Moroccan-Style Chicken with Preserved Lemon & Olives
Boldly spiced chicken thighs marinated in cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon, with the salty punch of preserved lemon and briny olives. Cooked in the air fryer on oven mode – you get deep, almost tagine-like flavour with a beautifully crisp skin, faster than a conventional oven. Scatter with fresh coriander and serve with flatbreads, couscous or rice.
Ingredients
Method
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic cloves, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the finely chopped skin of 2 preserved lemon quarters, skin finely chopped, flesh discarded and stir into a loose paste. Add the 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and turn to coat thoroughly, working the marinade under the skin where possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best results.
- Make the yoghurt sauce: Stir together 200 grams Greek yoghurt, 1 lemon, juiced, 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, and 0.5 garlic clove, minced (for yoghurt sauce) with a pinch of 1 pinch salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust – it should be cool, tangy and herby. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat and load the tray: Set your air fryer to oven mode and preheat to 180 °C for 4–5 minutes. Arrange the 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges across the base of the air fryer tray or rack in a single layer. Nestle the marinated chicken thighs on top, skin-side up. Tuck the 150 grams of Kalamata olives, pitted in and around the chicken and onions.
- Roast on oven mode – 30–35 min at 180 °C: Place the tray in the air fryer on oven mode at 180 °C and cook for 30mins. The chicken is done when the skin is deeply golden and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced. Check at 25 minutes – if the skin is already well coloured, reduce to 170 °C for the final stretch. There is no need to flip or rotate.
- Rest – 5 min: Remove the tray from the air fryer and leave the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. The onions and olives will have softened and taken on the spiced cooking juices – spoon these over the chicken when plating.
- Scatter and serve: Transfer the chicken, onions and olives to a warm serving plate. Scatter generously with 3 tablespoons fresh coriander, roughly chopped and serve with the yoghurt sauce on the side.
Notes
Oven mode tip: Select the oven or bake setting on your air fryer rather than the air fry setting — this uses the heating element without maximum fan intensity, giving a gentler, more even roast that’s ideal for chicken thighs. If your model doesn’t have a dedicated oven mode, reduce the temperature by 10°C and check a few minutes early.
Marinating tip: 30 minutes is the minimum, but overnight in the fridge is where the magic really happens — the preserved lemon and spices penetrate much deeper into the meat.
Preserved lemon: Use only the skin – rinse it well under cold water to remove excess salt, then chop finely. The flesh is too bitter and salty to use here. Find preserved lemons in most supermarkets near the olives and antipasti.
Chicken tip: Bone-in, skin-on thighs are strongly recommended – they stay moist throughout the longer cook and the skin crisps beautifully. Boneless thighs will cook in 22–25 minutes; check at 20 min.
Olive tip: Green olives (Castelvetrano or similar) keep a firmer texture; Kalamata give a more intense, briny flavour. Either works well – or a mix of both.
Serving suggestions: Couscous with toasted almonds and raisins, warm flatbreads, or steamed rice. A simple cucumber and tomato salad alongside cuts through the richness nicely.
Doneness check: Chicken is cooked when the juices run clear and an internal temperature of 75 °C is reached at the thickest part, away from the bone.
