Moroccan Tagine Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken simmers with apricots, olives, and warm spices for a fragrant North African meal.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4–6 pieces)

→ Produce

02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
05 - 1 large carrot, sliced
06 - 1 cup dried apricots, halved
07 - 1 preserved lemon, rind thinly sliced, pulp removed (optional)
08 - 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

→ Spices

09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1 teaspoon ground paprika
13 - ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
14 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

→ Pantry

17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
18 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
19 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

→ Olives & Nuts

20 - ½ cup green olives, pitted and halved
21 - ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted (for garnish)

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken thighs dry and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or tagine over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt to the pot. Sauté until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
05 - Add diced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
06 - Return chicken to pot. Add apricots, preserved lemon rind if using, and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
08 - Add olives and continue simmering uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
09 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary before serving.
10 - Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro and toasted slivered almonds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce balances sweet apricots with briny olives in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable, like they were always meant to meet.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a spice market in the best possible way, the kind of aroma that lingers in your clothes and makes you hungry all over again.
  • It looks impressive but doesn't demand perfection, forgiving enough for a weeknight yet special enough to serve to people you want to impress.
02 -
  • Don't rush the browning step; that caramelized crust on the chicken adds a layer of flavor you can't get any other way.
  • If your sauce looks thin after the first simmer, resist the urge to crank the heat, just uncover it and let it reduce slowly so the chicken stays tender.
  • Taste before serving; sometimes the olives and preserved lemon bring enough salt, and sometimes you need just a pinch more to make everything sing.
03 -
  • Toast the almonds in a dry skillet until they smell nutty and turn golden, it only takes a few minutes but transforms them completely.
  • If you have a tagine, use it, the cone shape circulates steam beautifully and makes the chicken impossibly tender, but a Dutch oven does the job just as well.
  • Let the dish rest for five minutes before serving so the sauce settles and clings to everything perfectly.
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