Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Dates & Honey
This Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Dates & Honey delivers the deep, aromatic flavours of North Africa with minimal effort. Tender chicken thighs are slow-cooked with warm spices, carrots, and orange juice, then finished with honey and dates for a perfect sweet-savoury balance. A true set-and-forget comfort food.
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
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20g butter
- 1 brown onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, cut into 2cm thick slices
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon each cumin seeds, ground cumin, grounc coriander, ground ginger, ground turmeric and ground cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon quill
- ½ teaspoon each dried chilli flakes and ground nutmeg
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock (2 cups for stovetop - see notes)
- 8 fresh Medjool dates, halved and de-stoned
- ¼ cup honey
TO SERVE - optional
- Toasted flaked almonds
- Coriander sprigs
- Sliced red chilli
- Flatbread
Instructions
brown the chicken
- Coat chicken pieces in seasoned flour. Brown well in a large pan in batches, then transfer to a slow cooker or set aside.
cook the aromatics
- In the same pan, cook onion and carrot until soft. Add garlic and all spices, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Deglaze
- Pour in orange juice and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
Slow cook
- Pour in orange juice and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
finish
- Stir in honey and dates. Cook on HIGH, uncovered, for 1 more hour until the sauce thickens slightly.
serve
- Garnish with almonds, coriander, and chilli. Serve with couscous or rice.
- (See Notes below for stovetop instructions)
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. -
Stovetop Method:
After browning chicken and cooking aromatics, add 2 cups stock (not 1 ¼) and the orange juice. Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer on low for 45 mins. Add dates and honey, then simmer uncovered for 20-30 mins until sauce thickens. -
Chicken:
Use bone-in, skin-on thighs, drumsticks, or marylands for best results. Chicken breast will dry out. -
Spices:
Fresh spices make a big difference. If yours have been in the cupboard for over a year, consider replacing them. -
Make Ahead & Freeze:
This dish tastes even better the next day. It also freezes perfectly for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating gently.