Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (2024)

Published: October 2, 2018 • Modified: October 2, 2023 • by Author: Analida • Word count:2418 words. • About 13 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a classic North African dish, think stew. This is also the best chicken stews I have ever eaten thanks to a Moroccan friend who shared his recipe with me. Tagineis also the name of the clay cooking vessel pictured below. You can make this recipe in a ceramic tagine or slow cooker, read on!

What is a tagine?

The cooking vessel is a shallow with a removable cone-shaped lid that allows the stew to vent. It is likely that ceramics were introduced to North Africa by the Romans, who had established a military presence as far back as 146 B.C. The clay allows for slow cooking and even heat distribution which infuses the food with fabulous flavors.

The slow cooking process infuses the meat or vegetables with rich incredible flavors that burst out as soon as you take a bite. According to my Moroccan friend, the spices vary from region to region, mostly due to local taste and customs.

My Moroccan friend also explained to me in detail how in some cases fruit can also be part of a tagine. (If you're curious how fruit can work its way into a savory dish, try my Lamb Stew Infused with Rosewater.)

Other Ways To Cook Tagine Recipes

If you do not own a tagine dish, you can certainly make this in a deep skillet or a crock pot and then serve it in a bowl. I am fortunate enough to have one of these beautiful cooking devices, courtesy of my mother in law. Mine came from Williams Sonoma, but other kitchen stores like Sur La Table and Amazon also carry it. I have links below to order one online. If you don’t have one on hand, feel free to use a Dutch oven or Crock Pot to make this recipe. Both retain heat nicely and will slow cook the flavors so you can really get the essence of the stew.

If you have a gas stove, you also need to be sure to use the tagine heat difuser and not set it directly on the flame.

To make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, simply omit the chicken and replace it with your favorite protein. I would recommend using chickpeas in this case. They will absorb the flavors of the stew nicely. I’d also recommend sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes will nicely balance out all of the savory stew flavors. If you decide to use sweet potatoes, I might reduce the amount of regular potatoes I use in the recipe so it’s not too starchy.

One note on the photo above: This picture was taken just before I added the thinly sliced potatoes to give you an idea on the color of the dish when fully cooked. You can then just add the potatoes in layers all around the dish, replace the lid and cook until tender. (Did you really want to see a picture of a bunch of potatoes covering the colorful food?)

How to cure and care for a ceramic tagine:

• If you buy a new tagine you need to cure it. Soak the tagine in water for 24 hours. Remove it from the water, dry it off and then rub olive oil by hand on the inside of the dish and lid. Place the tagine in a cold oven and set to 225° F for 2 hours and then turn off and let the oven cool completely. The heat will vaporize the water and draw in the olive oil to season the clay vessel.
• Always wash your tagine by hand and do not soak in soapy water. This tip really applies to most cookware, but especially tagines and Dutch ovens.
• If you have a gas stove, you also need to be sure to use the tagine heat difuser and not set it directly on the flame.

Other Recipes Using a Tagine

From my research, I found that most other tagine recipes end up being stews, which kind of makes tagines less intimidating. The tagine is basically a combination of aromatics, veggies, meat, oils, spices, and water in your tagine. So you can mix and match your veggies and meats based on your preferences or knowledge of what flavors go well with each other. I have a recipe for lamb tagine with dried apricots that is fantastic! I also have a tagine recipe with chicken and saffron if you like exotic flavors. You could even try this recipe substituting the chicken for your meat of choice like beef or lamb! The varieties are endless. When making chicken tagine I like to buy a whole roaster chicken and cut it into pieces but feel free to use any cut of chicken to make the dish. The whole cut up chicken is very authentic.

Cutting up a whole chicken step by step:

• Step 1: Lay the chicken on it's back (breast side up) and insert a boning knife into joint where the wing is attached. Pull gently and cut apart the joint. Repeat for the other wing.
• Step 2: Pull the leg away from the breast and cut away the skin and find the leg joint. Carefully cut downward into the leg joint to separate. Do this for both legs.

• Step 3: Flip the bird over with the breast side down. Take a strong pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the back bone starting at the neck and working down to the tail. Do this for each side of the backbone.
• Step 4: Open up the cavity with the breast side down and carefully press down along the center of the breast bone to split the breast in 2.

• Step 5: You are done cutting and you can remove any skin you don't want in your dish. I usually remove all the breast skin for a tagine and leave skin on the legs and wings. For a really low fat-dish remove all the skin and trim the fat. This is your preference.

Step by step photos to make Moroccan chicken tagine:

• Step 1: If you have a gas stove be sure you place a metal heat diffuser on the stove then set your tagine base in this. I never put my base directly on the flame.
• Step 2: Add the onions, carrots, tomato and garlic first.

• Step 3: Place the chicken pieces over the vegetables, sprinkle with the spices, parsley and drizzle the olive oil.
• Step 4: Pour in about 1 cup of water.

• Step 5: Cover and cook for about 1 hour or until the chicken reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Step 6: While it is cooking, leave it covered but check the liquid level every 20 minutes and remove some with a ladle or baster if it starts to get close to overflowing. The lid will be VERY hot so use oven mitts.

• Step 7: When the chicken is done, drain the water off the potatoes and place them around in layers over the chicken. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes or unit the potatoes are fork tender.
• Step 8: Add the peas when the potatoes are done and cook for another 5 minutes.

What to Serve with Chicken Tagine

The traditional side dishes would be couscous or a Moroccan bread known as khobz. Pita bread or rice also go very well with this dish. There will be a lot of juice so something to soak it up is great. I also like to include my Mediterranean parsley salad or tabouleh for something bright, fresh and acidic that gives the meal a nice balance.

A tagine makes a beautiful addition to your kitchen for cooking and for a display piece too!
Here are some of my favorites:

Frequently Asked Questions:

If you love to try new ethnic foods here are some interesting dishes that are very easy. These are some of my most popular ethnic dishes, their history and ingredients to make at home.
Cuban Ropa Vieja: A true comfort food of slow cooked beef served over rice.
Recaito: This is the cilantro based ingredient used in many Latin soups, stews and black beans.
Sofrito: You need to have this base ingredient for Latin style beans and shredded chicken.
Latin Style Black Beans: If you have never tried these you are missing out and they are so easy!