Chicken Tagine
Recipe video above. Browned chicken braised in a spiced sauce, the secret to a great Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a well-balanced spice blend! Best made with bone-in chicken thighs, which stay juicy for the required sauce simmering time. Drumsticks work well too. Some versions are made with olives, others use dried fruit, and some even use both. I've opted for fruit because it's one of the few dishes I love fruit with meat! See note 7 for the olive option (it's delish too). Note: Crushed tomato isn't typically used in traditional tagines but I love how it thickens the sauce so it clings to the couscous better. Without, the sauce is watery.
Ingredients
Instructions
Plump apricots - Soak the dried apricots in a bowl of boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain (this plumps them up)
Season chicken - Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the salt
Brown chicken - Heat oil the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot (Note 5) over high heat. Place chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden. Turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute then remove to a plate
Sauté aromatics & spices - Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Ras el hanout and stir for 30 seconds
Tagine sauce - Add the cinnamon stick, tomato, chickpeas, plumped apricots, stock and preserved lemon, then stir. Place the chicken on top, skin side up
Simmer covered 5 minutes - Bring the liquid to a simmer then cover with a lid (Note 6). Cook for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so the liquid is simmering (but not too rapidly else base may catch)
Simmer uncovered 20 minutes - Remove lid then cook for a further 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 70°C/158°F (Note 6)
Serve - Remove from stove and rest for 5 minutes. Serve over couscous (Note 9), sprinkled with fresh coriander
Nutrition
- Calories
- 604cal
- Carbohydrate Content
- 35g
- Protein Content
- 37g
- Fat Content
- 37g
- Saturated Fat Content
- 9g
- Cholesterol Content
- 167mg
- Sodium Content
- 1477mg
- Fiber Content
- 8g
- Sugar Content
- 16g
