Must Try Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe.

Jump to Recipe Card
Print PDF Comment

Published: 2/28/2023

Updated: 12/6/2023

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links.

Get
FREE
Recipes!

Get My Favorite Recipe

Must Try Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe.

Discover the delicious simplicity of Moroccan Chicken Tagine—a traditional dish bursting with flavor. Learn how to recreate this culinary gem, inspired by a memorable visit to a Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco.

icon

Type of Cuisine:

Mediterranean

icon

Prep Time: 30 minutes ( 2 hours for marinade).

Cook Time: 1 hour

icon

How Many Servings?

8 servings

Table of Contents

Join me in savoring the vibrant flavors of Moroccan cuisine through the delightful Moroccan chicken tagine. This cherished dish is known for its rich spices and hearty goodness. In this blog, I’m thrilled to share a simple Moroccan chicken tagine recipe promising to whisk you away to the lively streets of Morocco. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or new to Moroccan flavors, this recipe ensures an impressive culinary experience that will tantalize your taste buds.

The Tagine, a symbol of Moroccan cooking, isn’t just a pot—it’s an experience. Made from clay and glazed perfection, the Tagine looks elegant while sealing in its deliciousness.

Saffron, a star spice, adds its unique aroma, blending with paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper.

Known for its slow-cooking magic, the Tagine creates a symphony of flavors. Come along as we explore the art of Tagine cooking and unravel the secrets behind its irresistible charm.

Ingredients you Need for The Chicken Tagine Recipe:

  • Saffron: Brings a luxurious and floral note, soaked in crushed ice to release its vibrant color and essence.
  • Chicken: Eight pieces, offering a succulent and versatile protein base for the tagine.
  • Garlic: Adds a robust, savory flavor to enhance the overall taste profile.
  • Ginger Powder: Infuses warmth and depth into the dish.
  • Cumin: Offers a nutty and earthy undertone, complementing the other spices.
  • White Pepper: Provides a mild heat, allowing the flavors to meld harmoniously.
  • Turmeric: Adds a golden hue and a warm, slightly bitter taste.
  • Preserved Lemon: The pulp is chopped, and the skin is saved, contributing a unique tanginess.
  • Italian Parsley and Cilantro: Chopped for a fresh, herbal aroma and taste.
  • Onions: Thinly sliced for sweetness and a caramelized texture.
  • Tomato: Diced to bring a juicy and acidic element to the tagine.
  • Potato: Cut lengthwise into eight pieces, offering a hearty and starchy component.
  • Carrots: Peeled and cut lengthwise into eight pieces, adding sweetness and vibrant color.
  • Green Zucchini: Cut lengthwise into eight pieces, contributing a mild, tender texture to the dish.

This combination of spices and ingredients creates a rich and layered flavor profile, showcasing the essence of a traditional and delicious chicken tagine. Adjusting the cooking time allows for the perfect blend of textures and tastes in every bite.

Tips for Perfect Chicken Tagine:

  • Prepare Your Tagine: If your Tagine is new, soak it for 24 hours and dry it in a preheated oven at 275°F for 30 minutes. This step prevents cracking. When using it on the stovetop, employ a heat diffuser to avoid damage.
  • Caution with Salt: Exercise caution with salt, especially if using preserved lemons, which can add saltiness.
  • Mind the Liquid: Adding more than ½ cup of liquid may cause bubbling. Check every 15 minutes to ensure the bottom isn’t dry, adding ¼ cup at a time.
  • Chicken Cutting: Cut the chicken into smaller pieces for easier fitting inside the Tagine.
  • Cooking Chicken Tagine Without a Tagine Pot: If a traditional Tagine pot is unavailable, use any large, deep pot with a tight-fitting lid. Seal the lid to preserve flavors; if a lid is absent, cover the pot with aluminum foil.
  • Substitute for Preserved Lemons: Preserved lemons offer a distinct flavor, but alternatives work well—Fresh Lemon Juice: Imparts citrusy tartness and sharpness.
  • Dried Fruits (e.g., apricots or dates): Adds natural sweetness and depth to complement the chicken tagine.

What to Serve Alongside Your Chicken Tagine

While the chicken tagine is delightful, enhancing it with well-paired side dishes can elevate your dining experience.

  • Tunisian Couscous: Fluffy and easy to prepare, Tunisian couscous offers texture and variety, complementing the flavors of your chicken Tagine.
  • Vermicelli Rice: Infused with aromatic spices and vermicelli noodles, this rice dish is an excellent companion to the rich flavors of your Tagine.
  • Yogurt Salad: A refreshing yogurt salad balances the richness of the chicken Tagine with its creamy and tangy notes.
  • Yemeni Rice Recipe: With its unique blend of spices and aromatics, Yemeni rice adds depth and complexity, making it a perfect complement to your Tagine.
  • Flatbread: Serving warm and fluffy flatbread, like Moroccan khubz or pita, allows you to savor every drop of the Tagine’s juices and sauce, providing a satisfying accompaniment.
  • Mint Tea: Conclude your meal with traditional Moroccan mint tea. Its refreshing and aromatic qualities harmonize beautifully with the rich and flavorful chicken Tagine, leaving you with a delightful culinary memory.
How to Make Must Try Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe.
Jump to Recipe Card

Preparation

1.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
The first step is to make saffron water; I used to add the saffron threads into a few ice cubes and let it melt to make about 2 oz of saffron water, about five large cubes. It will take about 15 minutes.
Mark as complete
2.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic with ground ginger, cumin, turmeric, white pepper, the chopped preserved lemon pulp, the chopped Italian parsley, and cilantro; add the saffron water and give it a good whisk and any saffron threads left.
Mark as complete
3.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
In a medium size bowl, have the cleaned chicken pieces poured over the marinate mix and keep in the fridge for 2 to 12 hours. When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of your refrigerator an hour before.
Mark as complete
4.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
Over medium-high heat in a medium size skillet, make sure the skillet is hot, add a few pieces of chicken, and sear on one side until browned. Next, flip sear the other side, remove to a platter and keep aside until you finish with all the chicken pieces.
Mark as complete
5.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
Using the same pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the oil to heat, add the onion, and sauté until the onions caramelize. This should take about 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Put onions at the bottom of the Tagine first. Then put chicken pieces around the inside rim of the Tagine. Leave some space so you can close the top of the Tagine.
Mark as complete
6.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
Arrange the vegetables rotating each one around in a dome shape. Pour the ½ cup of water on the bottom of the Tagine and close the lid. Cook on the stovetop with a heater diffuser on high for the first 10 minutes to get the juices going, then lower the medium-low and cook for another 50 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are tender. Enjoy.
Mark as complete
7.
Moroccan Tagine Chicken An Easy Recipe for a Traditional & Delicious Dish
In the last 15 minutes, open the lid, and pour some juices over the vegetables. Your delicious Moroccan Tagine Chicken will be ready to enjoy immediately!
Mark as complete

Ingredients:

1X 2X 3X
Adjust Servings
1 teaspoon crushed saffron (soaked in 2 oz of crushed iced and melted)
1 chicken (cut up into eight pieces, cleaned, and pat dry)
3 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground Ginger powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 preserved lemon pulp is separated and chopped. Skin saved on the side
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
2 medium size onions (sliced thin)
1 large tomato (diced)
1 potato (cut lengthwise into eight pieces total)
2 carrots (peeled and cut lengthwise to a total of eight pieces)
1 green zucchini (cut in lengthwise and then cut again into eight pieces)
½ cup water or broth

Preparation

1
The first step is to make saffron water; I used to add the saffron threads into a few ice cubes and let it melt to make about 2 oz of saffron water, about five large cubes. It will take about 15 minutes.
2
In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic with ground ginger, cumin, turmeric, white pepper, the chopped preserved lemon pulp, the chopped Italian parsley, and cilantro; add the saffron water and give it a good whisk and any saffron threads left.
3
In a medium size bowl, have the cleaned chicken pieces poured over the marinate mix and keep in the fridge for 2 to 12 hours. When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of your refrigerator an hour before.
4
Over medium-high heat in a medium size skillet, make sure the skillet is hot, add a few pieces of chicken, and sear on one side until browned. Next, flip sear the other side, remove to a platter and keep aside until you finish with all the chicken pieces.
5
Using the same pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the oil to heat, add the onion, and sauté until the onions caramelize. This should take about 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Put onions at the bottom of the Tagine first. Then put chicken pieces around the inside rim of the Tagine. Leave some space so you can close the top of the Tagine.
6
Arrange the vegetables rotating each one around in a dome shape. Pour the ½ cup of water on the bottom of the Tagine and close the lid. Cook on the stovetop with a heater diffuser on high for the first 10 minutes to get the juices going, then lower the medium-low and cook for another 50 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are tender. Enjoy.
7
In the last 15 minutes, open the lid, and pour some juices over the vegetables. Your delicious Moroccan Tagine Chicken will be ready to enjoy immediately!

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

How to prepare you tagine pot for the first time.

If you haven't used your Tagine before, prepare it for cooking by soaking it for 24 hours and then drying it in an oven preheated to 275 F for 30 minutes. Be sure to follow this step to prevent the clay pot from cracking. Additionally, if you cook on the stovetop, use a heat diffuser to avoid damage.

Rana’s Notes!

Storing: Once you have finished serving your chicken tagine, allow it to cool down to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. Place the container in the refrigerator and store it for up to 3-4 days
Reheating: To reheat the chicken tagine, gently warm it on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally until it is heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but be sure to cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and stir the tagine every minute to ensure even heating
Adding moisture: If you find that your chicken tagine has become dry after reheating, you can add a little bit of water or chicken broth to the pot and stir it in. This will help to restore some of the moisture and flavor to the dish.
Avoid overcooking: Be careful not to overcook the tagine when reheating it, as this can cause the chicken to become tough and dry. It's better to reheat it slowly and gently until it's just heated through.

Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Print
rana

By Rana

Thanks for visiting my Mediterranean food blog and welcome to my virtual kitchen! Here, you’ll find mouth-watering, wholesome, and nutritious Mediterranean recipes that will change the way you view cooking.

Never Miss a Recipe

Subscribe to my newsletter for authentic Mediterranean recipes, essential cooking tips, and the latest food news, all delivered directly to your inbox for FREE. Let’s create memorable dishes together!

    You will not receive any spam

    I would love to hear your experience!

    Have you cooked this amazing Moroccan Chicken Tagine yet? Leave a comment below and let me know if you changed the recipe. Love to hear from you

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *