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
Life of Dozer
Who me? 👼🏻
Hope you’re back on form soon, Nagi. Take care.
Thank you Eve! Feeling more like my usual self every day. I hope you are keeping well? N xx
What a lovely surprise to have you back, Nagi. Hope you get your energy back soon. Have been very concerned with not hearing from you, felt something was wrong. Don’t push yourself, we all want you strong and healthy again.
Hi Kerry, thanks for your concern! All good, I’ve just been tied up with the book then caught COVID. Hence the silence since the last recipe in May when I declared I’M BACK!! 🙂 Definitely not pushing myself, taking it easy until I can boot this nasty thing. Thank you for your lovely message! N x
Love the video. Never realized that you had to really clear the preserved lemon and then rinse them. So glad to hear you are starting to feel better. Take Care till next time.
Hi Theresa! You can use the pulp but it’s VERY salty so it should be used sparingly in things like dressings, or when cooking you can add it in instead of salt with free lemony flavour. But the yellow skin is where the money’s at with preserved lemons!! N xx
So sorry you had Covid. I had it in early ‘21 before I had any shots. Hospitalized, Not fun. Residuals. Anyway, please take care, and don’t resume regular schedule until you are all better. Recipe looks great.
Oh no Lois! I’m so sorry to hear you were hospitalised due to COVID, how horrid. I do hope you are fully recovered?? Definitely taking it easy until I get my normal energy levels back, from what I hear from my friends it takes around 3 to 4 weeks to fully kick it! N x
Hey Nagi, Thanks for the new recipe every recipe I’ve tried from your website has been excellent. Hope you’re feeling better n stay healthy.
Thank you John! Definitely feeling more like my normal self every day, it’s the lack of energy that’s really irritating!! That, and having to sleep 10 hours a night. WHO HAS THE TIME???!! 😂 N xx
So sorry that you’ve been sick. But glad your on the mend. In terms of the recipe, I’m frankly a lazy cook with a very short attention span (think ADHD senior) and always prefer using a slow cooker, to fiddling around on a stove top. Obviously, the browning has to be done on the stove top but what would I do after that to use my slow cooker.
Hi Pat! I hear you on the slow cooker, but for a 25 minute simmer time I kind of figure it’s not really worth transferring everything from the pot into a slow cooker 🙂 This one is low maintenance on the stove, not like stews and stuff where you have to be careful about the base catching. BUT if you really really wanted to use the slow cooker I’d probably do 4 hours on low. It could take up to 6 hours but the chicken will be at that “fall apart”stage by then, definitely delicious just not how chicken is cooked in traditional tagging. 🙂 Hope that helps! N x PS I should put these tips in the recipe notes!
Hello Nagi,
Thrilled to see your email recepie today. I missed you and Dover. This recepie is a winner!
Here in Canada, Montreal, we’ve had 3shots p!us 2 boosters and covid is still making lots of people sick.
Take care of yourself ,take the
time you body needs to heal properly. Can’t wait to order your cookbook.
So good to hear from you! I’m sorry you got Covid and very happy you’re almost well again! This recipe looks delicious and definitely going to try it. Stay well, Nagi and hug Dozer for me!
Dear Nagi,
What a wonderful surprise finding your email this morning ☺. So so sorry to hear you too fell victim to covid. It just seems so surreal this invisible intruder is still amongst us after all these months, vaccines and precautions being practised. Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.
The innocences Dozer projects and his strategy for apology are priceless in the potted plant disaster photo. Cute to everyone except the clean up comittee 😣.
Love the new recipe and know it is perfect. Have always held off preparing Chicken Tangine due to the whole clay pot thing. So, this newest addition to Recipe Tin Eats collection will be in rotation thus coming week!
Do have a question concerning your masterpiece. Will the cookbook have dfferent printings concerning measurements, metric and/or American?
Take good care and TRY to be patient with yourself while you are still healing.
Cheers
Take it easy until you are fully recovered. Pushing too fast to get back to everything you do will only make your fatigue drag on and on. Think of you often. Eagerly wait for any recipe you put out here for us and am looking forward to the cookbook. Hi Dozer – take care of your mommy!
Nagi, so sorry to hear you had COVID. I had 2 shots and a booster, about 2 months after the booster had COVID. Mine felt like a bad case of the flu for 2 weeks, then another 3 weeks of no energy and intermittent sick days. The end of the misery is coming, just slow to arrive. Hang in there, it will pass. Just get your rest so you will not delay the recovery. Yep, no fun but it will pass. My best to both you and Dozer.
Lovely to hear from you again, Nagi! Thank you for the recipe.
I was just thinking about you the other day, wondering how everything was going.
Now some advice from an old (not necessarily wise!) woman: as hard as it is for someone like you who is used to multi-multi and more multi-tasking, your body needs time to recuperate.
Treat yourself with the same loving kindness you show everyone else.
Your body will let you know when you can get back to your normal energizer self!
Thank you for everything. Take care!
Cheers from Canada
Sorry to hear you have been sick with Covids, but truly happy to hear you are past the worse part now. The Chicken Tagine looks wonderful. I will have to buy some of the ingredients that are not common in our home, but we will try it soon.
So glad you and Dozer are back! I have missed you both. Thank you for this recipe and I am looking forward to your cookbook!
So happy to hear from you despite your unfortunate Covid experience. Rest is truly the best medicine. We will all gladly wait for as much time as you need for your cookbook. I have copied all my favorites from your site and made my own Naji Cookbook. Rest and get strong.
This recipe looks amazing! In step 4 of the instructions it says,”add the Ras el hanout and stir for 30 sec.”. What is that? Can’t figure it out. Thanks
Hi Maria,
It’s the blend of spices. Recipe looks amazing.
This looks delicious. Is it possble to do it in a slow cooker?
Great to have you back in our lives Nagi. Love the way you present your recipes.
Don’t worry, the symptoms will wear off (gradually!!!), but thank you for using your depleted reserves to give us this 😘
I may have missed this …how much of the Ras el hanout blend do we use in this recipe.
I suspect you don’t want us to put the entire blend in the recipe ….or maybe you do. I have a fresh container from morocco and would like to use it.
It’s good to hear from you! I’ll be making the tagline this weekend! Take care of yourself, we all can wait for the cookbook and be delighted when it is ready. Be well….