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Chicken Tagine is a popular Moroccan dish made with chicken, green or red olives, and preserved lemons. It is a flavorful and aromatic Moroccan dish that is perfect for both lunch and dinner parties.
This recipe is simple to make and can be prepared in different ways. I will show you how my mom thought me to make it. The result is a wholesome and flavorful dish. I promise!
You can serve the Chicken Tagine with Moroccan homemade bread and a simple tomato and onion salad for a delicious and classical Moroccan meal.
Moroccan chicken tagine with green olives and preserved lemon
Growing up, my mom would make Chicken Tagine at least once a week. The dish would usually be garnished with either a selection of fresh vegetables or just olives and preserved lemons.
I used to really get excited when it was with olives and preserved lemons. My favorite part of Chicken Tagine is the crispy skin on the chicken. And there is a secret to getting that skin brown and crispy. Keep reading to discover it!
To make a hearty Moroccan chicken tagine you will need chicken thighs or breasts (I like to mix both). This dish is usually made with bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, but you can also use boneless chicken.
You will also need onions. I usually use the white ones because they melt into the sauce making it thick and flavorful. But you can use the red ones as well.
You will also need freshly cut herbs (parsley and/or coriander), green olives, preserved lemons (you can make them at home), olive oil, and fresh spices of course, that includes turmeric, paprika, powdered ginger, salt, and pepper.
Chicken tagine dish
It’s also common to include vegetables in Moroccan chicken tagines. And there are no limitations whatsoever on the vegetables you can use. You can get creative and use whatever is in your fridge.
You can make a chicken tagine with a mix of veggies like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and eggplants, or just keep it simple with chicken and peas. It’s your choice.
A chicken tagine recipe can also call for another optional seasoning such as almonds, and dried fruits.
To make Chicken Tagine, start by deep-cleaning the raw chicken. To do that soak it in vinegar (or lemon juice ) and salt water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will help to remove the unpleasant smell of the chicken. If the chicken is frozen, make sure to thaw it completely before cleaning or cooking.
After the 30 minutes have passed, rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the clean chicken aside until needed.
Next, place a heat diffuser plate on the stove then place the Moroccan tagine pot over medium heat and add olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the chicken to the pot and add salt, the chopped onion, and garlic (or garlic paste).
Note: If you don’t have a Moroccan tagine pot you can still use a deep frying pan that comes with a lid.
Sautee the chicken with the onion, garlic, and salt for about five minutes until the onions are translucent and the chicken is lightly golden.
After the chicken has cooked for five minutes, add the rest of the spices (turmeric, black pepper, Paprika) and 1 cup of water.
Bring the chicken to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is almost ready.
Make sure to check on the Chicken Tagine regularity and stir gently to prevent it from sticking to the surface of the tagine pot. Add water a little bit of water necessary, just enough to make a thick and zesty sauce and not to make the Chicken Tagine watery.
Note: Don’t flip or move the chicken around too much while it’s cooking.
After the Chicken Tagine has cooked for 30 to 35 minutes, add the green olives, preserved lemons (if using), and the chopped fresh herbs (parsley and/or coriander).
Cover with the lid, and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Once the Chicken Tagine is ready, remove it from heat and let it rest and cool for about five minutes before serving.
You can drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish with some chopped parsley or cilantro.
Tip: To get the crispy skin on the chicken, put it in the oven for about 10 to 15 mins with the top open just before serving.
Chicken Tagine is ready to be served with some fresh Moroccan bread and tomato salad on the side.
- 500g (or 4 medium pieces of chicken) thighs or breasts or both
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 big clove of garlic, pressed (or Garlic ready paste)
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (mix of parsley and coriander)
- 100g red or green olives (I prefer red olives)
- 1 small preserved lemon chopped or cut into circles
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling (optional)
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. powdered ginger
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 3-4 cups of water (depends on the speed of evaporation)
- Step1: Soak the chicken in vinegar/lemon juice and salt water for about 30 minutes to an hour. This will help to remove the unpleasant smell of the chicken. If the chicken is frozen, make sure to thaw it completely before cleaning or cooking.
- Step 2: After the 30 minutes have passed, rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Step 3: Place a heat diffuser plate on the stove then place the tagine pot over medium heat and add olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the chicken to the pot and add salt, onion, and garlic.
- Note: If you don’t have a Moroccan tagine pot you can still use a deep frying pan that comes with a lid.
- Step 4: Sautee the chicken with the onion, garlic, and salt for about five minutes until the onions are translucent and the chicken is lightly golden.
- Step 5: After the chicken has cooked for five minutes, add the rest of the spices (turmeric, black pepper, Paprika) and 2 cups of water and cover the pot. Bring the Chicken Tagine to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is almost ready.
- Note: Make sure to check on the Chicken Tagine regularity and stir gently to prevent it from sticking to the surface of the pot. Add water when needed, just enough to make a thick and zesty sauce and not to make the chicken watery.
- Tip: Don’t flip or move the chicken around too much while it’s cooking.
- Step 6: After the Chicken has cooked for 30 to 35 minutes, add the green/red olives, preserved lemons (if using), and the chopped fresh herbs (parsley and/or coriander).
- Step 7: Cover with the lid, and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Step 8: Once the Chicken Tagine is ready, remove it from heat and let it rest and cool for about five minutes before serving.
- Drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Bon appetite!
- To get the crispy skin on the chicken, put it in the oven for about 10 to 15 mins with the top open just before serving.
- You can replace the green/red olives with frozen peas
- You can make the preserved lemon at home. Check our preserved lemon recipe.
Did You Make This Recipe? How you went with my recipes? Tag me on Instagram at @CapeToCasa.
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