Description
Aromatic chicken tagine filled with spices and citrus, offering tender chicken in a glossy sauce, perfect over couscous or rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.2 kg (2.5 lb) chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
- 200 g (1 medium) yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp (6 g) ground cumin
- 2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
- 1 tsp (2 g) turmeric
- 1 tsp (2 g) paprika
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 30 ml (2 tbsp) warm water
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 30 g (2 tbsp) preserved lemon, finely chopped
- 120 g (1 cup) green olives, pitted
- Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) honey
- 30 g (1/4 cup) slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Season and brown the chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and brown for 3 minutes more.
- Sauté the aromatics: Lower heat to medium. Add sliced onion and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Bloom the spices: Stir in ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. Sauté for 1 minute. Add saffron soaked in warm water.
- Add liquid and simmer: Pour in chicken stock, scraping up brown bits from the bottom. Return chicken to the pot, skin-side up, bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 35–40 minutes.
- Finish with preserved lemon and olives: Stir in chopped preserved lemon and pitted olives, cooking uncovered for 8–10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
- Rest and garnish: Let the tagine rest off heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, parsley, and toasted almonds if using. Serve over couscous or rice.
Notes
To prevent dry chicken, monitor the internal temperature and avoid overcooking. You can refrigerate the dish for up to 48 hours and reheat gently.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 46g
- Cholesterol: 150mg