Chicken Tagine is a staple Moroccan dish made with chicken, green or red olives, and preserved lemons.
It is a flavorful and aromatic Moroccan dish that is perfect for both lunch and dinner parties.
This recipe is simple to make and can be prepared in different ways. I will show you how my mom taught me to make it. The result is a wholesome and flavorful dish.
You can serve the Chicken Tagine with Moroccan homemade bread and a simple tomato and onion salad for a delicious and classical Moroccan meal.
Growing up, my mom would make Chicken Tagine at least once a week. The dish would usually be garnished with either a selection of fresh vegetables or just olives and preserved lemons.
I used to get excited when it was with olives and preserved lemons.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine Ingredients
To make a hearty Moroccan lemon chicken tagine you will need:
Chicken thighs or breasts (I like to mix both). This dish is usually made with bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, but you can also use boneless chicken. Or you can use a half chicken.
You will also need onions. I like to use the white ones because they melt into the sauce making it thick and flavorful. But you can use the red ones as well.
This recipe calls for freshly cut herbs (parsley and/or coriander), fresh garlic, green olives, and the main ingredient preserved lemons.
And of course, you will need live oil and Moroccan spices that include turmeric, paprika, powdered ginger, salt, and pepper.
It’s also common to include vegetables in Moroccan chicken tagines. And there are no limitations whatsoever on the vegetables you can use. You can get creative and use whatever is in your fridge.
You can make a chicken tagine with a mix of veggies like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and eggplants, or just keep it simple with chicken and peas. It’s your choice.
A chicken tagine recipe can also call for another optional seasoning such as almonds, and dried fruits.
In this recipe we are focusing on lemon chicken but if you are interested in other Moroccan Tagine dishes. Check out this recipe list.
How to make Lemon Chicken Tagine?
To make Chicken Tagine, start by deep-cleaning our raw chicken. To do that soak it in vinegar (or lemon juice ) and salt water for about 30 minutes.
This step is optional but we like to do it to remove the unpleasant smell of the chicken.
If the chicken is frozen, make sure to thaw it completely before cleaning or cooking.
After the 30 minutes have passed, rinse the chicken with cold water and set aside to strain until you prepare the Charmoula.
Once ready, marinate the chicken for at least an hour.
Next, place a heat diffuser plate on the stove then place the Moroccan tagine pot over medium heat and add olive oil, chopped onion, and the marinated chicken.
Note: If you don’t have a Moroccan tagine pot you can still use a deep frying pan that comes with a lid.
Sautee for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the chicken is lightly golden.
Next, add the green olives, preserved lemons, and chopped fresh herbs (parsley and/or coriander).
I usually rinse and boil the green olives before using them for about 10 minutes to remove the excess salt.
Bring the chicken to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is almost ready.
Make sure to check on the Tagine regularly and stir gently to prevent it from sticking to the surface of the tagine pot.
Add water a little bit of water necessary, just enough to make a thick and zesty sauce and not to make the chicken watery.
Note: Don’t flip or move the chicken around too much while it’s cooking.
Once the Chicken Tagine is ready, remove it from heat let it rest, and cool for about five minutes before serving.
You can drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish with some chopped parsley or cilantro.
And your lemon chicken tagine is ready to be served with some fresh Moroccan Bread and tomato salad on the side.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe
Moroccan Lemon Chicken Tagine
Equipment
- Tagine pot Replace with deep skillet with lid
- Head diffuser
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tagine:
- 800 g bone-in chicken pieces (thighs or a mix of parts)
- 1 medium preserved lemon
- ½ cup green olives (I prefer pitted olives)
- 2 large white or yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin Moroccan olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves plus more for garnish
- A pinch of saffron (optional) dissolve in ¼ cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
Prepare the Charmoula Sauce (Marinade)
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground ginger, ground turmeric, minced garlic, 1 tbsp extra virgin Moroccan olive oil, chopped pulp of the preserved lemon, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, saffron, ground coriander, black pepper, salt, and ground cinnamon to create the sharmoula sauce.
Marinate the Chicken
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl containing the chermoula sauce. Rub the sauce thoroughly into all the chicken pieces, ensuring they are well coated. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or you can proceed to cook immediately if short on time.
Prepare the Ingredients
- While the chicken is marinating, dice the onion finely. If using a food processor, pulse a few times to achieve a fine chop without turning it into a puree.
Cooking Process
- Heat a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of Moroccan olive oil and the diced onions.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan, reserving the excess sharmoula sauce for later.
- Sear the chicken on all sides until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes per side.
- Pour the reserved chermoula sauce over the chicken, strips of preserved lemon peel, and green olives. Cover to simmer.
- After a few minutes check and if necessary, add a little bit of water to ensure there is enough liquid to simmer the chicken in. But usually not more than a 1/4 cup.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet or Dutch oven and let the chicken cook for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Serving
- Serve the chicken hot, garnished with additional chopped fresh cilantro leaves. This dish goes well with Moroccan homemade bread.
