Tagine! It's a way of life in Morocco and you're going to love it! Chicken Tagine with Olives is the way to my heart!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Let's start with the basics. Tagine, is a dish that originated in Northern Africa and has since made its way across Europe and beyond. It's particularly popular for dinner parties because it feeds a crowd and it's incredibly flavorful. At it's core, a tagine is large chunks of stewed meat, tons of spices, preserved lemons and fresh herbs on top. It's cooked in a vessel that's also called a tagine. It's basically an earthenware dish with a tight fitting, cone-shaped lid. During cooking, that lid catches the rising vapor and condensation and allows it to drip back over the ingredients making them extra juicy and flavorful.
Yours truly was NOT able to haul an authentic tagine back from Morocco, hello, carry on only for life. So I did it with the next best thing, a skillet and a lid. A tagine is on my list of things to purchase one day! Until then... I gave it my Gaby spin and it's delicious! Make it - you won't be disappointed! Pair this up with some herbed couscous and a Moroccan tomato salad and you're all set!! For the entire Moroccan dinner party spread - here's the full menu for you!
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the Chicken:
- Garlic Cloves
- Sweet Paprika
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Ginger
- Saffron
- Turmeric
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chicken Thighs bone in skin on
For the Tagine:
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onions
- Ground Cinnamon
- Green Castelvetrano Olives pitted and smashed
- Lemon peeled into thick slices
- Chicken Stock
- Lemon Juice
- Flat-leaf Parsley
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Tagine
Step 1: Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 2: Rub the chicken with mixture, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
Step 3: Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to plate and set aside.
Step 4: Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until they begin to caramelize.
Step 5: Add the ground cinnamon and stir to combine.
Step 6: Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives and the lemon strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.
Step 7: Cover the skillet and place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.
How to Store Chicken Tagine
You can store this in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container and it makes for great leftovers.
How to Freeze Chicken Tagine
You can freeze this recipe by storing it in an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight to make it easy to get it out and re-heat the chicken to a safe temperature when its time to eat.
Tips & Tricks
This is traditionally served on its own, but you can always add rice or bread if you'd like something to soak up every last delicious drop.
FAQs
What is Tagine?
Tagine is a dish that originated in Northern Africa and has since made its way across Europe and beyond. At it's core, a tagine is large chunks of stewed meat, tons of spices, preserved lemons and fresh herbs on top. It's cooked in a vessel that's also called a tagine. It's basically an earthenware dish with a tight fitting, cone-shaped lid. During cooking, that lid catches the rising vapor and condensation and allows it to drip back over the ingredients making them extra juicy and flavorful.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Chicken Tagine with Olives
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads crushed
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 bone in skin on chicken thighs
For the Tagine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 16 green castelvetrano olives, pitted and smashed
- 1 lemon, peeled into thick slices (using a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon peel into thick 1 inch strips)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Rub the chicken with mixture, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
- Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to plate and set aside. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Add the ground cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives and the lemon strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.
- Cover the skillet and place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.
It was my first time the chicken tasted very delicious .
Simple ingredients yet very rich in flavour after it is made.
Really appreciate how you’ve mapped out the whole menu for us. I plan to serve this all at a dinner party. I get stressed if I have to do too much cooking the day of. You mentioned this reheated well. Do you think I could make the chicken dish the day before and then reheat it the next day for dinner? Thank you.
Made this tonight with Israeli Cous Cous. Sooo good! I love all the spices in the chicken dish! Really delicious! ♥️. I tried to post a photo on Instagram…but I am not too good with posting there. It is on Face book. So yummy! And I had all the ingredients right in my kitchen!
Could this be cooked in the oven ?
This is beautiful and delicious. Next time I'm adding preserved lemons!!
This was such a huge hit with everyone in the family! Thank you so much for this and all other recipes, they’re delicious! I just got back from smell & taste loss from Covid so it made it even more of a triumph with all the spices bouncing around!! Thank you!!
This looks amazing. However my husband HATES olives (I know, he’s missing out). Will the dish suffer if I leave them out or is there a good substitute??
Yummy!
I used chicken breasts and it was perfect!
I served it with cous cous with chick peas and fresh herbs
Great idea! Which herbs did you use? Thank you!
Something different! Lots of flavor and very tasty
This recipe was so delicious and simple, I will definitely be adding it to the regular rotation! The only change I would make is to finish the chicken off in the oven, rather than on the stove, so that the skin stays nice and crispy. I served this over rice and the rice soaked up all the delicious sauce, yum!
Can you cook day before and reheat
yes tagine is great for that!