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.
Can you eat the lemon peel?
Are you placing the lemon peel into the recipe or lemon wedges with the peel on? Thanks.
peel!
I do have preserved lemons always on hand. Would I just substitute one of them whole for the lemon in your recipe?
that's perfect!! yes
I am going to make this for dinner tomorrow. Do you serve over rice or with potatoes?
nevermind...just saw your other comments!
Can we bake off in oven vs the stove?
totally!
I am so excited you have your spin on Moroccan recipes here. We went to the tiny Lebanese restaurant you recommended in Marrakech that had amazing food and also we had a lot of vegetarian tangible. Do you think cauliflower (or maybe cauliflower with tomatoes) would be a good substitute for chicken for us vegetarians?
Oops... TANGINE!!!
yes that would be delish!!
I am looking forward to making this menu for 8 people. How many does this menu serve? Also can the couscous be reheated? If so, how do you recommend reheating so as not to be too dry?
Than you for this menu!
This is incredible. My family of 5 devoured this. That includes three picky boys ages 7, 5 and 3. Thank you as alwaysGaby!!!
Thanks for the recipe! Do you have instructions for making ahead & reheating to serve at a dinner party? Thank you!
I would make it to completion and then reheat over medium low heat before serving!!
Dear Gaby,
Your recipe says “low oven temp” could you please tell me your suggested temp? Thank you
Hey Janelle - on this recipe? I might be missing it but I think I call out all the temps! Was it a different recipe you're referencing?
This menu was awesome! We had the olives and eggplant dip (I pureed the mixture since the eggplant was still to chunky), and then had the tomato salad with the chicken. Instead of making couscous, we just used pita bread. The chicken was flavorful without being spicy, tender and succulent. The tomato was the right complement to the spice. We finished with "caramel" topped ginger snaps coated in chocolate. Thanks so much for this lovely dinner menu!
I am making this and wondering if you can recommend side dishes? Thanks!
if you scroll down on the post, right above the recipe, it suggests a full menu to go along with it! xx
Can we get a video on this one
I used chicken breast and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
This looks amazing. For those who don't like dark meat can I sub chicken breasts?