This Moroccan Chicken tagine recipe is a tasty, aromatic dish with tons of flavor. Serve it with couscous for a filling, luxurious meal.
This is one of my favorite meals. The sauce is really luxurious with salty hints of flavor from the olives, sweetness from the turmeric, a bit of sour from the lemon, and the saffron, herbs, and chicken stock to balance it out perfectly.
If you love Moroccan-influenced food as much as I do, maybe try my Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Couscous next time.
How to Make Moroccan Chicken
- Marinate the chicken
- Brown the chicken and remove it from the pan.
- Cook the onions, add the marinade, lemon slices, olives stock, and reserved chicken.
- Bake 25-30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Why This Recipe Works
- Marinating the chicken ensures the chicken absorbs the delicious herbs and spices.
- Infusing the stock with saffron adds an extra depth of flavor.
- Using the marinade in the sauce creates a flavorful sauce that can’t be beat!
Best For Chicken for Tagines
It’s always best to use chicken on the bone when braising. Dark meat chicken such as thighs or legs work best as they don’t dry out as much as breasts.
How to Use Chicken Breasts for This Dish
If your preference for chicken meat is breast meat, I recommend you brine the breasts (on the bone) an hour first. Soaking the meat in salted water causes it to absorb some of the water making it moister when cooked.
To brine the chicken, place the breasts in a large bowl with two quarts of cold water mixed with 1/3 cup kosher or sea salt (not table salt). Cover and put in the refrigerator for 1-8 hours.
Step By Step Instructions
Coat the chicken in garlic, lemon juice, and spices, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight.
Infuse stock with saffron and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Lightly coat the chicken flour Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until browned.
Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the marinade (including the lemons), stock, and herbs.
Add the olives and chicken to the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
What to Serve with Moroccan Chicken
I love to serve this Moroccan Chicken dish with couscous, however you can serve with rice too. For the ultimate meal serve with some bread and salad. Delicious!
Erren’s Top Tips
- To use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe, adjust your cooking time down to 20-25 minutes.
- Marinating overnight will produce a more flavorful dish.
- This dish is even better the next day. Follow the make-ahead instructions below on storage and reheating.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions ❄
- To make ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge. for up to two days. The flavors will continue to deepen over time. Then reheat, in the oven to warm through.
- To freeze store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs
A tagine is a traditional Moroccan cooking vessel made of ceramic or clay with a round base and low sides. It is also the name for a North African dish cooked in the tagine pot.
You can serve this Moroccan chicken with whatever side you like! It goes well with couscous, pearl couscous, white or brown rice, or even saffron rice!
This dish goes perfectly with couscous and a simple salad, or serve with any of your favorite veg.
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Let’s Make Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
For The Marinade
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and sliced (or chopped)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in with skin
For the Dish
- 6 tablespoons flour seperated into 2 and 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion Chopped
- The zest of one lemon
- The Juice of one lemon chop into chunks
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- Stems from a bunch of parsley and cilantro chopped tie the leaves of both cooking twine.
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands or powdered saffron
- 6 oz olives pitted
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Marinate the Chicken
- In a large bowl, mix the garlic, Lemon zest, lemon juice, the lemon remnants, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper, and the oil. Add the chicken. Mix everything together, cover, and set aside to marinate for anywhere from 20 minutes to 8 hours (the longer the better).
To Prepare the Dish
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Warm the stock, add the saffron and set aside to infuse.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Remove the lemon remnants and discard. Set the marinade aside.
- Lightly coat the chicken in 4 tablespoons of flour Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the flour coat. Add the leftover marinade, stock, and olives.
- Add the stems of the parsley, lemon slices & cilantro, turmeric, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the chicken back to the pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/73°C.
- Discard herb bunches and serve.
Tips + Notes
- To use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe, adjust your cooking time down to 20-25 minutes.
- Marinating overnight will produce a more flavorful dish.
- This dish is even better the next day. Follow the make-ahead instructions below on storage and reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated with new photos, tips and Make-Ahead And Freezing Instructions in 2021
Victoria says
The recipe was great. Made just as the recipe stated. My family loved it and so did I.
Thank you ❤️
Erren Hart says
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for stopping by to share! 🙂
Sam Morgan says
I made this last night for my wife and daughter. We all thought it was a great meal.
Erren Hart says
So happy to hear it! Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Jim says
Hi Erren, i am cooking this tonight! Looks great! I have two questions. First, my marinade looks more like a paste. Is that right? And second, it looks like you need to use oil twice – once in the marinade and again when you brown the chicken?
Erren Hart says
Hi Jim, I’m so sorry I didn’t see this sooner! The marinade should be thick. You want it to coat the chicken (although it’s a little late to tell you that now!). Yes, you use oil twice. I hope it went ok! Let me know!
Jim Becker says
This recipe was definitely a winner! So many complex layers of flavor just explode in your mouth. Fantastic. One of the best!
Erren Hart says
Yay! I was worried when I didn’t get your questions until the next day! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Denise Gleason says
I’ve made this twice now using my clay pot and it turned out beautifully delicious!
Erren Hart says
That’s so great! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Donna Robbins says
This is a delicious recipe! I made it exactly as described and served it on a bed of couscous. Recipe says it serves 6. I was going to save some leftovers, but nothing was left because we all had seconds! A sure keeper.!
Erren Hart says
How wonderful!! So thrilled to hear that.
Jarka says
Do I need to use prederved lemons, please?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jarka, I use fresh lemons in this recipe. I haven’t used preserved lemons so I’m not sure how it would work out 🙂