Ras El Hanout honey chicken thighs recipe

We served the Ras El Hanout honey chicken thighs with a spicy couscous, a simple side that can be made in advance.

Our Moroccan-style Ras El Hanout honey chicken thighs are sweet, smoky and perfect for cooking on the barbecue. We’ve chosen skin-on thighs because we love how it absorbs the Ras El Hanout honey marinade. It also chars on the barbecue or under the grill, which adds even more flavour. You could also use skin-on chicken breasts if you prefer. Make sure you consult our guide on cooking chicken thighs (opens in new tab) if you’re unsure about how to prep chicken thighs and how long they take to cook. This recipe comes with a whole-wheat herby couscous side dish but you could also try our roasted vegetable cous cous (opens in new tab). If you love Moroccan cuisine, you might also like our root tagine (opens in new tab).

Ingredients

• 8 skin-on chicken thighs
• ½tbsp olive oil
• 3tsp ras el hanout
• 2-3tbsp runny honey

for the brine:

• 150g sea salt
• 100g granulated sugar

for the couscous:

• 150g wholewheat couscous
• 1tsp bouillon powder
• 1tbsp best-quality olive oil
• 2tsp harissa
• 20g fresh mint, chopped
• 30g fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• 50g toasted pine nuts

Method

1. For the brine, put the salt and sugar in a pan, add 1ltr water and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 min until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat, add another 1ltr cold water and set aside.
2. Put chicken in a non-metallic container. Pour over the brine, submerge the chicken and refrigerate for 5-6 hrs.
3. For the couscous, mix the couscous and bouillon powder in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water, put a plate on top and leave for 10 mins. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Toss the chicken in the oil and ras el hanout. Pop onto the barbecue, and allow the chicken to brown on both sides before brushing the honey over the skin and cooking for a further 10-15 mins. Serve with the couscous.