Mastering Moroccan Chicken: The Tagine Sensation

Moroccan chicken tagine is a traditional North African dish, often cooked in a clay pot called a tagine. The dish is a stew of chicken braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It is a company-worthy meal that is easy to throw together on a weeknight. The chicken is typically cooked with the bone in and skin on, but this can be adjusted according to preference. The spices used vary from region to region and can include cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and more. The dish is often served with couscous or Moroccan bread.

Choosing your chicken pieces

Choosing the right chicken pieces is important to ensure your Moroccan chicken in a tagine is juicy, tender, and flavourful. While you can use a whole chicken cut into pieces, many recipes recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. This is because the thighs provide a good amount of meat, remain tender even if slightly overcooked, and the bones and skin add depth of flavour to the sauce.

If you prefer to use other parts of the chicken, you can also use chicken drumsticks, chicken breasts, or chicken legs. Just keep in mind that boneless and skinless chicken pieces will cook faster, so you may need to adjust your cooking time and add them to the tagine later in the cooking process to prevent overcooking.

For the best results, pat the chicken pieces dry before applying a spice rub and letting them marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. This will enhance the flavour of the dish. When you're ready to cook, brown the chicken pieces in a pan before adding them to the tagine to ensure a deep golden colour and develop more flavour.

In summary, while you have some flexibility in choosing your chicken pieces for a Moroccan tagine, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are recommended for the best results in terms of flavour and texture.

Preparing your tagine

If you're using a tagine for the first time, you'll need to cure it. Soak the tagine in water for 24 hours. Then, dry it off and rub olive oil on the inside of the dish and lid. Place the tagine in a cold oven and set to 225°F for two hours, then turn off the oven and let it cool.

Always wash your tagine by hand and do not soak it in soapy water. If you have a gas stove, you'll need to use a tagine heat diffuser and not set the tagine directly on the flame.

If you're using a gas stove, place a metal heat diffuser on the stove and then set your tagine base on this. You can also use a regular cooking pan, which will still give you amazing results.

Place the heat diffuser on your stove and put your deep pan on top of it. Make sure everything is stable before you start cooking.

Add the chopped onion, oil, pressed garlic, spices, chicken, and half a cup of water to the pan. Mix until the chicken is entirely covered with the sauce. Cover your pan and let everything gently boil for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour in three to four cups of water or until your chicken is covered with the sauce. Cover the cooking pot and let cook on low to medium heat until the chicken is almost ready. This might take 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. Check regularly and add water if the sauce evaporates.

When the chicken is almost done, add the frozen peas, sliced carrots, and preserved lemons, and half the quantity of parsley and coriander. Cover again and let cook until everything is tender, which can take 20 to 30 minutes. Check regularly and add water whenever needed.

Once everything is well cooked, if there is a lot of sauce, uncover your pot and let it evaporate for a few minutes. The sauce should be thick, not watery.

Making the spice rub

To make the spice rub, combine the following spices in a small bowl:

• 1 1/2 tbsp all-natural Ras El Hanout
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper

Mix the spices together and set aside.

Pat the chicken pieces dry and season lightly with salt on both sides. Then, rub the chicken all over with the spice rub, making sure to get underneath the skin if you've left it on. Leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 40-45 minutes. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight for a more intense flavour.

Browning the chicken

To brown the chicken, first, season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place the chicken pieces skin side down in a single layer and cook until deep golden, which should take around 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side for about another 4 minutes.

Once the chicken is browned, transfer it to a large plate and, when cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned at the edges but still retain their shape—this should take between 5 to 7 minutes.

Adding the vegetables and liquid

Once you've browned the chicken, it's time to add the vegetables and liquid.

For this Moroccan chicken tagine, you'll be using onions, garlic, and cilantro as your aromatics. Some recipes also include carrots, while others use a combination of tomatoes and garlic as the base for the sauce.

Add your aromatics to the pan and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. You can also add spices like cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and pepper at this stage.

Next, add your choice of vegetables. Potatoes, green peas, carrots, cauliflower, green peppers, and zucchini are commonly used in chicken tagines. You can also include dried fruits like raisins, apricots, or dates, or nuts like almonds or pine nuts. Olives and preserved lemons are also traditional additions.

Finally, add your liquid. Chicken stock or broth is a good option, but you can also use water. You'll want to add enough liquid to cover the chicken partially or completely, depending on the recipe.

Cover and let the tagine simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the recipe and the type of chicken you're using.

Once the chicken is cooked, you can optionally broil the chicken skin until golden and crispy. Serve your tagine with couscous, rice, or bread to soak up all the delicious sauce!

Frequently asked questions