Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe – How Locals Make it

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? Even if Moroccan Zest is not cooking-focused, I had hundreds of requests asking about Moroccan 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, right?

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 never have tasted it, well, this is an opportunity for you to try it and give yourself, family and friends a preview of this heavenly tasteful cuisine. You won’t regret it I promise!

Making This Moroccan Chicken Tagine

This chicken tagine is one of my favorites and I already shared the recipe with many of my friends. They all tried it home and loved it. Unlike other traditional Moroccan dishes that need experience and s special technique, this Moroccan chicken tagine recipe is easy and quick to make. There are many variations and the one I am sharing with you below is one of the easiest. You can use different vegetables and mix them (frozen chickpeas, cauliflower, potatoes, zucchini, etc.). You can even skip the chicken to have a vegan tagine. Super practical & easy!

To cook this Moroccan Tagine dish, you won’t need a traditional Moroccan clay pot. Your regular cooking pot will do the job perfectly. Besides, cooking in a clay pot the Moroccan way needs a special technique and takes a long long time, and honestly, doesn’t make a big difference in the result.

However, if you want to have a 100% Moroccan experience, or if you are hosting a dinner and want everything to be perfect, you can use a traditional tagine clay pot for serving your tagine dish. Once finished, you can leave it at eyesight to decorate your kitchen and add a pop of color. I own one that I use for decorating my kitchen, for serving my Moroccan dishes and even to serve some non-Moroccan dishes. Just think of it as a regular big bowl, but so much cuter & with a strong personality 😉 Luckily, you don’t have to go to Morocco to get one! There are many gorgeous tagine pots available online at very reasonable prices and different sizes.

In Morocco, marinated olives are used to decorate Moroccan tagines dishes and to add an interesting flavor. 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.

Can’t wait? Here are the steps to make Moroccan chicken Tagine.
Happy Cooking and Saha! (enjoy your meal), as we say in Morocco.

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: 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
• 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 (around 3 ½ cups), cover the cooking pot and let the tajine cook on low to medium heat until chicken is almost ready. This might take from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your chicken drumsticks.
• Once they are almost ready, add the frozen chickpeas and sliced potatoes. Cover again and let it cook until the chicken, peas, and potatoes are all tender and well cooked. This might take between 15 to 40 minutes. You might also have to add more water if your potatoes are very absorbent.
• 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.