Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken

I have been wanting a slow cooker for over a year and finally decided that it was time to take the plunge and make that happen. I was so excited when the UPS truck showed up at my house with my new slow cooker. I immediately opened it up and checked it out, then found a home for it in my basement on one of my metro racks. I have never used a slow cooker, so I had no idea what to make first. My mom, who is so thoughtful sent me a couple of cooking magazines and I got inspired by a dish I saw in one of them and came up with this delicious Moroccan Chicken recipe. I have read many reviews on slow cooking chicken, and thigh meat turns out the best due to the amount of fat it has, as breast meat will get too dry when it’s cooked too long. As a base for this dish I made a yummy couscous which I made last as a side dish with Moroccan Tagine Chicken.

Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken

12 Chicken Thighs
2 Onions, coarsely chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 14-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
5 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
12 Ounce Jar Mango Chutney
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
2 Teaspoons Sweet Paprika
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable Oil

Garnish

1 Granny Smith Apple, diced
1 Mango, diced
½ Cup Sliced Almonds, toasted
1 Cup Coconut, toasted
2 Tablespoons Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a very large skillet, over medium high heat add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes, remove to a plate. When chicken has cooled slightly, remove the skin and discard. Place the chicken into the slow cooker insert.
Remove all but 1 Tablespoon fat from the skillet and return to medium high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chutney, garlic, curry powder, garam masala, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, turning chicken to coat in the sauce.
Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours. Turn off slow cooker, stir sauce, replace lid and let stand for about 15 minutes to thicken sauce.
Serve over couscous or rice and garnish with the apple, mango, parsley, almonds, and toasted coconut.