This Moroccan Chicken tagine recipe is a tasty, aromatic dish with tons of flavor. Serve it with couscous for a filling, luxurious meal.
This is one of my favorite meals. The sauce is really luxurious with salty hints of flavor from the olives, sweetness from the turmeric, a bit of sour from the lemon, and the saffron, herbs, and chicken stock to balance it out perfectly.
If you love Moroccan-influenced food as much as I do, maybe try my Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Couscous next time.
Why This Recipe Works
- Marinating the chicken ensures the chicken absorbs the delicious herbs and spices.
- Infusing the stock with saffron adds an extra depth of flavor.
- Using the marinade in the sauce creates a flavorful sauce that can’t be beat!
Best For Chicken for Tagines
It’s always best to use chicken on the bone when braising. Dark meat chicken such as thighs or legs work best as they don’t dry out as much as breasts.
How to Use Chicken Breasts for This Dish
If your preference for chicken meat is breast meat, I recommend you brine the breasts (on the bone) an hour first. Soaking the meat in salted water causes it to absorb some of the water making it moister when cooked.
To brine the chicken, place the breasts in a large bowl with two quarts of cold water mixed with 1/3 cup kosher or sea salt (not table salt). Cover and put in the refrigerator for 1-8 hours.
Step By Step Instructions
Coat the chicken in garlic, lemon juice, and spices, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight.
Infuse stock with saffron and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Lightly coat the chicken flour Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned.
Remove the chicken from the pan, add the onion, and cook until soft.
Add the spices and flour and saute with the onions to bloom the spices and cook out the flavor of the flour.
Add the marinade and stock.
Add the olives, herbs and chicken to the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Moroccan Chicken
I love to serve this Moroccan Chicken dish with couscous, however you can serve with rice too. For the ultimate meal serve with some bread and salad. Delicious!
Erren’s Top Tips
- To use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe, adjust your cooking time down to 20-25 minutes.
- Marinating overnight will produce a more flavorful dish.
- This dish is even better the next day. Follow the make-ahead instructions below on storage and reheating.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
- To make ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge. for up to two days. The flavors will continue to deepen over time. Then reheat, in the oven to warm through.
- To freeze store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs
A tagine is a traditional Moroccan cooking vessel made of ceramic or clay with a round base and low sides. It is also the name for a North African dish cooked in the tagine pot.
You can serve this Moroccan chicken with whatever side you like! It goes well with couscous, pearl couscous, white or brown rice, or even saffron rice!
This dish goes perfectly with couscous and a simple salad, or serve with any of your favorite veg.
Other Great Recipes
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
For The Marinade
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and sliced or chopped
- 1 lemon zested and juiced – then chop the remnants into chunks
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in with skin
For the Dish
- 3 cups Chicken Stock
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands or powdered saffron
- 6 tablespoons flour separated into 2 and 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion Chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh parsley and cilantro a good handful of each tied with cooking twine.
- 1 lemon sliced
- 6 oz olives pitted
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Marinate the Chicken
- In a large bowl, mix the garlic, Lemon zest, lemon juice, the lemon remnants, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper, and the oil. Add the chicken. Mix everything together, cover, and set aside to marinate for anywhere from 20 minutes to 8 hours (the longer the better).
To Prepare the Dish
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Warm the stock, add the saffron and set aside to infuse.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Set the marinade aside.
- Lightly coat the chicken in 4 tablespoons of flour.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the flour to coat. Add the spices and sauté with the onions for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the stock then add the leftover marinade and lemon remnants, and stir in the olives.
- Add the tied herbs, lemon slices & cilantro, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the chicken back to the pan, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/73°C.
- Discard herb bunches and lemon. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed and remove the skin if desired before serving.
Tips + Notes
- To use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe, adjust your cooking time down to 20-25 minutes.
- Marinating overnight will produce a more flavorful dish.
- This dish is even better the next day. Follow the make-ahead instructions below on storage and reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated with new photos, tips and Make-Ahead And Freezing Instructions in 2021
Cheryl McDowell says
I want to use a tagine. Would I braise chicken and the. Do rest in tagine and put tagine in oven? Thanks
Erren Hart says
You can make it in a tagine. Just brown the chicken and follow the recipe. Cover the tagine with a lid and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Mr Vic says
This recipe looks great. I’m going to make this soon. My wife loves boneless chicken breasts so I want to add a few of those. I’m thinking I’d have to cut them in half. What do you think and how would it affect this recipe?
Erren Hart says
Hi there! I’m glad you’re interested in making this Moroccan chicken recipe. While this recipe is specifically designed for chicken thighs on the bone, you can also use boneless chicken breasts or on-the-bone breasts. Using boneless by cutting them in half will help ensure they cook evenly and stay moist. However, remember that boneless chicken breasts cook faster than chicken thighs, so you may want to adjust the cooking time accordingly. You can also use bone-in chicken breasts. Bone-in chicken breasts will take longer to cook than boneless, so you may need to increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes. It’s important to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) before serving. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. I hope this helps, and happy cooking!
Ken says
Really tasty and I will make again. I used boneless/skinless thighs and used six of them. I think the amount of meat vs bone in is a little less and I felt that the acidity was a bit out of balance. The next time I’ll either use less lemons or balance the acidity a bit with some sweetness. Served with some Israeli couscous and green beans.
Erren Hart says
Hi Ken, Thank you for trying the recipe and for sharing your experience with us. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the taste of the dish and plan on making it again.
Using boneless and skinless thighs is a great option for this recipe, and we appreciate your note about the amount of meat vs. bone in the dish. As for the acidity, the lemons can be adjusted according to personal preference. Adding a bit of sweetness, as you suggested, can help balance out the acidity.
Serving the dish with Israeli couscous and green beans sounds delicious! We hope you continue to enjoy making this recipe and experimenting with the flavors to suit your taste preferences.
Thank you again for your feedback and for trying the recipe. We appreciate it!
Victoria says
My husband and I stumbled upon a Moroccan restaurant during a vacation and fell in love with this dish. Just tried this recipe and loving it!! Thank you so much!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying out the recipe and for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed it and that it brought back memories of your vacation. It’s always great to hear when a recipe resonates with people!
Odiug says
Thank you. Pretty much the best chicken I ever made. Added a tablespoon of honey, seemed in line with the Moroccan cuisine and it worked out well.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying our Moroccan Chicken. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed it! We appreciate your kind words, and your feedback. Thank you for choosing to cook with us, and we hope you’ll try more of our recipes in the future.
Cathy says
This was so delicious! A sophisticated but simple enough to cook crowd pleaser.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for the kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed your experience and hope you’ll come back to try more recipes!
Mary-Ellen Mullen says
Making this for a crowd after a visit to Morocco!
I wanted to see the reheating instructions but can’t find it
Thanks
Erren Hart says
Hi Mary-Ellen, Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop until warmed through or in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
Stephanie Falk says
What kind of olives do you use?
Erren Hart says
I’ve used anything from canned black olives from the grocery store to Kalamata or Taggiasca.
Stephanie falk says
Thanks! Trying this out tonight.
Erren Hart says
Enjoy!
Matthew BANNO says
Nice recipe, but Moroccans are famous and proud with their preserved Lemons. You are missing a lot of a good flavour by skipping it. Sorry Erren, I had to tell you.
Erren Hart says
Hi Matthew, no need to apologize. I am definitely aware, but I try to keep my recipes simple with easy-to-find ingredients. I’m in the US, and I’ve never seen preserved lemons in the grocery store, which is why I left them out.
Maria Cohen says
The marinade ingredients do not list any liquids. I am confused!!
Erren Hart says
Hi Maria, so sorry the lemon juice was listed in the wrong spot. Thanks for letting me know!