Chicken Tagine

Chicken Tagine is a traditional slow-cooked Moroccan dish with juicy chicken thighs, onions, olives, spices, and preserved lemons. The aroma wafting from your kitchen will have the entire family crowding around. And don't panic! You can do this surprisingly simple dish without a tagine.

Course dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine African, Moroccan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 452kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Chicken Tagine Marinade

6 medium chicken thigh, bone-in and excess fat and skin trimmed
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) ginger, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (2 g) smoked paprika

Chicken Tagine

2 tablespoon (28 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
3 teaspoons (6 g) garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) ginger, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground coriander
½ tablespoon (3.5 g) paprika
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
2 small bay leaves
½ teaspoon (1 g) cayenne pepper
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup apricots
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water, more as needed
1 ½ cup (195 g) green olives

Garnish

1 tablespoon (4 g) fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced plus extra for serving

Instructions

Chicken Tagine Marinade

Place chicken thighs in a large bowl, then salt and pepper. Next, add garlic, ginger, cumin, and paprika.
Mix chicken with a spoon or hands until they are well coated with spices. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use or marinate for up to 24 hours.

Preparing the Chicken Tagine

When ready to cook, heat a skillet or large saucepan with about 2 tablespoons of oil, and then brown the chicken for about 3-5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown. Remove and set aside. Drain any excess oil from the skillet. (Use an oven-proof skillet if you want to make the oven-baked version.)
Add onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Stir for about 3-4 minutes for the flavors to come together and the onions to wilt.
Add chickpeas and apricots. Pour in chicken stock or water, then olives. Season with salt and pepper, being careful with the salt.
Return the chicken to the pan along with the accumulated juice from the chicken and sliced lemons.

Oven-Baked Chicken Tagine

Preheat oven to 325℉/163℃. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes.
Remove and serve with Moroccan couscous, garnished with parsley and more lemon slices, if desired.

Stovetop Chicken Tagine

Reduce heat and cook covered for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. As the chicken cooks, add more liquid if needed. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley, serve with this Moroccan couscous and extra lemons, if desired.

Notes

Take it easy with the salt. Olives are pretty salty, and you may not need to put much more. I would definitely do a taste test first, especially if I use preserved lemons.
Marinating the chicken is an important step. Your taste buds will thank you if you don't skip it. In fact, it's better if you can start it marinating the night before.
This recipe may seem dry, but don't be tempted to add more liquid. Unless, of course, it's completely dry on the bottom and starting to stick.
Cutting the chicken into serving size pieces makes it easier to marinate and fit in the pot.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition