Moroccan Chicken Tagine – Chicken braised in a rich spice-infused sauce studded with chickpeas and dried apricots. Just, YUM! Serve over couscous for an authentic eating experience.
After you’ve made this, try Lamb and Vegetable Tagine!
Chicken tagine
Tagine is a classic North African stew made with meats and vegetables braised in a gently spiced sauce. It is traditionally made in a conical-lidded earthenware pot called a tagine (from where the dish obviously gets its name!) A tagine’s lid is shaped so all the steam trapped in the dome drips back into the dish as condensation, keeping the dish moist as it slowly stews.
There are many varieties of tagines. Meat, fish and all manner of vegetables can make their way into this stew. Nuts and preserved fruits like figs, apricots, lemon or olives are also often added to for flavour and interest. Today I’ve picked a Moroccan chicken tagine with dried apricots and chickpeas.
And don’t worry! You don’t need an actual tagine to make this – we’re going to use a boring old pot! 😂
What goes in Chicken Tagine
The spice mix used in this Morrocan chicken tagine is Ras el hanout, a spice blend common in North Africa used in many dishes. While you can buy pre-made blends, the balance of flavours can be unpredictable from brand to brand. It’s so much better to make your own for a consistent outcome – and it’s cheaper too!
Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are the best cut for a tagine because they are still juicy after the 25 minutes simmering time required to thicken the sauce and allow the flavours to develop.
Chicken legs are a terrific alternative. Just follow the recipe as written. Boneless thighs and breast will work but the cook method is best altered to add them back in partway through the sauce simmering time else they will overcook. I’ve popped directions in the notes. 🙂
Ras el hanout – The spice blend for tagine, made with common spices you may already have! You can buy blends but I prefer to make my own to get the right balance of flavours. The nice thing here is that because we’re using a fair few different spices here, it’s not the end of the world if you’re missing one … or even two. I’ve offered a few switch-out options in the recipe notes!
Cinnamon stick – Added to the sauce as it simmers for a beautiful perfume and flavour. I love the scent cinnamon this adds to the dish!
Dried apricots – As mentioned earlier, some versions of tagine are made with olives, others use dried fruit, other still may use both. I’ve opted for fruit because it’s one of the few dishes I love that pairs fruit with meat! However I am personally not really a fan of both dried fruit and olives together – it’s just a little too much, I find. Let one or the other shine, I say!
However, the recipe includes the olive option too.
Chickpeas – Chickpeas add some more heft to the dish. I just use canned for convenience but I’ve popped directions in the notes for cooking dried. Other beans, like cannelloni and butter beans, make fair substitutes, as do lentils.
Garlic and onion – Essential for the sauce flavour base. It’s rare to see saucy recipes on this website that don’t start with these!!
Canned tomato – For the sauce base. Not strictly traditional but I love how it thickens the sauce so it clings to the couscous better. Without, the sauce is very watery in consistency. While traditional tagines are supposed to be like that, I prefer a stewy sauce!
Chicken stock – To add depth to the sauce. If you just use water, you’ll find the sauce a bit bland.
For convenience, I typically use store-bought but homemade chicken stock would take this to another level. Also, vegetable stock would be a good substitute.
Coriander / cilantro – A fresh garnish. Recommended, but not a deal-breaker if you’re one of those people who can’t stand coriander. Or if the price of coriander has sky-rocketed to dizzying levels lately, as it has here in Sydney due to extreme weather conditions! 😭
Preserved lemon – An ingredient used in Moroccan and some Indian cooking that is often used in traditional tagines. Accidentally omitted from the ingredients photo above, so I’m giving it air time with a big photo! 😂
Preserved lemon is lemon simply pickled in salt. The salt mellows the sharpness of the lemon juice and transforms the flavour remarkably, intensifying the earthiness of the lemon flavour in the zest.
These days it’s fairly easy to find at large grocery stores in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms) but don’t fret if you can’t find it. Tagine is still worth making without it!
How to use preserved lemon: 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 (white part of rind) and pulp using a teaspoon (it’s extremely salty and also bitter). Rinse the rind thoroughly under tap water to remove excess salt then finely mince it with a knife.
How to make Chicken Tagine
Brown the chicken skin until golden, then braise in the spice-infused sauce. Simple!
Plump up apricots – Cover the dried apricots with boiling water then leave for 30 minutes to plump up.
Brown chicken – Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown the skin really well in a pan. This takes a good 8 to 10 minutes. Don’t shortcut this step! The browned skin adds a stack of flavour to the chicken, plus it leaves behind golden bits stuck on the pan (called “fond”) which imparts valuable flavour to the sauce.
Once the skin side is nicely browned, sear the other side for just 1 minute then remove. The chicken won’t be cooked through at this stage. We will finish cooking it in the sauce.
Sauté aromatics and spices – Sauté the onion and garlic, then cook off the spices briefly. Sautéing spices before adding liquids is a good tip for releasing more flavour from the spices. It certainly does for tagines!
Tagine sauce – Add the chickpeas, apricot, tomato, preserved lemon, stock and cinnamon stick. Stir, then bring it to a simmer.
Top with chicken – Just place the chicken on top, skin side up. It will be partially submerged but the flesh should mostly be under the liquid while the skin mostly sits above the liquid which is exactly what you want as this way, the browning on the skin is mostly preserves during the braising.
Simmer covered 5 minutes – Adjust the heat as needed so it’s simmering gently. Not too rapidly else the base of the pot will scorch.
Simmer uncovered 20 minutes – Remove the lid then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 70°C/158°F (which may be slightly less than 20 minutes). Don’t worry about going above this temperature as bone-in chicken thighs are a very juicy cut so they’re very forgiving.
Serving! Tagine is traditionally served over couscous. I’ve popped a little more information below with some couscous flavouring options as well as some alternatives for other carb-y partners.
What to serve with Chicken Tagine
Couscous
Tagine is frequently served over couscous. Plain couscous is fine though it’s really nice with a little sprinkle of dried fruit and/or nuts littered throughout, or a spritz of fresh lemon. You’ll find various flavouring options in the couscous recipe.
Other starchy vehicle options
Rice (white, brown, basmati), pearl couscous (the giant ones), quinoa and any other small-grain starchy things suitable for sauce-soaking make good alternatives. Even mashed potato or mashed cauliflower would be great. Just something to slop up all that delicious sauce!
If you’re attempting the low carb thing, then Cauliflower Rice will work well too. Actually, I think the slight nutty flavour from roasting the cauliflower rice will go really nicely with Chicken Tagine!
Side Salad
I think a light, simple side salad is nice to pair with spice-infused dishes like Chicken Tagine. Some suggestions:
Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad (a regular at my Moroccan or Middle Eastern-themed meals)
Leafy greens tossed with my Everyday Salad Dressing (an easy, anything-goes alternative) or Pomegranate Dressing (for more suitably exotic vibes)
If you’re wanting to make more of an impact, try one of these:
Ottolenghi Green Bean Salad (I am literally obsessed with this salad!)
Or – find your own perfect side salad here. 🥬
Love to know what you think if you try this! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
- 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)
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.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Moroccan recipes
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Lynne says
Can you use ordinary lemon rind instead of preserved in the Tagine as I can’t seem to find any?
Patti Hachten says
Oh Nagi. This was incredible! I have one question. I had to go to a Mediterranean grocery for the lemons. When I asked for preserved the gentleman gave me pickled. Are they the same? Thanks for another wonderful meal.
Frances Wheatley says
Cooked this tonight on a rainy miserable Sydney night- was delicious
J says
Oh yum! This chicken tagine looks sooo good N! I can’t wait to make it!
Lol. There’s Dozer getting in trouble again!
Chris says
Great to see you back Nagi. Do the cooking times change if using a Le Creuset tagine on the stove?
Nagi says
Hi Chris! Nope, same cook times. That will distribute heat nicely, you lucky thing! 🙂 N x
Trudy says
Chicken Tagine is just delicious. We cooked for six but it was so tasty it was only four portions for us and yes we were greedy but it was worth it.
Nagi says
I encourage greedy with food this good. 😂 Glad you enjoyed it Trudy, thanks for taking the time to let me know! N xx
Jill Meiser says
Oh my goodness, this was just SO GOOD. I bought a clay tagine so looked up this recipe. I had 8 big chicken thighs so decided to make it in an All Clad pan instead and save the tagine for when I was making a smaller batch. So glad I did because it was so yummy if I didn’t have copious leftovers I’d be so sad! On a whim I threw in some fat golden raisins and some mild Castelvetrano green olives. Like others, I subbed lemon zest for preserved lemon but I will be on a quest to find it for next time. Tip: If you have a Sprouts Market nearby, they have the spice blend available in the specialty spice “by the ounce” end cap. Just pour it from their jar into a little baggie, label it and save yourself time and effort! I used 2 tablespoons which is heavy handed but it worked out well for our tastes. “Warm spices” sums up this oh-so-satisfying concoction. Perfect fall comfort food for a cool October evening in Atlanta, Georgia. I finished it under a broiler to re-crisp the skin and served over plain Basmati rice. The sauce is so fabulous no other seasoning on the rice is needed. This is going to be a regular for us.
Susan says
I only had chicken drumsticks and tinned peaches, cooked it low and slow in a covered casserole pot , but it works! A very tasty, tender dish with a moreish sauce.
Nagi says
I love hearing that Susan! I’ve made tagine with canned fruit in the past too, softer than when using dried but the flavour is still spot on! N xx
Barbara says
What are brown onions? Is it something I buy or something I make? I know green onions, yellow onions, and white onions, but I’ve never heard of brown onions. Can you advise, please.
Nagi says
Yellow onions! 🙂 Same thing, different name in different countries. I’ll update the recipe! N xx
Kate says
So good to see you back again!!! I cooked the tagline for dinner last night and – like all your other recipes I’ve made – received rave reviews. So looking forward to the leftovers tonight. Thank you!!
Nagi says
WHOOT! So glad you enjoyed it Kate, thank you for letting me know! N x
Roksy says
Made this for dinner the night before yesterday! Still had some for lunch the next day – oh boy did it taste even better. Such a great recipe to follow. Made everyone’s tummy happy! 😊 Wish I could post a photo !
Nagi says
Great to hear Roksy! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Kerrie says
You can there is a RecipeTin eats appreciation page on Facebook
Michael Martin says
Just made this and the recommended green bean salad and both are delicious the first try! As usual, the recipe is spot on and easy to follow. 🙂 I also used the couscous recipe but substituted quinoa which worked well as a gluten free option.
Nagi says
Yuuum!! I love that green bean salad, if beans weren’t so expensive right now I’d be making it too 😭 Glad you enjoyed it Michael, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Karen K says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! My family loved it and have already said they want it in the regular meal rotation. It was super easy and the sauce is amazing. I only used 5 chicken thighs and there’s lots of sauce left over, will turn the extra into a sauce with some vegetables. It’s too good to waste!
Nagi says
Love hearing you repurposed the sauce!! I do that ALL the time with so many dishes 🙂 N x
Sopi says
I’m going to make this recipe along with your Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad (I figured to use this as a side because of the similar spices) for dinner tomorrow (GMT). Definitely excited based off of all the good reviews!
Nagi says
Yuuuum! Hope you loved it Sopi! N x
Sue says
Welcome back Nagi, my offerings have been so boring. Haven’t tried the tagine yet but about to.
Nagi says
He he I love this message. 🙂 Have a browse through the recipe catalogue! You’ll get some inspiration! N xx
Lauren Blanchard says
I’ve looked for a chicken tagine recipe for quite a while and am pleased you have included one. I have tried some in the past that are watery and don’t seem to have much of an impact, flavour-wise. Looking forward to trying this.
Lee says
Thanks for another delicious recipe. A warning to Tagine owners. I have a large tagine and even after removing 2 cups of liquid I still couldn’t put the lid on and had to transfer all to another pan. If it was half portion or you have a ridiculously large tagine then it may fit
Mary says
This looks so yummy and was curious about the lemons. I know you said it could be made without them but how much of a difference would the taste be, and do I really want to miss this ingredient? I am happy you are getting better and go by what everyone who has had Covid are telling people, that you need to take it easy as you are still recovering. Get better soon! Oh and thank you for another awesome recipe. I don’t think I have ever made one of your recipes that wasn’t a 5 star and there are just so many that are repeat’s.
Meredith McDonald says
Made it last night and had leftovers for lunch today. I did the olive version as my husband can’t abide sweet and savoury and has childhood nightmares of seventies apricot chicken. It’s definitely going to be on high rotation.
Kathy says
I’m sorry you have been ill, but glad you are getting back to normal. I have a question, can I used canned apricots in place of the dried / soaked apricots? See I have several tins of canned apricots, not sure even how I came to have them, let alone what to do with them until (hopefully now). Also, disreguard the 3 star rating, ive not tried this yet, and figured a half way point was appropriate. Will chang that at a later date.
W. Kalb says
We have enjoyed your delicious recipe again. Super combination of herbs and citrus. Greetings from the Netherlands