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Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine

Dried or fresh fruits are often key additions to sweet and savory Moroccan tagines such as this one. Here, chicken is stewed until tender with onions, saffron, ginger, ​and pepper, and the dish is then topped with apricots and a honey-cinnamon syrup. The seasoning here reflects a preference for fruit tagines that are zesty and a bit peppery. Feel free to reduce the white and black peppers (and Ras el Hanout, if using) if you want a seasoning that is on the mild side. Keep in mind that the cooking time is for traditional clay or ceramic tagine preparation. If you prepare this dish with conventional cookware, the ingredients will cook faster, so keep an eye on the chicken and sauce to make sure it doesn't overcook; you may need to reduce the cooking time by up to an hour.

complex8 ingredients18 preparation steps
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Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, cut into 4 or 8 pieces
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ras el hanout, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Preparation

  1. 1Steps to Make It
  2. 2Gather the chicken ingredients.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  3. 3Combine the spices in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  4. 4Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat the pieces with the spices.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  5. 5Gather the remaining tagine ingredients.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  6. 6Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the base of a large tagine or Dutch oven.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  7. 7Add the olive oil, onions, garlic, andcinnamon stick.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  8. 8Add the seasoned chicken, meat-side down, in a single layer on top of the onions.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  9. 9Place the cilantro bouquet on top. Add the broth to the tagine.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  10. 10In the bowl used to season the chicken, swirl the water to cleanse it of the spices.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  11. 11Add the water to the tagine.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  12. 12Cover and leave the liquids to reach a simmer over medium-low heat.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  13. 13Oncesimmering, cook the chicken, undisturbed, for 1 hour.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  14. 14Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids and set aside.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  15. 15Carefully turn over the chicken pieces so that they are meat-side up.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  16. 16Cover the pan and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is done and the liquids are thick and reduced.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  17. 17While the chicken is cooking, put the apricots in a small pot and cover with water.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  18. 18Simmer the apricots over medium heat, partially covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender enough to pinch in half with your fingers.The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck