Traditional Moroccan Chicken Tagine: A Taste of Marrakech

This is such a typical Moroccan dish, that the number of recipes are endless. After experimenting a bit, I felt that the balance of this dish was superior to other recipes I had tried.

I liked using the Le Cruset to maintain the heat in the oven and allow the juices to drip back on the tagine while cooking.

Looking for another wonderful Moroccan dish, try Delicious Moroccan Chicken with Honey and Almonds

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs, trimmed of excess fat. 

3 Tbsp Olive Oil, for browning the chicken. 

1 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 Tbsp ground Cumin

1/2 Tbsp ground Coriander

1 1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon, one whole stick for stewing. 

1/8 tsp ground Cloves

1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

Pinch of Saffron threads, crushed. 

1 Onion, chopped 

1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth

3 cloves Garlic, crushed and minced

1 cup pitted Green Olives 

1/2 cup dried Apricots, sliced in half 

1/4 cup Dates, pitted 

1 preserved Lemon, insides removed and thinly sliced

Preparation:

Begin by preparing your spice mix and setting that aside. Then trim your chicken thighs of excess fat, and sprinkle them with about 1/3 of the spice mixture. 

Prepare your preserved lemons, olives, and apricots and set aside. Chop your onions and garlic and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven and lightly brown the chicken in batches and set aside. Add in the onions and allow to lightly carmelize. Add garlic and sauté gently. Deglaze with the broth and very slightly reduce. 

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.

While onions are cooking, layer the chicken, reserved spice mixture and lemons, olives and apricots.

Pour the entire reduced onion mixture over the top of the heavy pot, add your crushed saffron and cinnamon stick and cover. Cook for 2-3 hours. 

Traditional Moroccan Chicken Tagine: A Taste of Marrakech

This is such a typical Moroccan dish, that the number of recipes are endless. After experimenting a bit, I felt that the balance of this dish was superior to other recipes I had tried.
I like using the Le Cruset to maintain the heat in the oven and allow the juices to drip back on the tagine while cooking.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Morroccan

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, trimmed of excess fat.
  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil for browning the chicken.
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground Cumin
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground Coriander
  • 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon one whole stick for stewing.
  • 1/8 tsp ground Cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • Pinch of Saffron threads crushed.
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth
  • 3 cloves Garlic crushed and minced
  • 1 cup pitted Green Olives
  • 1/2 cup dried Apricots sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup Dates pitted
  • 1 preserved Lemon insides removed and thinly sliced

Equipment

  • Heavy Pot with Lid

Method
 

  1. Begin by preparing your spice mix and setting that aside. Then trim your chicken thighs of excess fat, and sprinkle them with about 1/3 of the spice mixture.
  2. Prepare your preserved lemons, olives, and apricots and set aside. Chop your onions and garlic and set aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven and lightly brown the chicken in batches and set aside. Add in the onions and allow to lightly carmelize. Add garlic and sauté gently. Deglaze with the broth and very slightly reduce.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.
  5. While onions are cooking, layer the chicken, reserved spice mixture and lemons, olives and apricots.
  6. Pour the entire reduced onion mixture over the top of the heavy pot, add your crushed saffron and cinnamon stick and cover. Cook for 2-3 hours.

Notes

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Delicious Moroccan Chicken with Honey and Almonds

This is a very favorite dish of mine, which I found in Claudia Roden’s wonderful book, “Arabesque”. It is pure Moroccan simplicity which blends the ingredients to create an end result which is much more than the sum of its parts.  This dish never fails to impress and it makes the entire house smell wonderful and cozy.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Shallots or baby Onions. The frozen baby onions work very well, and save you a lot of prep time.

1 Onion, chopped

½ tsp Saffron

1 tsp ground Ginger

½ tsp ground Cinnamon

8 Chicken Thighs, skinless, with bone in

1 ½ Tbsp Honey

4 oz blanched Almonds

Salt and Black Pepper

4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a sturdy iron casserole pot, which has a top, and then sauté chopped onion until it is translucent. Stir in the saffron, ginger and cinnamon. Then add in the chicken, salt and pepper and coat well with the mixture. Allow it to cook slightly but watch it carefully that is doesn’t burn.

Add in one cup of water, the shallot/baby onions, stir and allow to cook covered for 40 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add in the honey and add a decent amount of additional black pepper and cook until the water is gone and the mixture is thick and caramelized. Then add back the chicken pieces, cover with the sauce, sprinkle on the almonds and serve with couscous.

Delicious Moroccan Chicken with Honey and Almonds

This is a very favorite dish of mine, which I found in Claudia Roden’s wonderful book, “Arabesque”. It is pure Moroccan simplicity which blends the ingredients to create an end result which is much more than the sum of its parts.  This dish never fails to impress and it makes the entire house smell wonderful and cozy.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Morroccan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb of Shallots or baby Onions. The frozen baby onions work very well and save you a lot of prep time.
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • ½ tsp Saffron
  • 1 tsp ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 8 Chicken Thighs skinless, with bone in
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Honey
  • 4 oz blanched Almonds
  • Salt and Black Pepper
  • 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven or Heavy Pot

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil in a sturdy iron casserole pot, which has a top, and then sauté chopped onion until it is translucent. Stir in the saffron, ginger and cinnamon. Then add in the chicken, salt and pepper and coat well with the mixture. Allow it to cook slightly but watch it carefully that is doesn’t burn.
  2. Add in one cup of water, the shallot/baby onions, stir and allow to cook covered for 40 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add in the honey and add a decent amount of additional black pepper and cook until the water is gone and the mixture is thick and caramelized. Then add back the chicken pieces, cover with the sauce, sprinkle on the almonds and serve with couscous.

Notes

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Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!