I can’t have a blog about Morocco and not share with you my family‘s Moroccan chicken tagine recipe. Every week I get many requests asking about this worldwide famous dish. So here I am.
If you’ve never cooked a chicken tagine the Moroccan way, prepare yourself to have a culinary revelation in your kitchen. The steps are easy, the ingredients are simple and you will be amazed at the deliciousness you will be able to create.
Even as a Moroccan native who grew up eating this dish multiple times a week, Moroccan tagines are definitely on my favorite dishes’ list. I get hungry each time I think about them. They are delicious, nutritious, balanced and so comforting.
How to Make Moroccan Chicken Tagine?
To make Moroccan chicken tagine, you will need some chicken (breast, thighs, or any other part), vegetables of your choice, olive oil, and fresh spices and aromatics. The ingredients are very basic and the good part, you probably already have them in your fridge.
In Morocco, the most common vegetables used in chicken tagines are potatoes, green peas, carrots, cauliflower, green peppers, and zucchini. You can even skip the chicken to have a 100% vegan tagine.
Honestly, most of the time, I make my Moroccan chicken tagine with whatever vegetable leftovers I have. Sometimes it can be a mix of four or five vegetables, and the result is a heavenly mix of flavors.
In Morocco, we cook the Moroccan chicken tagine in a traditional clay pot, also called tagine. This tagine clay pot helps slow cook the ingredients, concentrating the flavors and bringing the taste to a new level.
If you don’t have your clay pot yet, you can still cook your chicken tagine dish in a saucepan or deep frying pan.
When cooking in your saucepan or frying pan, check regularly and make sure the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom of your pan. You can also use a heat diffuser to diffuse the heat equally and avoid burning.
This recipe is so HEAVENLY it will become part of your regular cooking routine. Add it to your collection and save time in the kitchen with my $2 printable Moroccan recipe cards.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (Authentic & Easy)
Equipment
- Deep pan with lid
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken drumsticks
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup preserved lemon, 100% natural deseeded and cut in fine slices
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp (rounded) chopped parsley
- 1 tsp (rounded) chopped coriander
- ¼ cup red olives optional, but they add an amazing flavor!
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 to 6 cups water adjust depending on evaporation
Spices
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pinch cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp salt adjust according to your preferences
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients. Chop the vegetables and press the garlic.
- Place the heat diffuser on your stove and place your Deep pan on top of it. Make sure everything is stable before you start cooking.
- In the pan, add the chopped onion, oil, pressed garlic, spices, chicken drumsticks, and ½ cup of water. Mix until the drumsticks are entirely covered with the sauce.
- Cover your pan and let everything gently boil for 10 minutes on low heat. Stir from time to time.
- Pour 3-4 cups of water or until your chicken is covered with the sauce.
- Cover the cooking pot and let cook on low to medium heat until the drumsticks are almost ready. This might take from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your chicken drumsticks. Check regularly and add a little of water if sauce evaporates.
- When the chicken is almost done, add the frozen peas, sliced carrots preserved lemons and half the quantity of parsley and coriander. Cover again and let cook until everything is all tender and well cooked. This can take between 20 to 30 minutes. Check regularly and add water whenever needed.
- Once everything is well cooked and if there is a lot of sauce, uncover your pot and let evaporate for a few minutes. The sauce should be thick, not watery.
- To serve your dish, gently position the chicken drumsticks and vegetables in the center of your plate and pour a little of the sauce on top.
- Decorate with marinated olives and some fresh parsley, and coriander.
- Serve hot or tepid, with fresh bread.
Notes
Nutrition
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tried twice
each time it was delicious and very fragrant! I can’t believe I was able to cook something that refined and delicious, and I am a beginner cook still. oh and my husband LOVED it. thank you. (btw, just purchased your recipe cards, can’t wait to integrate them in my new healthy cooking routine!)
Response from Moroccanzest
aww thanks, Shirley! hope my recipe cards help you with your new healthy, delicious and efficient cooking routine ♡
Could I use my slow cooker(Crock pot) for this recipe?
Haven’t tried it, but it sounds good!
Response from Moroccanzest
Hey Katherine. Absolutely! It will taste amazing in a slow cooker. Keep the same steps and reduce water quantity as water won’t evaporate as much. When I use my instant pot, I let cook for about 12 hours or overnight. -xxx
very fragrant
made it with carrot and potatoes, absolutely delicious!
BRILLIANT
Made a Vegan Version of your perfect recipe tonight using Seitan. Didn’t have frozen green peas so I used Haricots Verts instead.
Visited Essaouuira years ago and found the place Jimi Hendrix stayed in the 60s South of Essaouira on the coast. Love 💘 💘
Response from Moroccanzest
That sounds delicious. I might try it with seitan too. glad you liked the recipe, David. Oh, and what a beautiful city, Essaouira, right? One of my favorite places in Morocco! -xx
delicious tajine
very glad I tried this recipe! I cooked it on very slow heat using the heat diffuser as you recommended, Nothing burned, the chicken was infused with delicious flavors and I can’t wait to try other vegetables. about your laminated recipe cards, can we print them with a home printer?
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Taylor, so so glad you liked the recipe! and yes, you can totally print the recipe cards at home, using your printer. that’s what I did for mine and they came out really great! -xx
a pure delight
thank you for the awesome delicious recipe
the best tagine I had!
thank you so much for the recipe, definitely one of the best tagines I tasted. It also reminded me of the tagines I tasted in Marrakech last november. Can’t wait to experiment with other vegetables. Love from seattle
Novice with tagine
Just a little confused. Shows carrots, but calls out none in recipe.
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Tom, this tagine recipe can be made using different kinds of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, peas, zucchini, etc). I added the mention of the carrots in the recipe card, but you can really mix and match as you like. Really hope you enjoy this recipe – xx
Amazing dish
Thank you for sharing your family tagine recipe. I just came back from vacation in Morocco and I am obsessed with the tagine!!! Can’t wait to try your recipe.
exquisite!
the best tagine recipe I tried. The chicken was fondant, and the sauce huuuum
in one word: delicious!
you probably have everything in your kitchen to make this recipe, so don’t think twice, it’s easy and really delicious
printed and laminated
this recipe went to my recipes box … I made it twice last week, for me and my husband, and for my friends. They all loved it, thank you so much for sharing your family recipe
Response from Moroccanzest
Oh, I am glad it was a success! My family recipe is now your family recipe too, how great is that? –xx
I am amazed
this recipe tastes like the tagines I order in my local Moroccan restaurant. Now I don’t have to pay 60$+ each time I want Moroccan food
heaven in your mouth
I am in love with this recipe. thank you thank you thank you! Extremely delicious, hearty and flavorful.
tasteful
I made it in my slow cooker and let it cook for around 10 hours, let me just say it was a taste revolution. The sauce was creamy and savory, the chicken drums so tender and flavorful … believe me you have to try it!
it was succulent
succulent! Just go on and try it. you will be amazed
tagine this week end
this is what I am planning to cook this weekend. I already tried two of your Moroccan recipes (the carrot salad and the mint tea) and they were all perfect, so I am confident this will be delicious (except if I burn it lol). love you and love your delicious recipes!
Easy! can’t believe it!
I just decided to try some international cuisine recipes. I thought Moroccan recipes were out of my league, but no! I followed your tagine recipe step by step and it went perfectly. thank you for
Just made it
Just made this tajine for lunch in a real tajine pot (one of the ones you recommended). Thanks so much! The dish was a real hit!
Response from Moroccanzest
Oh I am so happy about that!
Excellent
Loved it! thanks for sharing it
just cooked it for my friend
My friend loves the tagine I cooked today. thank you, I will keep this recipe preciously in my recipes box.
The recipe looks delish
I will try it this weekend.It seems pretty easy to make
yummy
cooked it yesterday and my husband loved it. My first Moroccan homemade dish
what i needed
I am hosting a dinner next week and I think of having a Moroccan theme. Thank you for the recipe and your free guide. Exactly what I needed for inspiration
Made it
Just made it and it is DELICIOUS! This is what Morocco tastes like
