Description
Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken and Vegetables is a flavorful, comforting meal where tender chicken thighs and a medley of vegetables are slow-cooked with a blend of aromatic spices. Served with fluffy couscous and pita bread, this dish effortlessly combines wholesome ingredients for a hearty and healthy family dinner.
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Main Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 12 marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, halved
- 1 (3 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more as needed
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ pound green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups couscous
Instructions
- Prepare the spice rub: Combine turmeric, ginger, coriander, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small cup. Rub this mixture evenly over the chicken thighs and let them sit for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Layer vegetables in slow cooker: In the bottom of a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker, place chickpeas, diced tomatoes with their juice, marinated artichoke hearts, chopped carrots, halved garlic cloves, and the cinnamon stick.
- Brown the chicken and onions: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken thighs and brown them for about 4 minutes per side to develop a nice crust. Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker, placing them bone-side up. Using the same skillet, add the halved and thinly sliced sweet onion and sauté until the onions are yellow and starting to brown around the edges, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to the slow cooker.
- Initial slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the Low setting for about 2 hours to allow the chicken and vegetables to start melding flavors.
- Add green beans, bell pepper, and cilantro: After 2 hours, layer trimmed and halved green beans, diced red bell pepper, and chopped cilantro over the chicken. Cover and continue cooking on Low for another 3 hours until the chicken is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- Prepare couscous: While the slow cooker finishes, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the couscous, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed and couscous is tender.
- Serve: Spoon hot couscous onto plates. Top with slow-cooked chicken and vegetables, and drizzle juices from the slow cooker over each serving for extra flavor. Serve with pita bread if desired.
Notes
- Removing the chicken skin reduces fat content without losing flavor.
- Marinating the chicken with spices enhances the depth of taste.
- Browning the chicken before slow cooking helps develop richer flavors and better texture.
- Cook on Low to maintain tenderness and meld flavors gradually.
- Couscous can be replaced with rice or quinoa as preferred.
- Additional vegetables like zucchini or eggplant can be added for variety.
- Peanut or vegetable oil can be used instead of olive oil if desired.
