This Casablanca chicken is one of my favorite dishes from a local family-owned Mediterranean restaurant in Minnesota. Ansari’s Mediterranean Restaurant is small, cozy and offers delicious dishes from all over the Mediterranean. This chicken dish is specially made for garlic lovers like myself. It is packed with flavor and very simple to make. Now, I am not sure what cut of the chicken Ansari’s chooses for this dish. But, I will be using chicken thighs.
Of course, you can use chicken breasts if you like. But, I am using chicken thighs because it packs a lot of flavor. I’ve always been a fan of chicken thighs over breasts. Because thighs are the “darker meat” compared to breasts, so, they are less expensive. However, they are more tender and packed with rich flavor.
Now, I know this dish looks fancy, but I promise it comes together in under 30 minutes. The key is the delicious rub we are going to use for the chicken. It’s all about developing that rich garlic flavor. I will be using one of my favorite seasoning blends from Primal Palate. Their Amoré seasoning blend is packed with rich Italian flavors (yes I know, not Mediterranean flavors at all). But, it contains a rich blend of garlic and dried herbs that are essential for this dish. So, if you haven’t heard of Primal Palate’s spices, honey you need to put your order in immediately!
CASABLANCA CHICKEN W/ CAULIFLOWER RICE
PALEO II WHOLE30
At Ansari’s the Casablanca is usually served with turmeric rice. But, because I want to keep this Whole30 and Paleo, I decided to serve it over cauliflower rice. Because this dish is so packed with flavor, we are going to keep things simple when it comes to the rice. You want the rice to be a blank canvas for the rich flavors of the chicken. So, all we are using to cook up the riced cauliflower is ghee, scallions and salt and pepper. Let’s jump in.
Another great way to serve this Casablanca Chicken is over Sweet Potato Noodles.
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Casablanca Chicken
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Chicken thighs sautéed with garlic, herbs and spices and served with cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
1 lb boneless & skinless free-range chicken thighs
1 tsp. Primal Palate’s Amore seasoning* (or your favorite Italian seasoning)
2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. crack black pepper
2 tbsp. ghee
1 onion (sliced)
1 red jalapeño (diced)
1/4 cup organic chicken broth
FOR CAULIFLOWER RICE:
1 tbsp. Avocado oil
2 12- ounce packages of frozen riced cauliflower
2 scallions (finely chopped)
salt and pepper
Instructions
To begin, pat chicken thighs dry and cut them into cubes. Transfer the chicken to a mixing bowl and add the Amore/Italian seasoning, garlic, turmeric, paprika, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss the chicken to make sure it’s well coated.
Now, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a deep skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and lower the heat to medium-high. Sear the chicken while continuously stirring for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken starts to develop some color. Now, add the onions and jalapeño pepper, stir and sauté until the onions are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Then add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then taste and season with more salt if necessary.
In a separate non-stick skillet, heat the avocado oil over high heat and add the riced cauliflower. Sauté the cauliflower, continuously stirring, for 5-7 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Then, stir in scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve Chicken family style with the cauliflower rice.
Notes
If you do not have Italian seasoning or something close to it, you can substitute with this mixture along with the other spices.
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/8 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: 30 minute dinner
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Casablanca Chicken
Just made this my kids devoured it and I was not able to take a picture.
Very delicious !!!
Will be making it again.
WOOOHOOO!! So happy you liked it! It is the best recipe!! So yummy!
Okay, this seriously looks amazing. Thanks for solving my dinner dilemma for tonight!
That’s what I’m here for girl!! I’m so happy I could help!
I can’t wait to try it! I live in Mpls and have not been to Ansari’s in a long time.I love that you serve it over cauliflower rice and now I learn that you can buy it frozen – did not know that. I will report back after I give this a try, and thank you for posting it!
YAY!! I’m so glad you are going to give it a try!! And Ansari’s is soo good right? You will looove this!! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
What’s the benefit of a red jalapeño versus a green? All I have are green right now.
You can definitely use green Anna. I just use red for the color.
How much chicken broth are you supposed to use? Directions say to add chicken broth but it isn’t listed in the ingredients list.
It is listed doll. 1/4 of a cup of organic chicken broth. It is the last ingredient for the chicken.
Hi, I’m assuming the free range chicken thighs are boneless and skinless?
Yes ma’am. I updated the recipe. Thank you for letting me know.
Is this dish spicy? Like for a 4 year old?
It isn’t really spicy. But, to make sure, you can omit the red jalapeño and replace it with 1/2 a red bell pepper. Please let me know how it turns out doll.
I am excited to try this recipe!! I am really happy to see you live in Minnesota! (Me too) Its nice finding some one new to follow.
WOOHOOO!!! Minnesotans for life! Please share when you make it! I would love to see!
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! I modified it and used the things I had on hand. Oh, also I made mine in the slow cooker. Cooked it for 5 hours on low. Tender and juicy!
Instead of the red jalapeno I used my can of chipolte peppers. This gave it a wonderful smokey flavor, and packed a hot punch. (If you don’t like it too spicy, don’t use these).
Also, instead of just the riced cauliflower, I used the rice/sweet potato mixture I found in the frozen food section. This was really good, and I think complimented the flavors.
Great recipe, and I will make it again!
Oh, I love it!! Great tips Tracy!! And I absolutely love the cauliflower rice and sweet potato mixture too!! It’s so awesome that many brands are providing riced veggies and veggie noodles now. Thank you so much for sharing doll.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! I doubled the recipe and had to substitute the red jalapenos for 1 green jalapeno and 1 green serrano and the heat was smooth and wonderful. Served with turmeric rice. This will be added to the family favorite go-to recipes, for sure! (Also amazing as leftovers!!)
This makes me sooo happy!! I am soo glad to hear this. Thank you for sharing doll. And, I love that serrano addition.
This is so good! The flavors in it are awesome. I followed the recipe almost exactly but I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and an Italian seasoning blend instead of the amore. This will be a new regular for me. My boyfriend kept exclaiming how good it was as he was eating. In in North Dakota and I think I’m definitely going to have to try Ansari’s next time I’m in the cities if this is any indication of the food there!
OH.MY.GOSH! I don’t ever leave reviews of recipes, but I had to come leave one this time because this was THAT good. I made it last week and have been thinking about it ever since, so I will definitely have to make it again. It was SO good. I didn’t measure my spices (whoops) just dumped everything in, so I think I probably made it a little spicier than it was supposed to be, but holy moly was it good! I cannot WAIT to make this again.
YAS!! I love it! No measurements just going with the flow. I’m at here for it! Thank you so much for sharing love.
WOW.. I will definitely use this for a Saturday nite meal- I’m excited
WOOHOOO!!! Please let us know how you like it Monica!! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Thank you doll.
This is one of the best things I have ever cooked for myself – Whole30 or otherwise! I had to use a purple onion instead of white and beef broth instead of chicken (just because that was what I had on hand), and it was still fantastic. MAKE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!
So glad you loved it Ann!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
This is an excellent recipe, so delicious. We have 7 kids, ages 19 down to 3 and they all loved the chicken! I tripled the recipe, using boneless skinless chicken breast because that is what I had on hand. I did omit the jalapeno, and only used about 1/3 to 1/2 of the black pepper and red pepper flakes. My goal was for all of them to enjoy eating it, so I thought I would take the heat down just a notch. For my 45 year old guts of steel, I would have gone full fledged spices. But. Anyway, thank you so much, this will make it to our menu cycle for sure.
YAY!! Stamp of approval from the fam!! Makes me so happy! Thank you so much Andrea!
Made the dish tonight for hubby. He loved the chicken.
Yay!!! That makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing doll. So happy he loved it!
Very tasty recipe! I love how quickly it came together. I made it with the riced cauliflower and also served it with roasted sweet potato rounds on the side. When I read your note about the sweet potato noodles, I wanted sweet potatoes too! Thanks for a delicious supper!
Oh Erin that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for sharing and it warms my heart that you love this recipe so much. Thanks love.
Just like everything else I have made from your website, this was DELICIOUS and going in my regular rotation!!! My only regret is not doubling the recipe 🙁 I definitely will next time! I did cauliflower rice and sweet potato fries as a side. DELICIOUS. Thank you for sharing this!
So glad you loved this Becca!!! Thank you so much for sharing! Means the world to me
I am so so happy I found your site. I am LOVING it! I am making this soon. I ordered the Ghee butter on Amazon; couldn’t find it around here. I am turning my friends onto your site. Also the serving spoons featured in your recipe photo-where are they from?
Thank you thank you!
Yay!! Thank you beautiful! That’s awesome! Can’t wait to hear what you think! And the spoons I got them from world market.
Love this recipe so much. I did it last week with chicken and I liked it so much I did it with tofu!!
Oh wow! That is so wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I can not wait to try this. Thank you so much for posting a recipe that uses ‘normal’ ingredients and I truly appreciate the spice substitution recipe. I’ll be making this week. Can’t wait to check out your other recipes.
I’m so glad you found something you are excited to try Toni! That makes me very happy. That is always my goal with every recipe I post. Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
We looove Ansari’s! Now have to go try this dish before making it at home. What a great excuse… thanks Charlotte <3
Ansari’s is such a great spot! You definitely have to try the Casablanca chicken then make this! So delicious
Anyone tried freezing this? I’m pregnant and about to pop, so I’m looking for some meals to freeze for after baby’s arrival. I was thinking brown the chicken and mix the ingredients, then when I go to actually cook it, maybe do it in the slow cooker or instant pot?
Definitely freezer friendly doll. Just store it in a container and into the freezer for up to a month or more). Of course, if you’re having it with cauliflower rice, you want to make the cauliflower rice when you eat. Congrats on the new baby!!
This was delicious! It was one of the best recipes I’ve made and comes together quickly and easily! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing Jade! The fact that it comes together so quickly and easily I think is the best part about this recipe.
This looks delicious!! I would love to give it a try but we can’t get Primal Palate’s Amore seasoning here in the UK. What can I use as a substitute?
Sure! You can use your favorite Italian seasoning. Amore is primal palate’s take on Italian seasoning.
Okay going to make this tonight… but like is it crazy to add coconut milk to make it more saucy and a little creamy??
Mmmmm that actually sounds kinda good. Try it and let us know? you can also add more broth and thicken it with arrowroot
I found this recipe and it looks great. We don’t have Primal Palate’s Amore seasoning in the UK. Is there something I can substitute it with.
Thanks
This looks great. We don’t have Primal Palate’s Amore seasoning in the UK is there an alternative I could use?
Thanks
I used this recipe for dinner tonight. My husband and I loved it. It was so good. I did not have the amore seasoning so I used the seasonings that were suggested instead. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Tomara! Thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight…. WOW. I thought it would be too much ghee but it gave it a nice buttery flavor. I added Green Beans to the Cauli Rice for some extra veggies. So happy I have leftovers for the week. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe creation. Yummy.
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Yea the ghee adds lots of depth to the dish. Thank you for sharing!
This was a great recipe. My kids loved it. I did add Dill to my cauliflower rice to give it a more Persian feel and it was very successful.
Thank you so much for the love Julie! That sounds delicious adding dill to the cauliflower rice! I love it! So glad your family enjoyed it!
This is always a win in my home. Even my picky three year old asks for seconds.
Thank you so much for sharing Charmaine!! I am so glad it’s a repeat in your kitchen. We always love the kid approval.
Thanks for sharing! We are HUGE Ansari’s fans and have never tried this dish. It was a big hit last night! Requested to make it again – and again. I added mushrooms to the jalapenos after reviewing the menu online. Also served over Saffron Rice to make it nice and yellow like in the restaurant.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Elisabeth! I love Ansaris too! Adding mushrooms is a great idea!
I subbed red bell pepper for the jalapeño, and served it by over rice. My 8 year old devoured it. So good! This is a keeper, thank you
YAY!! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it Summer!
I used dried parsley, generic italian seasoning, regular unsalted butter, and a yellow bell pepper instead of a red jalapeno because that’s what I was able to get from Aldi/my pantry. I made up for the heat I lost from omitting the jalapeno by adding dried Cayenne pepper and some extra paprika/turmeric. I think the bell pepper added a lot of extra liquid to the pan, so I didn’t end up using chicken broth to deglaze. I want to try this recipe again when I have access to red jalapenos and fresh herbs, but it was delicious as I made it! Husband approved.
Also, I’ve never enjoyed cauliflower rice, but i followed her instructions and I think I’m converted! Healthy and easy and delicious!
I’m so glad girl! Those cauliflower rice tips are a game changer lol
I’ve made this several times and so good each time!
Thank you Lupita! So glad you enjoyed it
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! A whole new level of flavor for already flavorful chicken thighs, this will be on repeat for sure! Served it over cauliflower rice (using this recipe) and with roasted broccoli
Thank you Alden!!! This makes me so happy. Glad to be in your dinner rotation.
This recipe is so delicious! I made it for my back to school dinner for my kids and they loved it!
Love being kid approved! Thank you for sharing Kendra!
This was very good and rather simple to make! I used 1.5 lb chicken and didn’t adjust the seasonings. I also diced the onion by accident instead of sliced, ha! And it was still fantastic.
Im so glad you enjoyed it Kara. It is perfection.
If I could give this recipe more than 5 stars I would! So so flavorful and easy. And just the right amount of kick with the jalapeños. Will be making again for sure!
It is always a hit! Thank you for sharing Alexa! I am so happy you enjoyed it.