Chicken Tagine is a fragrant Moroccan one-pot dish featuring tender chicken and chickpeas simmered in a spiced tomato gravy. It's rich, comforting, and utterly delicious.
For more easy one-pan chicken recipes, try our lemon chicken, shawarma chicken, honey harissa chicken, and Greek chicken with orzo.
Why you'll love this Moroccan recipe
Our favorite thing about Moroccan cuisine is its masterful use of spices. As we’ve seen in our Moroccan Lentil Soup, Moroccan Chickpea Stew, and Harira Soup, it’s the bold, aromatic spice blends that truly set it apart.
Louise and I especially love how Moroccan dishes combine cinnamon, honey, and dried fruit in savory recipes. It’s a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and umami flavors that’s simply irresistible. And we know you’ll love it too!
This Chicken Tagine is a must-try because it’s:
- ✅ Quick & Convenient: Simple steps, ready in under 40 minutes.
- ✅ One-Pot Easy: Minimal cleanup for maximum flavor.
- ✅ Rich & Aromatic: Featuring our homemade ras el hanout spice blend.
- ✅ Comforting & Nutritious: Juicy chicken, a spiced tomato sauce, and wholesome chickpeas in every bite.
Serve it with couscous, saffron rice, or warm pita bread to soak up every last drop of that delicious sauce!
Ingredients
Find ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Olive oil: best if extra virgin.
- Chicken: we recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chickpeas: you can use canned or dried chickpeas that you previously soaked overnight, then boiled until tender (about 2 hours).
- Dried apricots: substitute dried plums or Medjool dates.
- Canned tomatoes: you can use whole canned peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes for a more rustic, chunky sauce or tomato puree for a smoother gravy.
- Broth: Either vegetable or chicken broth.
- Honey: Substitute maple syrup or sugar.
- Parsley and Lemon.
- Optional toppings: yogurt and nuts (toasted almonds or pine nuts).
How to Make Chicken Tagine
Step 1: Sear the Chicken
Rinse and pat dry the chicken with kitchen paper and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down, season with salt and black pepper, and sear for 5 minutes. Flip and seat for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat. Add thinly sliced onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in pressed garlic and spices: ground cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, ground cardamom, and red pepper flakes (you can also use store-bought ras el hanout instead). Toast spices for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Stir in chickpeas, then add broth, canned tomatoes, dried apricots, honey, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Nestle the seared chicken back into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency.
Step 4: Garnish & Serve
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and lemon juice. Serve over saffron rice or couscous. We love topping it toasted pine nuts, plain yogurt mixed with dried mint and pairing it with roasted eggplant drizzled with chermoula.
Tips
1. Sear the chicken: Allow about 10 mintues for searing the chicken to keep the chicken juicy and develop flavor. Pat chicken dry to get a crispy, golden crust. Sear skin-side down first in olive oil for deepest flavor.
2. The spice blend is everything: Try to use as many of the spices we recommend. Alternatively, you can swap a store-bought ras el hanout instead of individual spices.
3. Simmer for tender chicken: cover for the first 15 minutes to let the steam cook the chicken through. Uncovered the last 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
4. Want a thicker, glossier sauce? Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 4 tablespoon water and stir it into the sauce towards the end. Finish cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until the magic happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. A tagine pot is simply a pot made of earthenware or ceramic with a tall cone-shaped lid that facilitate slow cooking. A large skillet or Dutch oven cover with a lid works just as well.
We recommend juicy, flavorful cuts like bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks cause they stay moist and tender. You can substitute bone-less skinless chicken thighs or breasts for a leaner recipe.
Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe to make ahead because the tagine will be even more flavorful of day two.
Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: In a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: In a skillet on the stovetop with a splash of water, or in the microwave.
More easy dinner recipes
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Recipe
Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 to 8 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on (about 1½ lb/700 g)
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 can chickpeas (15oz/240g)
- ½ cup dried apricots
- 1 can tomatoes (15oz/400g)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 handful parsley
- ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
Spice Mix (Substitute 4 teaspoons of store-bought Ras El Hanout)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Sear the Chicken: Rinse and pat dry 6 to 8 chicken thighs with kitchen paper and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down, season with salt and black pepper, and sear for 5 minutes. Flip and sear for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat. Add 1 onion (thinly sliced) and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves garlic (pressed) and spices: 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon cardamom, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Toast spices for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook the Chicken: Stir in 1 can chickpeas (drained), then add 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 can tomatoes, ½ cup dried apricots, 1 tablespoon honey, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.Nestle the seared chicken back into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.Remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency.
- Garnish & Serve: Sprinkle with 1 handful parsley and the juice from ½ lemon. Serve over saffron rice or couscous. We love topping it with 2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted), plain yogurt mixed with dried mint and a side of roasted eggplant drizzled with chermoula.
Notes
- Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs: Substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast.
- Chickpeas: Substitute vegetables like diced bell peppers, cauliflower florets, or diced sweet potatoes.
- Vegetable broth: Substitute chicken broth.
- Honey: Substitute sugar or maple syrup.
- Individual spices: Substitute 4 to 5 teaspoons of store-bought Ras El Hanout for the individual spices.
- Sear the chicken: Allow about 10 mintues for searing the chicken to keep the chicken juicy and develop flavor. Pat chicken dry to get a crispy, golden crust. Sear skin-side down first in olive oil for deepest flavor.
- The spice blend is everything: Try to use as many of the spices we recommend. Alternatively, you can swap a store-bought ras el hanout instead of individual spices.
- Simmer for tender chicken: cover for the first 15 minutes to let the steam cook the chicken through. Uncovered the last 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Want a thicker, glossier sauce? Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 4 tablespoon water and stir it into the sauce towards the end. Finish cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until the magic happens.
- Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe to make ahead because the tagine will be even more flavorful of day two.
- Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: In a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: In a skillet on the stovetop with a splash of water, or in the microwave.
Tania says
Love the spice mix with this chicken recipe. We just made this and devoured it in no time. My husband said this is a great way to include more chickpeas into our diet. I agree! Thanks for sharing this wonderful Moroccan recipe.
Nico Pallotta says
Thank you so much Tania and Husband. We are so glad you liked the chicken tagine.
Yeah we love adding chickpeas to those recipes!
Have a great day.
Nico