Chicken Tagine

Name: Chicken Tagine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 6 serving
Ingredients: 1 cup dried apricot, halved; 6 x 220g / 7 oz chicken thighs; 3/4 tsp salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 400 g / 14 oz crushed tomato; 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas; 1 tbsp preserved lemon skin; 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low-sodium; 1 tsp cooking salt; 3/4 tsp ground cumin; 3/4 tsp ground ginger; 3/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp allspice powder; 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/4 tsp coriander powder; 1/8 tsp clove powder; Couscous - plain or with fruit and/or nuts; 2 tbsp fresh coriander; 1 cup kalamata olives; 1/3 cup slivered almonds

User Reviews

5.0

153 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings
6
Calories
604 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Moroccan

Chicken Tagine

Kai Walton

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Recipe video above. Browned chicken braised in a spiced sauce, the secret to a great Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a well-balanced spice blend! Best made with bone-in chicken thighs, which stay juicy for the required sauce simmering time. Drumsticks work well too. Some versions are made with olives, others use dried fruit, and some even use both. I've opted for fruit because it's one of the few dishes I love fruit with meat! See note 7 for the olive option (it's delish too). Note: Crushed tomato isn't typically used in traditional tagines but I love how it thickens the sauce so it clings to the couscous better. Without, the sauce is watery.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 cup dried apricot, halved (Note 1)
6 x 220g / 7 oz chicken thighs , bone-in skin-on (Note 2)
3/4 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (brown/yellow), cut into 0.3 cm/ 1/8" slices
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
1 cinnamon stick (sub 1/2 tsp powder)
400 g / 14 oz crushed tomato (1 can)
400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas , drained (Note 10)
1 tbsp preserved lemon skin , finely minced (Note 3)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low-sodium (or homemade)

Ras el hanout spice blend (Note 4):

1 tsp cooking salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/8 tsp clove powder

For serving:

Couscous - plain or with fruit and/or nuts (recipe here)
2 tbsp fresh coriander , roughly chopped

Alternative add in options

1 cup kalamata olives (instead of apricots) (Note 7)
1/3 cup slivered almonds , lightly toasted, for garnish (Note 8)

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Instructions

Plump apricots - Soak the dried apricots in a bowl of boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain (this plumps them up).
Season chicken - Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the salt.
Brown chicken - Heat oil the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot (Note 5) over high heat. Place chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden. Turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute then remove to a plate.
Sauté aromatics & spices - Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Ras el hanout and stir for 30 seconds.
Tagine sauce - Add the cinnamon stick, tomato, chickpeas, plumped apricots, stock and preserved lemon, then stir. Place the chicken on top, skin side up.
Simmer covered 5 minutes - Bring the liquid to a simmer then cover with a lid (Note 6). Cook for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so the liquid is simmering (but not too rapidly else base may catch).
Simmer uncovered 20 minutes - Remove lid then cook for a further 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 70°C/158°F (Note 6).
Serve - Remove from stove and rest for 5 minutes. Serve over couscous (Note 9), sprinkled with fresh coriander.

Notes

Dried apricots - Dried fruit like apricots and figs are sometimes added to traditional tagines. I've chosen apricots but you can leave them out or sub as you see fit! See Note 7 if you prefer olives instead of fruit.
Best chicken cut for tagine is bone-in, skin-on thighs as it yields the juiciest result. However, drumsticks will also work (use 10). For boneless thighs, sear for a couple of minutes on each side, remove, then make the sauce per recipe and just add the chicken back into the sauce for the last 5 minutes. For breast, I think the best way would be to fully cook it through in the pan, make the sauce per recipe, then cut the chicken into thick slices and toss it through the sauce just before serving.
Preserved lemon - An ingredient used in Moroccan and Indian cooking, this is lemon that is pickled in salt. The sharpness of lemon juices is mellowed and the earthiness of lemon flavour in the zest is intensified. Adds a touch of authenticity to tagines but don't fret if you can't find it, tagine is still worth making without it. Available at most large grocery stores in Australia.
TO PREPARE: We only use the rind as this is where all the flavour is! Take a piece out of the jar and scrape off the pith and pulp using a teaspoon. Rinse the rind thoroughly under tap water to remove excess salt then finely mince it with a knife.
Spices - You won't be left lacking if you are missing a spice (maybe even two). Make up for it by dialling up the ones you have.
Cooking vessel - If you have an actual tagine, kudos to you! I use my 30cm / 12" wide shallow cast iron casserole dish. Any large deep skillet or big pot will work fine. If it has a lid, even better. If not, don't worry - just cover with a baking tray or foil for the covered simmering step.
Internal temp - Chicken thighs are a nice juicy cut so you can cook it well over the target internal temp - even as high as 85°C/185°F - and it's still juicy. (Can't say the same for breast!).
Olive option - Skip the dried apricots, use 1 cup of kalamata olives, pitted, or green olives. No need to plump them up! Add in with the tomato.
My personal preference is not to use both dried fruit and olives (I just don't really enjoy the combination, it's too much competing flavours). Feel free to use both together if you prefer!
Nuts - Slivered almonds, lightly toasted until golden in a dry skillet, go really nicely in tagines.
Couscous - I use this recipe of mine. Also terrific with rice.
Chickpeas - Sub with any canned beans. Dried chickpeas - You will need 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas, cooked as per Note 1 in this recipe.
Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. It will freeze well too! Cool completely, then freeze in airtight containers in portion sizes. Thaw then reheat using chosen method (I shamelessly microwave. Speed and convenience).
Nutrition is per serving and calories shown in the table is higher than reality as I cannot reliably estimate the amount of fat discarded after browning the chicken (too variable).

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 604cal (30%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 37g (57%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 8g Monounsaturated Fat 17g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 167mg (56%) Sodium 1477mg (62%) Potassium 1086mg (31%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 1177IU (24%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 123mg (12%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 604 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	604cal	30%
Carbohydrates	35g	12%
Protein	37g	74%
Fat	37g	57%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Polyunsaturated Fat	8g	47%
Monounsaturated Fat	17g	85%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	167mg	56%
Sodium	1477mg	62%
Potassium	1086mg	23%
Fiber	8g	32%
Sugar	16g	32%
Vitamin A	1177IU	24%
Vitamin C	8mg	9%
Calcium	123mg	12%
Iron	4mg	22%