How to Make Moroccan Chicken Tagine
This traditional Moroccan Chicken Tagine with olives and preserved lemon is one of the best and most flavorful tagines ever! Think juicy chicken thighs marinated in Moroccan spices in a rich sauce served with bread or over couscous. It's an authentic, easy-to-follow recipe that brings the taste of Morocco to your kitchen.
Ingredients
- - 4 tbsp olive oil - 4 tbsp olive oil
- - 12 cloves garlic, minced - 12 cloves garlic, minced
- - 2 yellow onions, sliced thinly - 2 yellow onions, sliced thinly
- - 8–12 chicken thighs, skin on & bone in - 8–12 chicken thighs, skin on & bone in
- - 2 tbsp parsley, minced - 2 tbsp parsley, minced
- - 2 tbsp cilantro, minced - 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
- - 10–12 strands saffron (optional), bloomed with an ice cube for 15 minutes - 10–12 strands saffron (optional), bloomed with an ice cube for 15 minutes
- - 2 tsp salt - 2 tsp salt
- - 4 tsp pepper - 4 tsp pepper
- - 4 tsp ginger - 4 tsp ginger
- - 4 tsp paprika - 4 tsp paprika
- - 2 tsp cumin - 2 tsp cumin
- - 1 tsp turmeric - 1 tsp turmeric
- - 2 preserved lemons, sliced thinly - 2 preserved lemons, sliced thinly
- - 2 cups green olives - 2 cups green olives
- - 4 tbsp water - 4 tbsp water
- - couscous or Moroccan bread (khobz) to serve with - couscous or Moroccan bread (khobz) to serve with
Instructions
- 1. Prep the oven & ingredients. Start by preheating oven to 350 degrees and prepping all ingredients: mince the garlic, onion, preserved lemon, cilantro, and parsley.
- 2. Saute onions and garlic. Add half of the olive oil, plus all of the garlic and onion to the base of a large tajine or Dutch oven and sautee over medium heat until the onions begin to appear translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
- 3. Season chicken with herbs and seasonings. Turn off the heat and carefully arrange the chicken in the tajine over the onions and sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, the rest of the olive oil, bloomed saffron, salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric. Mix well with your hands until the chicken is coated with all the spices.
- 4. Arrange chicken & veggies in tajine and bake. Spread the seasoned chicken evenly around the base of your tajine. Arrange the sliced preserved lemon and olives over top. Drizzle with water, cover and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees), checking every 30 minutes or so.
- 5. Broil (OPTIONAL). Remove the tajine from the oven, set the temperature to broil and, using tongs, move the chicken from the tajine to a baking sheet, leaving behind the sauce, olives and preserved lemons. Broil the chicken, skin side up for 5-7 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Notes
Saffron: Blooming the saffron with an ice cube is a gentle way to extract its color and flavor. If you're short on time, you can bloom it in 2 tablespoons of warm water.
Preserved Lemons: Don't skip these! They are essential for the authentic taste. If you can't find them, you can use a whole fresh lemon, very thinly sliced, but the flavor will be different.
Checking for Doneness: The most reliable way to check if the chicken is cooked is with a meat thermometer. It should read 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh.