Chicken Tagine with Olives

Jump to Recipe

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!

A table laid out with  olives, eggplant dip, pitas, herbed couscous, moroccan tomato salad and chicken tagine along with drinks, plates and vases with flowers.


 

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!

A close up shot of chicken tagine in a large flat pan.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise en place of all ingredients to make Chicken Tagine.
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

A glass bowl with garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric along with salt and black pepper.

Step 1: Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.

A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with six chicken thighs rubbed with a spice mix.

Step 2: Rub the chicken with mixture, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

A dutch oven with chicken thighs being browned in some oil.

Step 3: Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to plate and set aside.

A plate with browned chicken thighs removed from the dutch oven, and onions being cooked in the dutch oven.

Step 4: Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until they begin to caramelize.

A dutch oven with cooked onions with ground cinnamon mixed in.

Step 5: Add the ground cinnamon and stir to combine.

A dutch oven with cooked onions, covered with chicken thighs, olives and lemon strips along with a mix of stock and lemon juice in a jar on the side.

Step 6: Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives and the lemon strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

A dutch oven with chicken tagine cooked and garnished with parsley.

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.

An overhead shot of a flat skillet with chicken tagine cooked in it, and garnished with parsley.

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

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 9 votes
The most delish Chicken Tagine with Olives adapted from one of our tour guides in Morocco!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Marinating Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Course Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings 6 people

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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 488mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

37 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    It was my first time the chicken tasted very delicious .
    Simple ingredients yet very rich in flavour after it is made.

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 5 stars
    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!!

  5. 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??

  6. 5 stars
    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!

5 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating