Moroccan Chicken Briwats with Almonds and Preserved Lemon

Name: Moroccan Chicken Briwats with Almonds and Preserved Lemon
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger; 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric; 1 tsp (2½ g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat; ½ cup (120 ml) water or chicken stock; ¾ cup (105 g) blanched whole almonds, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped; 1 tbsp (15 g) preserved lemon rind, pulp removed, rind rinsed and finely minced; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 12 sheets (270 g) warqa sheets (or 9×14-inch filo sheets), thawed; stacked and kept under a damp towel; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 1 yolk (18 g) large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water, used as glue to seal; 1 tbsp (8 g) powdered sugar (optional); ½ tsp (1.3 g) ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, golden triangles of warqa pastry wrapped around tender shredded chicken, toasted almonds, cinnamon, and bright preserved lemon. Baked instead of fried, they shatter at the first bite and make an elegant party snack.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min
Makes: 24 briwats (triangles), serves 12 as a party snack

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the filling
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric
1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
½ cup (120 ml) water or chicken stock
¾ cup (105 g) blanched whole almonds, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp (15 g) preserved lemon rind, pulp removed, rind rinsed and finely minced
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For assembly
12 sheets (270 g) warqa sheets (or 9×14-inch filo sheets), thawed; stacked and kept under a damp towel
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 yolk (18 g) large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water, used as glue to seal
To finish
1 tbsp (8 g) powdered sugar (optional)
½ tsp (1.3 g) ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)

Equipment (8)

2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18-inch / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Large deep skillet or sauté pan with lid (12-inch / 30 cm)
2 forks for shredding
Pastry brush
Sharp knife and cutting board
Clean damp kitchen towel
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

If your warqa or filo is frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight, still sealed, so the sheets don't stick together.
Read the folding step first. Pastry dries out in minutes, so have the filling cooled, butter melted, and baking sheets lined before you open the pastry.
Rinse the preserved lemon, discard the pulp, and use only the rind. The pulp is very salty and sour.
Position an oven rack in the center and have two large baking sheets ready.

1
Toast the almondsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway, until fragrant and light golden.
- Tip onto a plate to cool, then chop coarsely into pea-sized pieces.
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Ready when: Almonds are fragrant and pale golden inside when one is broken
Tip: Almonds keep darkening on the hot pan, so move them to a plate right away.
2
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, and the remaining salt and stir for 1 minute until aromatic.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent, not browned; spices smell toasty
Tip: If the spices stick or darken, add a splash of the stock right away.
3
Simmer the chicken
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the onions and turn once to coat in the spices.
- Pour in the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway.
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Ready when: Chicken reads 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part and shreds easily; it is safe from 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Thighs stay juicy when simmered a little past 165°F, which also makes them easier to shred.
4
Shred and reduce
- Move the chicken to a bowl and shred it finely with two forks.
- Return the skillet to medium heat, uncovered, and boil the liquid for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until only a thick, jammy glaze of about 3 tablespoons remains.
- Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat.
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Ready when: Pan is nearly dry and the chicken looks moist but not wet
Tip: A wet filling makes soggy pastry, so reduce the liquid fully.
5
Finish and cool filling
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a large bowl.
- Stir in the toasted almonds, preserved lemon, cilantro, and parsley.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed (the lemon is salty).
- Spread the filling out and let it cool for 20 minutes until barely warm.
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Ready when: Filling is cool to the touch and holds together when pressed
Tip: Hot filling steams the pastry and makes it tear.
6
Set up and cut pastryOven 400°F / 205°C
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Stack the warqa sheets and cut them in half to make 24 strips about 4½ inches (11 cm) wide (if using round warqa, cut each into 2 long strips about 4 inches/10 cm wide).
- Cover the strips with a damp towel.
- Melt the butter and beat the yolk with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.
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Tip: Work with one strip at a time; keep the rest under the towel so they don't dry and crack.
7
Fill and fold triangles
- Lay one strip with a short end toward you and brush lightly with butter.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon (about 15 g) of filling in the bottom corner, 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the end.
- Fold the corner over the filling diagonally to form a triangle, then keep folding the triangle up the strip, like folding a flag, until you reach the end.
- Dab the loose tail with egg yolk and press to seal.
- Set seam-side down on the baking sheet.
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Ready when: Triangles are snug, with no filling peeking out of the seams
Tip: Don't overfill; extra filling bursts the seams in the oven.
8
Butter the briwats
- Arrange the triangles about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, 12 per sheet.
- Brush the tops and sides generously with the remaining melted butter.
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Ready when: Every surface looks glossy with butter
Tip: Butter is what browns and crisps the pastry, so don't skip the sides.
9
Bake until goldenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and flipping each briwat once at the 7-minute mark, until deep golden and crisp.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown all over and the pastry sounds crisp when tapped
Tip: Ovens vary, so check at 10 minutes; thin pastry burns fast.
10
Dust and serve
- Transfer to a platter.
- If using, sift the powdered sugar and a light dusting of cinnamon over the warm briwats.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Tip: Dust right before serving; the sugar melts into the pastry if left to sit.

Good to know

Tips

Keep unused pastry under a damp (not wet) towel at all times so it stays pliable.
Fully reduce the cooking liquid; a dry filling is the secret to crisp pastry.
Taste the filling before sealing since preserved lemons vary widely in saltiness.
Fold tightly and seal the tail with egg yolk so the triangles hold their shape.

Make ahead

Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it covered. Assemble the unbaked briwats and refrigerate up to 8 hours under plastic wrap, or freeze on a tray, then bag. Brush with butter and bake straight from frozen, adding 5 to 8 minutes.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 4 hours, uncovered, to keep crisp. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: baked briwats up to 2 months, unbaked up to 3 months. Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (add 5 minutes if frozen) until hot and crisp; avoid the microwave.

Substitutions

warqa sheets (or 9×14-inch filo sheets) → Filo sheets (9×14-inch) or spring roll wrappers. Filo is more brittle, so brush each sheet lightly with butter; use two layers of filo per strip for sturdiness.
preserved lemon rind → 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest plus ¼ tsp extra salt. Gives brightness but lacks the fermented depth of preserved lemon.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cook only to 165°F (74°C) and keep it moist with a little extra stock; breast dries out easily.
unsalted butter → Neutral oil or ghee. Ghee browns beautifully; oil gives a slightly less rich flavor.