Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe

Moroccan chicken tagine served on a plate with vegetables using chicken thighs in a flavorful broth with halved green olives garnished over it.

5 from 1 vote

Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe

Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a flavorful and tender chicken dish that is unique enough to serve to guests but easy enough to cook for yourself. Give this salty, delicious chicken a try to dress up some simple chicken thighs!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 804kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Tagine
Dutch Oven
Mixing Bowl(s)
Plastic Wrap
Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

¼ tsp saffron
¼ cup boiling water
1 Preserved Lemon
¼ cup parsley finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
4 garlic cloves grated
2 tsp Ground paprika not smoked paprika
¾ tsp Ground ginger
½ tsp Cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp Black pepper
6 tbsp Olive oil divided
2.5 lb chicken thighs and legs bone-in skin-on
2 yellow onions sliced very thinly
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp reserved liquid from preserved lemons
½ cup pitted green olives

Instructions

Add ¼ tsp saffron threads to a small bowl. Pour ¼ cup boiling water over the threads.
Separate the pulp from the skin of the preserved lemon. Finely chop the pulp and slice the skin very finely. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ¼ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup cilantro, lemon pulp, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tsp paprika, ¾ tsp ginger, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, ¼ tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil, and the saffron water.
Add 2.5 lbs chicken into the bowl and make sure that it is covered in the marinade and massage the marinade into the skin of the chicken. Cover the chicken and allow it to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a tagine or dutch oven. Add the 2 sliced onions and sprinkle with ½ tsp turmeric. Saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent.
Add the marinated chicken into the dutch oven on top of the onions. Make sure to pour any remaining marinade into the pot.
Turn the stove to medium heat and add the tagine/dutch oven for 5 minutes until the liquid begins to simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for about an hour, until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
After an hour, drizzle the chicken with the ½ tsp liquid from the preserved lemons. Add the ½ cup green olives and the sliced preserved lemon skins into the pot. If you want your chicken to be saltier, you can add more preserved lemon juice (it is very salty).
Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the liquid evaporates slightly and the sauce thickens. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Notes

Chicken: You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces but skin-on chicken thighs and legs work just as well. The bone-in chicken thighs and chicken skin offer a more authentic depth of flavor to the dish but you could use boneless thighs if you want.
Green Olives: Make sure to use pitted ones. This adds a nice briny flavor to the Tajine M’chermel.
Preserved Lemon: Preserved lemons come in a jar and are preserved with salt and brine. You can order them online or find them at a specialty grocery store. You can also substitute fresh lemon zest and lemon juice if in a pinch, but you may need to add salt. In my opinion, this is one of those special ingredients that is worth hunting down.
Saffron: This recipe calls for whole saffron. It looks like rough strings and has incredible flavor.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken will have a different flavor than boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Some people like to remove the skin part way through cooking and remove the meat from the bone when it is done to make serving easier.
This meal may not be considered a fast and easy meal, but you could make a portion of it ahead of time and finish it with the final step just moments before serving.

Nutrition