Mastering Chicken Tagine: A Tasty, Tender Whole Bird

Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. The word 'tagine' refers to the shallow clay vessel with a cone-shaped lid in which the dish is cooked. However, you can also use a Dutch oven, braiser, or skillet to make it.

The key to a great chicken tagine is a well-balanced spice blend. While you can buy pre-made spice blends, making your own ensures a consistent outcome and allows you to customise to your taste.

Chicken tagine is best made with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, as this yields the juiciest result. However, you can also use other cuts of chicken or even substitute the chicken with chickpeas or sweet potatoes for a vegetarian or vegan option.

The beauty of chicken tagine is that it is a one-pot dish that is surprisingly simple to make and can be adapted to your liking. So, get creative, experiment with different spices and ingredients, and enjoy the delicious flavours of Morocco!

Choosing a chicken

Step 1:

Lay the chicken on its back, with the breast side facing up. Insert a boning knife into the joint where the wing is attached and gently pull to cut the joint apart. Repeat this step for the other wing.

Step 2:

Pull the leg away from the breast and cut away the skin to find the leg joint. Carefully cut downward into the joint to separate it from the body of the chicken. Do this for both legs.

Step 3:

Flip the chicken over so that the breast side is facing down. Take a strong pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the backbone, starting at the neck and working your way down to the tail. Do this for each side of the backbone.

Step 4:

Open up the cavity of the chicken and carefully press down along the centre of the breastbone to split the breast in half.

Step 5:

You have now cut up the whole chicken into pieces. You can remove any skin that you don't want to include in your dish. For a low-fat dish, remove all the skin and trim the fat. Alternatively, leave the skin on the legs and wings, as this will add flavour to the tagine.

Once you have chosen and prepared your chicken, you can move on to the next steps of making a delicious chicken tagine!

Preparing the chicken

The first step in preparing the chicken is to cut it into pieces. You can do this by following these steps:

• Lay the chicken on its back (breast side up) and insert a boning knife into the joint where the wing is attached. Pull gently and cut apart the joint. Repeat for the other wing.
• Pull the leg away from the breast and cut away the skin to find the leg joint. Carefully cut downward into the joint to separate it from the body. Do this for both legs.
• Flip the chicken over so that the breast side is facing down. Take a pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the backbone, starting at the neck and working down towards the tail. Do this for each side of the backbone.
• Open up the cavity with the breast side facing down and carefully press down along the centre of the breastbone to split it in half.
• Once you have cut up the chicken, you can remove any skin that you don't want to include in your dish. For a low-fat dish, remove all the skin and trim the fat. Otherwise, you can leave the skin on the legs and wings, as this will add flavour to the dish.

After cutting up the chicken, the next step is to season it. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with salt and pepper, as well as other spices such as garlic, ginger, cumin, and paprika. Mix the chicken with a spoon or your hands until it is well coated with the spices. You can then place the chicken in the fridge until you are ready to cook it, or you can marinate it for up to 24 hours to enhance the flavour even more.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat a skillet or large saucepan with about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until it is golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Drain any excess oil from the skillet.

Preparing the tagine

If you're using a whole chicken, you'll need to cut it into pieces. Here's how to do it:

• Lay the chicken on its back (breast side up) and insert a boning knife into the joint where the wing is attached. Pull gently and cut apart the joint. Repeat for the other wing.
• Pull the leg away from the breast and cut away the skin, then find the leg joint. Carefully cut downward into the joint to separate. Do this for both legs.
• Flip the bird over with the breast side down. Take a strong pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the backbone, starting at the neck and working down to the tail. Do this for each side of the backbone.
• Open up the cavity with the breast side down and carefully press down along the centre of the breastbone to split the breast in two.
• Remove any skin you don't want in your dish. For a low-fat dish, remove all the skin and trim the fat.

Now you're ready to start preparing the tagine!

First, grab your chicken and make sure it's cleaned and patted dry—you want those spices to stick! In a small bowl, combine your chosen spices and mix well. Then, rub the spice mix all over the chicken, making sure you cover every nook and cranny.

In a separate bowl, toss together your chosen vegetables and/or fruits (such as onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, cumin, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, chickpeas, apricots, tomatoes, and/or dried lemons). Drizzle olive oil over them, season with salt and pepper, and give them a good toss.

Now, drizzle olive oil into the bottom of your tagine—this prevents sticking and adds flavour. Gently place your spice-rubbed chicken in the centre. Then, arrange the vegetable/fruit mixture around the chicken in the tagine.

Finally, it's time to cook! Cover the tagine and place it in the oven or on the stove to cook for the recommended time, usually around 1 hour to 2 hours. You're looking for the chicken to be beautifully cooked through, with an internal temperature of 74-165°C.

Cooking the chicken

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

If you're using a whole chicken, cut it into pieces. You can also use chicken thighs or breasts, but the cooking method will need to be altered slightly. For example, if you're using boneless thighs, sear them for a few minutes on each side before removing them and making the sauce.

Step 2: Make the Spice Mix

In a small bowl, combine spices such as coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, sumac, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. You can also use pre-made spice blends like Ras el hanout, or make your own by mixing common spices like cumin, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and coriander.

Step 3: Rub the Chicken with the Spice Mix

Clean the chicken and pat it dry. Make sure to remove any giblets. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken, making sure to cover every nook and cranny. You can also marinate the chicken in the spice rub overnight to deepen the flavours and make the chicken more tender.

Step 4: Prepare the Vegetables

In a separate bowl, toss together baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and dried apricots. Drizzle olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. You can also add other vegetables like onions, carrots, or tomatoes.

Step 5: Heat the Tagine or Cooking Vessel

Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of your tagine or cooking vessel to prevent sticking and add more flavour. If you don't have a tagine, you can use a Dutch oven or any pot with a lid. Place your spice-rubbed chicken in the centre.

Step 6: Add the Vegetables to the Tagine

Arrange the potato mixture around the chicken in the tagine. This will allow the flavours to mingle and infuse during the cooking process.

Step 7: Bake the Chicken and Vegetables

Cover the tagine and bake it in the oven for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. The chicken is done when the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). The meat should be tender and easily pull away from the bone.

Step 8: Garnish and Serve

Once the chicken is cooked, garnish it with fresh parsley and serve. You can serve it with couscous, rice, or any other starchy side dish to soak up all the delicious juices.

Serving the chicken

Once your chicken is cooked, it's time to serve it. The traditional side dishes to accompany a chicken tagine are couscous or a Moroccan bread known as khobz. Pita bread or rice also go very well with this dish, as there will be a lot of juices to soak up. You could also include a Mediterranean parsley salad or tabouleh for something bright, fresh and acidic to balance the meal.

If you want to be really authentic, serve your tagine with a Moroccan couscous. You can add a little sprinkle of dried fruit and/or nuts to the couscous for an extra twist.

If you're not a fan of couscous, there are plenty of other starchy sides that will work just as well. Rice (white, brown, basmati), pearl couscous (the giant ones), quinoa and any other small-grain starchy foods suitable for sauce-soaking make good alternatives. Even mashed potato or mashed cauliflower would be great.

If you're attempting the low-carb thing, then cauliflower rice will work well too. In fact, the slight nutty flavour from roasting the cauliflower rice will go really nicely with a chicken tagine.

Frequently asked questions