Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe

Name: Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: ¼ tsp saffron; ¼ cup boiling water; 1 preserved lemon; ¼ cup parsley; ¼ cup cilantro; 4 garlic cloves; 2 tsp ground paprika; ¾ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp cumin; ½ tsp ground coriander; ¼ tsp black pepper; 6 tbsp olive oil; 2.5 lb chicken thighs and legs; 2 yellow onions; ½ tsp Turmeric; ½ tsp reserved liquid from preserved lemons; ½ cup pitted green olives

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
4
Calories
804 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Moroccan

Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe

Dominic Levy

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Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a flavorful and tender chicken dish that is unique enough to serve to guests but easy enough to cook for yourself. Give this salty, delicious chicken a try to dress up some simple chicken thighs!

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Ingredients

Servings

¼ tsp saffron
¼ cup boiling water
1 preserved lemon
¼ cup parsley finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
4 garlic cloves grated
2 tsp ground paprika not smoked paprika
¾ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp black pepper
6 tbsp olive oil divided
2.5 lb chicken thighs and legs bone-in skin-on
2 yellow onions sliced very thinly
½ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp reserved liquid from preserved lemons
½ cup pitted green olives

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Instructions

Add ¼ tsp saffron threads to a small bowl. Pour ¼ cup boiling water over the threads.
Separate the pulp from the skin of the preserved lemon. Finely chop the pulp and slice the skin very finely. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ¼ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup cilantro, lemon pulp, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tsp paprika, ¾ tsp ginger, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, ¼ tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil, and the saffron water.
Add 2.5 lbs chicken into the bowl and make sure that it is covered in the marinade and massage the marinade into the skin of the chicken. Cover the chicken and allow it to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a tagine or dutch oven. Add the 2 sliced onions and sprinkle with ½ tsp turmeric. Saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent.
Add the marinated chicken into the dutch oven on top of the onions. Make sure to pour any remaining marinade into the pot.
Turn the stove to medium heat and add the tagine/dutch oven for 5 minutes until the liquid begins to simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for about an hour, until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
After an hour, drizzle the chicken with the ½ tsp liquid from the preserved lemons. Add the ½ cup green olives and the sliced preserved lemon skins into the pot. If you want your chicken to be saltier, you can add more preserved lemon juice (it is very salty).
Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the liquid evaporates slightly and the sauce thickens. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Notes

Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only.
Chicken: You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces but skin-on chicken thighs and legs work just as well. The bone-in chicken thighs and chicken skin offer a more authentic depth of flavor to the dish but you could use boneless thighs if you want.
Green Olives: Make sure to use pitted ones. This adds a nice briny flavor to the Tajine M’chermel.
Preserved Lemon: Preserved lemons come in a jar and are preserved with salt and brine. You can order them online or find them at a specialty grocery store. You can also substitute fresh lemon zest and lemon juice if in a pinch, but you may need to add salt. In my opinion, this is one of those special ingredients that is worth hunting down.
Saffron: This recipe calls for whole saffron. It looks like rough strings and has incredible flavor.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken will have a different flavor than boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Some people like to remove the skin part way through cooking and remove the meat from the bone when it is done to make serving easier.
This meal may not be considered a fast and easy meal, but you could make a portion of it ahead of time and finish it with the final step just moments before serving.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1serving Calories 804kcal (40%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 64g (98%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 11g Monounsaturated Fat 34g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 236mg (79%) Sodium 468mg (20%) Potassium 780mg (22%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 1136IU (23%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 81mg (8%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 804 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1serving
Calories	804kcal	40%
Carbohydrates	16g	5%
Protein	41g	82%
Fat	64g	98%
Saturated Fat	14g	70%
Polyunsaturated Fat	11g	65%
Monounsaturated Fat	34g	170%
Trans Fat	0.2g	10%
Cholesterol	236mg	79%
Sodium	468mg	20%
Potassium	780mg	17%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	9g	18%
Vitamin A	1136IU	23%
Vitamin C	15mg	17%
Calcium	81mg	8%
Iron	3mg	17%