Moroccan Chicken Tagine

4.67 from 3 votes

This easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine recipe produces tender chicken and chickpeas in a rich, spice-infused tomato sauce for a delicious dinner that takes just over 1 hour to make.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Moroccan

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: servings

Author: Tiffany Azure

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
8 skin on bone in chicken thighs
salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
2 brown onions thinly sliced
2 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout see note
2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon
1 tsp harissa paste
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole canned plum tomatoes
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup mixed black and green olives pitted

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven set over a medium high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, and cook the chicken in batches until they’re golden on each side. Set aside.
Drain off all but 1 tbsp of the fat from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and another pinch of salt, and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft. Then stir in the crushed garlic and cook for a minute more, followed by the Ras el Hanout, preserved lemon, harissa paste and cinnamon stick.
Crush the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pan along with the chickpeas, chicken broth and olives. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken, skin side up and reduce the heat to low. Simmer with the lid on for 25 minutes.
Taste and see if you need to add more salt before serving with couscous.

Notes

Ras el Hout: If you can’t find Ras el Hanout combine 2 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 ½ tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tbsp ground black pepper with a pinch of cloves. Keep the leftover spice mix in an air tight jar for up to 3 months.

Harissa Paste: This North African red chile paste can also be found online, in Middle Eastern grocers or at Trader Joe's. It's also really versatile so you can also make your own - it makes a delicious dip or chicken marinade mixed with plain yogurt. Sambal oleck would make a good substitute.

Preserved Lemons: These are easy to find in Middle Eastern grocers, online, and Trader Joe's sometimes sell them. If you find cured lemon or cured lemon paste use that instead, or simply add more salt and fresh lemon juice to the tagine at the end of cooking, to taste.

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