Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It’s great for feeding a hungry crowd yet easy to throw together. This easy and freezable chicken tagine is sure to be a family favourite.
The word tagine refers to the shallow clay vessel with a cone-shaped lid in which the dish is traditionally cooked, but you don’t need one to make it. I use a large cast-iron casserole. A heavy covered frying pan will work, too.
Moroccan tradition is to eat directly from the tagine, using Moroccan Bread to scoop up the chicken and sauce. I take a short cut here and use shop bought tortillas or Naan Bread. Serving rice or Couscous on the side also helps you soak up the tasty juices. Don’t be alarmed if you haven’t got Preserved lemons available the recipe also works well with Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice too. However, you can always make your own. Easy to do and preservative free Preserved Lemons | Moroccan Magic |
Chicken Tagine
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Loading...Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It’s great for feeding a hungry crowd yet easy to throw together. This easy and freezable chicken tagine is sure to be a family favourite.
Ingredients
- pinch of saffron threads
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 250ml just-boiled water
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 preserved lemons, rinsed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika ( we prefer smoked)
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 600g medium potatoes
- 300g Carrots cut into nice barrel shapes
- 3 large ripe tomatoes
- 50g pitted green olives ( or black or both)
- bunch of fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
- bunch of fresh parsley, leaves roughly chopped
- flaked sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Put the saffron in a measuring jug with the stock cube and pour over the 250ml of just-boiled water.
Stir until the stock cube dissolves and set aside.
Put the chicken thighs on a board and trim off all the visible fat, then season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Slice the preserved lemons into very thin strips, flicking out any pips as you go.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan.
Add the onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Season with lots of black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, while stirring.
Add the 2 tablespoons of cold water and steam-fry for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly until the onions are lightly browned. A
dd the chicken and preserved lemons to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, turning the chicken until it’s lightly coloured on all sides.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into rough wedge shapes or chunks of about 4cm.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and cut the pitted olives in half.
Put the potatoes, tomatoes and olives in a large bowl and toss with the herbs and plenty of salt and pepper.
Scatter the vegetable mix over the chicken, pour over the saffron stock and cover the pan tightly with a lid.
Simmer over a very low heat for 35–40 minutes, without removing the lid, until the chicken and potatoes are tender.
Try our other chicken recipes:
Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken | Easy Italian Magic |
Roast Chicken and Cabbage | Three Ingredient Magic |
Chicken and Prawn Paella | Made in Madrid
Wine Matching
This recipe needs a nice light red wine to compliment this dish. If you want a Spanish wine to try go for Rioja, many are made with Tempranillo grapes and pair well with spicy food. On the other hand, tagines work particularly well with dry rosés and red Grenache. As long as the wine isn’t too fruity or contains a lot of tannins, chances are it’ll work well your Chicken Tagine. There are some great Spanish Wines at Naked Wines
Take advantage of our Naked Wines offer and get a healthy £75 off your first order –
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