Chicken Tagine
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This Chicken Tagine, filled with warm fragrant spices, tender chicken, and a luscious sauce is incredibly easy to execute and yields the deep, rich flavors that are the hallmark of Moroccan tagines. The best part? You don’t need a traditional tagine pot to enjoy this dish—a simple Dutch oven or skillet works just fine! Whether you're new to North African cuisine or a seasoned home chef, this guide will walk you through creating a chicken tagine bursting with bold flavors.
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 preserved lemons (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Harissa paste (optional - see notes)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 bone-in, chicken thighs, leg quarters, drumsticks or a mix — skin removed
- 1 large yellow onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick (should have about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- pinch of saffron threads bloomed with 1/3 cup warm water (optional - see notes below)
- 1 cup green olives, or a mix of green and black
Caramelized Apricots (optional)
- 2 tablespoons mild honey
- 1 cup water
- 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 cup dried Turkish apricots
Instructions
- Quarter and deseed the preserved lemon. Remove the pulp from lemon quarters, give it a rough chop and add it to a large bowl. Thinly slice the peel from the preserved lemon(s) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, ginger, cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper. Add half of the spice mixture to the bowl with the preserved lemon pulp, along with the harissa (if using), chopped cilantro, chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and toss to thoroughly coat. Set aside and let marinate while you chop and cook the aromatics.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic along with remaining spice mix. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, or so.
- Stir in the water (or broth) and bloomed saffron (if using) and place the chicken pieces, meat side down, on top of the onion mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, covered, for 20 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, caramelize dried apricots (optional): In a medium saucepan, bring the honey, water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and let cook, uncovered, until the apricots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Once the apricots are tender, increase the heat and simmer to reduce the liquid to a relatively thick glaze, about 5 minutes more (if the liquid gets low during this stage, add a couple tablespoons of water). Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
- To the chicken, add the caramelized apricots, olives and preserved lemon slices. Cover again, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender. Garnish chicken with extra chopped herbs and serve warm with flatbread or over a scoop of couscous.
Notes
Preserved lemons: I recommend doing your best not to omit them. Preserved lemons are a key ingredient in chicken tagine because they add a unique tangy, salty, and slightly fermented flavor that enhances the overall dish. For this recipe, we are using the pulp of the preserved lemons as well as the skin. Some preserved lemons are quite large, and some are very small. Mine were very small so I used two. If you absolutely can't find them, you can use the lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon which can be added when you add the olives. You will also need to add at least 1 teaspoon more salt since the preserved lemons are quite salty and provide most of the sodium for this dish.
Why bone-in, skin-off chicken? Most traditional Moroccan tagines use bone-in chicken but remove the skin. Bone-in chicken retains moisture better during the slow-cooking process, ensuring the meat stays tender and juicy instead of drying out. Because we aren't browning the chicken skin to render the fat, removing the skin prevents excess grease in the sauce, keeping it light while still maintaining the richness from the spices and aromatics. If you would like to keep the skin on, brown the chicken, skin side down for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken and use some of the rendered fat to cook the onions and garlic.
Harissa paste: Harissa is a North African chili pepper paste that’s loaded with delicious spices and smoky flavor. It adds another dimension of flavor to this dish but it is not a common or essential ingredient in chicken tangines so feel free to leave it out. I only add it if I already have an open jar in the fridge (which is almost always because I love it). Note that harissa can vary in heat level — usually available in mild or spicy — so if yours is spicy, add only 1 tablespoon.
Caramelized apricots: This extra step doesn't take much effort at all and makes the apricots super tender, glaze-y and delicious. If you wish to skip this step, add the apricots to the pan at the same time as the chicken.
Saffron: I love adding a few threads of saffron to this chicken tagine. It lends a golden hue and an inimitable flavor to the braise. That said, I often omit it and the tagine is just as gorgeous and delicious. If omitting, add 1/3 cup of water or stock along with the other cup of liquid.