Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe

I can’t have a blog about Morocco and not share with you my family Moroccan chicken tagine recipe. That wouldn’t be fair, right? Every week I get many requests asking about Moroccan dishes and recipes. So here I am, sharing with you some easy and traditional Moroccan recipes straight from my mother cookbook. This can be another way to discover Morocco without leaving your home.

If you have already tasted the Moroccan chicken tagine, there is a big chance you fell in love with this delicious Moroccan dish. You might even have your mouth watering now … like me! If you only heard of it, well, this is an opportunity for you to try it and give yourself, family and friends a preview of Morocco heavenly tasteful cuisine. You will be amazed at how flavorful this easy dish is!

Making Moroccan Chicken Tagine

The chicken tagine recipe I will share with you is one of my favorites and the one I keep sharing whenever I am asked about Moroccan recipes. Unlike other traditional Moroccan dishes that need experience and special techniques, this Moroccan chicken tagine recipe is really easy and quick to make.

The Ingredients

In a nutshell, there are two main types of tagines in Morocco. The first type is the classic salty tagine like the one I am sharing with you today, using a combination of meat and vegetables. The second type is the sweet-and-salty tagine using a combination of meat, caramelized fruits, and roasted almonds. The sweet-and-salty version is slightly more complicated to make and mostly served in Morocco during celebrations and on special occasions.

The good thing about the salty version, besides being easy to make, is that it is very versatile as you can use it with different vegetables. The method stays the same but the taste of the tagine will be different with each vegetable mix you chose. In Morocco, the most common vegetables used in tagines are potatoes, peas, carrots, cauliflower, and zucchini. You can even skip the chicken to have a 100% vegan tagine.

In Morocco, marinated olives are used to flavor and decorate Moroccan tagines. You can either buy marinated olives from your grocery store, they are not spiced the Moroccan way but if you don’t have time, that’s still a good alternative. Or, if you have a few extra minutes, you can make Moroccan marinated olives yourself in less than 15.

The Cooking Method

To cook this Moroccan Tagine dish, you won’t need necessary a traditional Moroccan clay pot. Your regular cooking pot will do the job perfectly.

Cooking the tagine in a Moroccan traditional clay pot will add an interesting taste of roast and smoke, which I love. The clay pot also helps slow cook the whole ingredients infusing them with more flavor. If you want to use a traditional clay pot, make sure your clay pot is on very low heat to avoid burning the ingredients. Also, keep watching and adding water if the sauce evaporates.

Usually, cooking in a clay pot takes a little longer than in a regular cooking pot, around 1h15min to 1h30min. So don’t use this method if you want your dish to be ready quickly. But if you have time, it’s definitely worth the try, believe me!

Another option is to cook the tagine dish in your regular cooking pot and serve it in a traditional clay tagine. That’s what I do most of the time when I don’t have time to cook the tagine the traditional way. But whenever I can, I cook my tagines in a clay pot, because nothing else can reproduce that delicious smoke flavor.

If you don’t know how and where to look for traditional Moroccan tagine pots, I detail everything you need to know about tagine pots here.

If you are hosting a party or having family or friends over, serving your homemade Moroccan tagine in a beautiful traditional clay pot will make everyone’s eyes sparkle.

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Print Recipe

Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (Authentic & Easy)

This Moroccan Chicken tagine recipe has been in my family for years. Extremely easy to make and full of flavors. You will love it!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: africain, Moroccan

Keyword: Moroccan chicken tagine, Moroccan dish, Moroccan Tagine

Servings: 4

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Safa, moroccanzest

Ingredients

• 4 medium chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup fresh or frozen chickpeas
• 2 large potatoes peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp (bombed) of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp (bombed) of chopped fresh coriander
• 1 clove garlic pressed
• 1/2 tsp salt (adjust according to your taste)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 4 cups water 3 cups if cooking in a traditional tagine clay pot
• 1/4 cup marinated olives for dressing

Instructions

• In a cooking pot, mix the cooking oil, garlic, chopped onion, spices, chicken, and ½ cup of water, cover and let everything gently boil for 10 minutes in low heat. Stir from time to time.
• Add the remaining water, cover the cooking pot and let cook on low to medium heat until chicken is almost ready. This might take from 30 to 50 minutes, depending on your chicken drumsticks. If you are using a traditional tagine pot, it can take a little more.
• Once they are almost ready, add the frozen chickpeas and sliced potatoes. Cover again and let cook until the chicken, peas, and potatoes are all tender and well cooked. This can take between 30 to 40 minutes. You might have to add more water if your potatoes are very absorbent or if your sauce gets evaporated.
• To nicely dress your Moroccan chicken tajine dish, put chicken, chickpeas, and potatoes in the center of your plates, and pour the remaining sauce (if any) on top.
• Decorate with the marinated olives.

Notes

Moroccan chicken tajine is best savored with french bread or whole wheat braid. However, as I know these can be hard to find, you can eat it too with Lebanese patties or rice.