This Moroccan Chicken Tagine is such a delicious dish and brings the warm and earthy flavours of Morocco to the home kitchen. Tender chicken thighs are slow cooked in a chicken broth with fresh oranges, an array of fragrant spices, carrots and onions finished off with some honey and fresh dates for a touch of sweetness. You can make it easily in a slow cooker or on the stovetop, filling your home with wonderful aromas as it simmers away.
While this dish would traditionally be cooked in a Tagine, this recipe embraces the ease of a slow cooker or in a Dutch oven on your stovetop. It is very simple to make and if using the slow cooker method, it gives you ample time to do other chores or spend precious time with your family or guests.
Its ideal for cozy nights in as it fills your home with a delightful aroma, making it a real family favourite. So transport your taste buds to North Africa and try this crave-worthy dish. The sauce is like liquid gold! It is just so tasty!
What is a tagine?
In Moroccan cuisine, the term “tagine” holds a dual meaning. Firstly, it denotes the vessel itself—an earthenware dish with a distinctive conical shape, ideal for both cooking and serving. The second meaning refers to the dish prepared in this traditional vessel.
A typical “tagine” incorporates meat, poultry, or fish cooked with legumes, vegetables, and/or fruit. Vegetables can also take centre stage. The unique conical lid serves a crucial role by collecting moisture and channeling it back to the base, ensuring the food remains exceptionally moist, tender, and succulent. Due to the efficient trapping of steam, minimal additional liquid is required in tagine recipes, as the dish creates its own flavourful juices.
Step-by-step
- Brown Chicken: Dust chicken in flour and brown it in a large non-stick frying pan. Transfer the chicken to the base of a slow cooker or set aside on a plate if cooking on the stovetop.
- Add Vegetables: In the same pan, add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook until lightly golden. Pour in the stock and orange juice, simmering for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture with liquid to the slow cooker or leave it in the pan if using the stovetop method.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 hours (avoid HIGH for a faster result). If using the stovetop, return the chicken to the pan with the onion and carrot mixture, turning to coat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender.
- Add Dates: Introduce dates and honey to the chicken (for both slow cooker and stovetop methods). Continue cooking for an additional 1 hour in the slow cooker or 20-30 minutes on the stovetop until the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened.
- Serve: Dish the chicken into serving bowls or plates, pairing it with fruity couscous, plain couscous, or rice. Enjoy!
Expert tips
Here are some expert tips for your Moroccan Chicken Tagine:
- Chicken Cuts: Choose bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for maximum flavour and tenderness. Thighs and drumsticks work well.
- Spices: Ensure the the freshness of your spices. Quality spices elevate the taste of the tagine.
- Honey: Opt for a good-quality honey to enhance the sweet undertones in the dish.
- Stovetop: For stove-top preparation, use a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid for even heat distribution. See notes below the recipe card for instructions.
- Adjusting Spice Levels: Tailor the spice intensity to your preference by adjusting the quantities of chilli flakes.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair the tagine with couscous, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the flavourful sauce.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Moroccan Chicken Tagine (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
Equipment
- 5.5 Litre Slow Cooker (could use slightly smaller) OR
- Large flameproof casserole dish / Dutch oven
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 8 chicken thigh cutlets, trimmed of excess fat (See Note 2)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20g butter
- 1 brown onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, cut into 2cm thick slices
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon quill
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock (See Note 3 – 2 cups if stove top)
- 8 fresh Medjool dates, halved and de-stoned
- ¼ cup honey
TO SERVE
- Toasted flaked almonds
- Coriander sprigs
- Sliced red chilli
- Flatbread (Optional)
Instructions
TAGINE
- Place seasoned flour into a freezer bag and add the chicken pieces. Shake well to coat. Remove chicken, shaking off any excess flour.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, for 4-6 minutes, turning on all sides, until well browned. Transfer chicken to the base of 5.5 litre slow cooker. (SEE BELOW NOTES FOR STOVE TOP METHOD)
- Add the butte to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and stir, cooking till lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in all the spices, cooking for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock and orange juice to the pan and bring gently to the boil, scraping any brown bits off the base of the pan. Carefully pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Stir to combine, then cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 hours.
- Add the honey and dates to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Increase heat to HIGH and cook, without the lid, for a further 1 hour or until the dates are tender, chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced slightly, stirring gently from time to time. Serve with couscous and garnish with toasted flaked almonds, coriander and sliced red chilli if desired.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - CHICKEN
You can use other cuts of chicken. You could use drumsticks, wings, maryland or lovely legs. I just wouldn’t use breast though as they will dry out too much. If using wings, reduce the cooking time to around 3-4 hours. You can also remove all the skin from the thigh cutlets if desired. - STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
To cook on the stove top in a Dutch oven or heatproof casserole dish is simple. Brown chicken as above. Remove and set aside. Follow on with steps 2 and 3 but increase the chicken stock by 3/4 cup (so 2 cups stock all up). Once liquid is bubbling away, return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove lid, add honey and dates and simmer, without the lid, for a further 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce does not catch on the base. Add a little extra stock or water if required.
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