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Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

A classic dish, this Moroccan chicken tagine gets tons of flavor from preserved lemons, olives, and onions. It can be cooked on the stovetop in an authentic tagine or roasted in a baking pan in the oven, depending on what equipment you have at your disposal. To the unfamiliar, tagine can be a little confusing, because it's both the name of the dish, and the vessel in which the dish is cooked. The tagine functions like a slow cooker in a sense: the cone shape returns moisture to the base of the tagine, creating a moist and flavorful dish. Traditionally, tagines sit on a bed of charcoal bricks specifically designed to retain their heat for hours. This recipe includes a number of traditional Moroccan ingredients. Moroccan tradition is to eat directly from the tagine, using Moroccan bread to scoop up the chicken and sauce. Belgian fries (patate frite) often top the chicken, though you can use your favorite French fry recipe or heat up packaged fries. The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

complex16 ingredients18 preparation steps
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Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 preserved lemons, quartered and seeds removed
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, skin removed, back discarded or reserved for another use (or an equivalent mix of chicken parts)
  • 2 large white or yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colorant)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled, optional
  • 1 teaspoon smen, optional
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout, optional
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 handfuls pitted olives (green, red, or mixed)
  • 1/4 cup water, approximately, if using a tagine

Preparation

  1. 1Steps to Make It
  2. 2Gather the ingredients.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  3. 3Remove the flesh from the preserved lemons and chop the flesh finely. Reserve rind for cooking.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  4. 4Add the lemon flesh to a bowl along with the chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, ginger, pepper, turmeric, and salt. If using, add the saffron, ras el hanout, and smen. Mix well.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  5. 5If time allows, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before cooking in either a tagine or in the oven. (See below for more information on both methods.)The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  6. 6Marinate the Chicken
  7. 7Cooking in a Tagine
  8. 8Add enough of the olive oil to the tagine to coat the bottom.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  9. 9Arrange the marinated chicken in the tagine, skin side up, and distribute the onions all around.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  10. 10Add the olives and reserved rind of the preserved lemons, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  11. 11Add the water to the tagine, cover, and place on a heat diffuser over medium-low heat. Give the tagine time to reach a simmer without peeking. If you don't hear the tagine simmering within 20 minutes, slightly increase the heat, and then use the lowest heat setting required for maintaining a gentle—not rapid—simmer.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  12. 12Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for 80 to 90 minutes, and then turn the chicken over so it's flesh-side up. Cover the tagine again, and allow the chicken to finish cooking until very tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  13. 13Turn off the heat, and let the tagine cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  14. 14Cooking in the Oven
  15. 15Preheat oven to 425 F. Add enough of the olive oil to a large baking dish so it coats the bottom.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  16. 16Add the sliced onions and garlic from the marinade.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  17. 17Then place the marinated chicken on top.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  18. 18Add the olives and reserved rind of the preserved lemons on top and drizzle the chicken with the remaining olive oil.The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck