Description
This Moroccan Chicken Tagine recipe features tender, flavorful chicken thighs braised with a fragrant blend of traditional Moroccan spices, bright lemon zest, garlic, and hearty vegetables like carrots and olives. Cooked slowly in a heavy-bottomed pan, the dish develops deep, complex flavors perfect for serving with couscous, making it an authentic, comforting North African meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt and ground black pepper (approximately 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper for seasoning chicken, plus ¼ teaspoon salt for sauce)
Main Ingredients
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick coins
- ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Spices and Lemon: Combine the paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, ground ginger, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon and combine 1 teaspoon of the zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set this mixture aside for later use.
- Brown the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Brown the chicken skin-side down in a single layer until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, let cool enough to handle, then peel off and discard the skin. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
- Cook Onion and Garlic: Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned at the edges but still holding shape, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if the pan begins to get too dark. Add the remaining minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Spices and Make Sauce: Stir in the prepared spice mix and flour, cooking while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken pieces along with any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add Carrots and Continue Cooking: Add the carrot slices, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and carrots are tender-crisp, approximately 10 more minutes.
- Finish with Olives and Herbs: Stir in the cracked green olives, lemon zest-garlic mixture, chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional lemon juice if needed. Serve hot, ideally accompanied by couscous.
- Notes on Preparation and Make-Ahead: When trimming chicken thighs, simply remove any excess fat or skin quickly with kitchen shears as the skin will be removed during cooking and fat mostly drained. Cracked green olives can be found at specialty olive bars or substituted with your preferred green olives. The prepared dish can be refrigerated after cooking the carrots for up to 2 days; gently reheat on the stove before adding the olives and final ingredients.
Notes
- Trim chicken thighs lightly; skin is removed mid-cooking and most fat drains off.
- Cracked green olives are olives split before curing; can substitute any green olive variety.
- Make-ahead tip: Refrigerate after cooking carrots for up to 2 days; reheat gently before adding olives and fresh lemon-cilantro finish.
- Serve with couscous for a traditional pairing.
