Close your eyes and transport your taste buds to Morocco with just one spoonful of this traditional chicken tagine. Bursting with the distinct flavours of preserved lemons, olives, and onions, this dish offers an experience like no other. Whether you cook it in a traditional tagine, on a classic stovetop or opt for the convenience of your oven, the result is a delicious, finger-licking meal that is guaranteed to impress.
This was my favourite food when growing up, my mum would always fry some home-cooked chips to sprinkle over the top of this Chicken Tagine. We would love to get our hands in there, rip the chicken apart and tuck in. However, on the occasions it wasn’t a good idea to get messy, my mum would make us Moroccan chicken bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches with Moroccan bread). She cut the bread open, dipped it into the gravy to scoop up the onion and sauce, and then added succulent bits of boneless chicken into it. Hhmmmm!
So gather your ingredients and get ready to enjoy every bite of this Moroccan masterpiece.
Ingredients needed for Moroccan Chicken Tagine
- 1 preserved lemon, cut in quarters (remove seeds)
- 1 whole chicken with skin
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colour)
- 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled (optional)
- 1 teaspoon smen, clarified butter or ghee (optional)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup olives (pitted or whole)
- 3 equally sized potatoes
- 1/4 cup water
How to properly clean and prepare chicken the Moroccan way
In the Moroccan cooking culture, cleaning and brining chicken is a fundamental practice. This process is not only believed to elevate the flavour and texture of the chicken but also plays a crucial role in eliminating any undesirable aftertastes or odours.
You will need:
- 1-2 tbsp salt
- 1 lemon – cut one half into 2 wedges and leave the other half to juice later.
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
The first cleaning:
- Gently separate the skin from the meat, removing any fatty, stringy or slimy bits while ensuring the skin remains intact, this is important, especially for roasting.
- Then reach into the cavity and remove anything stuck onto the inner skeleton, except from the meat.
- Cut off and discard the tail, wing tips, and drumstick tips.
- Rinse the chicken thoroughly.
Brining the chicken:
- Rub the chicken inside and out with half of the salt and some lemon wedges.
- Then place the chicken into a deep container and cover it with some cold water.
- Add the vinegar to the water, the remaining salt, and lemon juice, along with the squeezed lemon wedges.
- Let it sit in this water for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, covered.
The Second Cleaning:
In addition to tenderizing and improving flavour, the brine bath helps with the final cleaning that follows, as unwanted bits become easier to detach. The brine also helps eliminate any remaining blood and impurities, which is in line with Islamic guidelines.
- So, again, separate the skin from the flesh, removing any remaining slime or fat that was hard to remove the first time.
- If keeping the skin on, remove any bits of feathers or plumes. Hover the chicken over a gas hob to burn off any unwanted feathers.
- Wash the chicken thoroughly with some more salt.
Final Preparation:
- Rinse the chicken from the salt and drain in a colander.
- Pat dry and marinate or transfer to plastic bags ready to freeze.
- Freeze or refrigerate for a few hours before cooking.
Notes:
- Thoroughly clean any surface that comes into contact with the chicken. It is important to limit the workspace so that it is easier to clean with detergent and hot water when you are done.
- Cover any meat, whether cooked or raw, before refrigerating. This will help prevent bacteria from spreading.
How to make Moroccan Chicken Tagine
- Gather and prepare the ingredients.
- Wash and prepare the chicken. The chicken is usually cooked whole, but check the size of your tagine and make sure it will fit. You can cut the chicken in half (long ways) or quarters if it makes it easier.
- Peel and wash the potatoes, then slice them into quarters long ways.
- Remove the inside of the preserved lemons and chop it finely. Save the skin for cooking.
- Add all the herbs and spices with the lemon and oil to a large mixing bowl along with the onion and garlic, and mix it all together to form a marinade. Also, add the saffron and smen if you are using it.
- Then add the chicken to the mixing bowl and smother it all with the Moroccan chicken marinade. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours preferably overnight, before cooking.
- Add some olive oil to the bottom of the tagine and place the marinated chicken in it, (breast side up), arrange the rest of the onions and marinade all around it.
- Add the olives and reserved rind of the preserved lemons, and drizzle any remaining olive oil over the chicken.
- Add 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 taking off the lid. 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 simmer. (this may depend on the strength/power of your cooker stove.
- Allow the chicken to cook like this undisturbed for about 1hr. Then take the chicken out and place on a lined baking tray to roast in the oven until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, place the potato quarters over the tagine gravy, add a little bit more water if needed and cover the tagine again to allow the potatoes to cook. (This may take between 20-30)
- Arrange the chicken over the Tagine sauce and decorate it with some preserved lemon, potatoes and olives.
- Enjoy hot with some freshly baked Moroccan bread
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Close your eyes and transport your taste buds to Morocco with just one spoonful of this traditional chicken tagine. Bursting with the distinct flavours of preserved lemons, olives, and onions, this dish offers an experience like no other. Whether you cook it in a traditional tagine, on a classic stovetop or opt for the convenience of your oven, the result is a delicious, finger-licking meal that is guaranteed to impress.
Equipment
- 1 Tagine (or you can roast it in the oven)
Ingredients
- 1 preserved lemon cut in quarters (remove seeds)
- 1 whole chicken with skin
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh coriander chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colour
- 2 teaspoons salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads crumbled (optional)
- 1 teaspoon smen clarified butter or ghee (optional)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup olives pitted or whole
- 3 equally sized potatoes
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Gather and prepare the ingredients.
- Wash and prepare the chicken. The chicken is usually cooked whole, but check the size of your tagine and make sure it will fit. You can cut the chicken in half (long ways) or quarters if it makes it easier.
- Peel and wash the potatoes, then slice them into quarters long ways.
- Remove the inside of the preserved lemons and chop it finely. Save the skin for cooking.
- Add all the herbs and spices with the lemon and oil to a large mixing bowl along with the onion and garlic, and mix it all together to form a marinade. Also, add the saffron and smen if you are using it.
- Then add the chicken to the mixing bowl and smother it all with the Moroccan chicken marinade. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours preferably overnight, before cooking.
- Add some olive oil to the bottom of the tagine and place the marinated chicken in it, (breast side up), arrange the rest of the onions and marinade all around it.
- Add the olives and reserved rind of the preserved lemons, and drizzle any remaining olive oil over the chicken.
- Add 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 taking off the lid. 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 simmer. (this may depend on the strength/power of your cooker stove.
- Allow the chicken to cook like this undisturbed for about 1hr. Then take the chicken out and place on a lined baking tray to roast in the oven until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, place the potato quarters over the tagine gravy, add a little bit more water if needed and cover the tagine again to allow the potatoes to cook. (This may take between 20-30)
- Arrange the chicken over the Tagine sauce and decorate it with some preserved lemon, potatoes and olives.
- Enjoy hot with some freshly baked Moroccan bread