syrian chicken for my family after trying it out recently. Love all the spices, even better the next day! Am such a fan.
Absolutely beautiful dish and lovely flavours. Great alternative to cacciatore that is my staple with this cut of meat. I cooked it on an induction cooktop because I don’t have an oven at the moment. I found that I had to cook my chicken thighs (bone in) for about an hour, not 35 mins as suggested. Maybe they were larger than those used by testers or maybe I used lower cooking temp on the cooktop? Anyway, can definitely recommend this lovely dish served with basmati rice. So glad I found it.
I made this recipe for the first time during COVID lockdown when I was trying different recipes for my family, since my husband is of Syrian decent. Everyone loved it. Now I make it for friends and family all the time. It’s always a hit. Thanks for the recipe.
Saffron is more expensive per oz the gold. You can use Cardamom
Cardamom has a flavor that is spicy, citrusy, and herbal, similar to saffron. As an alternative to Saffron in recipes that call for Saffron, start by trying around ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom per one teaspoon Saffron called for in your recipe.
Thank you so much. Saffron is so expensive here. I love cardamom but hadn’t thought about that as a substitute😍
There dows not seem to be any turmeric listed in the ingredients. Can you confirm?
Hi there. Greetings from Los Angeles, CA. Love your recipes! Regarding this Syrian recipe, is there a way to keep the crunchy skin from becoming soft once you place the chicken in the tomato juices, broth and you put the lid on the pan? I love this technique, but inevitably get chicken with soft skin every time I do it. Thank you, Nagi. Keep up the great work!
well as ever your recipes do not fail to deliver. RTE continues to be my go to. i have said before and i will say again, that i have been a fairly ordinary cook, but not anymore 🥳🥳🤩👩🍳!
husb doesn’t like uncut chicken thighs – i know,🤨 so when my cousin comes for lunch i try out the recipes on her that he wont eat – she loves them! todays syrian chicken was a particular hit and given the wet and wild weather here in the adelaide hills, it was perfect with an appropriate savvy b or course. dozer, pass on your sloppiest greetings to your mumx thanks nagi.
I will do Kylie! I am glad that you and your cousin enjoyed the Syrian Chicken! N x
Love this, but a tad confused: in the description you suggest cumin, coriander and turmeric. Then in the recipe, it’s cumin and saffron? I’m confused. I used the original three as I had them, and saffron not something I have on hand. Anyhoo, just saying… 😝
You know I’m a major fan Nagi. K xxx
Absolute winner in our place – your recipes are the only ones I use at home. We had a lot of the liquid left over which we blended and used as a pasta sauce so delicious.
Absolutely delicious! My boyfriend wasn’t sure about the addition of the currants. Then ended up loving them. The flavors in this dish are amazing.
Tried this tonight (Wed), mainly as way to cook the four chicken breasts I’d purchased (on Sat) that were languishing in the fridge. Who needs spoiled meat? No one.
Absolutely delicious as written. I couldn’t find the bird’s eye chilis in the pantry, so used ground Aleppo peppers instead. Also, no currants or raisins lingered nearby, so we subbed with dried blueberries. Amazing tonight for dinner, and cannot wait for this wrapped with turmeric rice for tomorrow’s lunch! Like all the Recipe Tin Eats, another total winner, thank you, Nagi.
This is outrageously good and simple enough to make on a work night. The only adjustment I made was to crisp the chicken skin under the broiler for a minute as mine had softened somewhat while baking. Thank you for another amazing recipe, Nagi!
OMG! Another fave!
This was a fabulous meal. We love heavily flavoured food so upped the spice a little but didn’t need much. Awesome!