Learn how to make an authentic Moroccan Chicken Tagine with preserved lemon cooked the traditional way in a terracotta tagine pot. This classic North African recipe is packed with flavour – tender chicken, aromatic spices and the unique citrus depth of preserved lemons.
In this video I will show you step by step (full recipe below), how to cook chicken tagine just like it has been prepared in Morocco for generations using a clay tagine. Whether you’re new to Moroccan cooking or looking to perfect your tagine technique, this recipe is simple, authentic and incredibly delicious.
It is perfect for a comforting dinner or an impressive dish to share.
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Moroccan Chicken and Lemon Tagine
Ingredients
3 large Chicken Legs
700ml chicken stock
1 Large white onion
3 Garlic cloves crushed
Pinch of Saffron
½ tsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Tumeric
1 tsp Cumin
½ tsp Cinamon
1 tsp Ground ginger
3 Bay leaves
80g/3oz Preserved Lemons
75g/2.5oz Pitted green olives
Handful chopped coriander/cilantro
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Sea salt to taste
For the Cous Cous
100g/ ½ Cup Cous cous
80g Chick peas
½ Onion, fine diced
1 Garlic clove crushed
25g/ ¼ Cup Chopped almonds
25g/ ¼ Cup Sultanas
150ml 2/3 Cup Chicken Stock
1 tbsp olive oil
Salted butter to finish
Instructions
1. Peel and thinly slice the onion, peel and crush the garlic cloves.
2. If using whole chicken legs split the thigh and the lower leg at the knuckle using a cooks knife.
3. Add a small amount of warm water to the saffron to create a bloom. Measure out the remaining spices.
4. Place the Tagine onto the stove and allow to heat up then add 2 tbsp olive oil.
5. When the oil is hot add the sliced onions to the tagine, add a pinch of sea salt to the onions to help them sweat. Cook them in the tagine for around 5 or 6 minutes until they start to colour up.
6. Add the garlic and cook with the onions for a further 2 minutes.
7. Add all of the spices, (except for the bay leaves and saffron bloom), allow them to toast in the bottom of the Tagine before stirring them into the onions.
8. Place the chicken into the Tagine, meat side down for the thigh pieces. Allow them to start to get some heat before adding your stock, saffron bloom and bay leaves.
9. Place the lid on to the Tagine and allow the liquid to come to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes (whilst the Tagine is cooking prepare your cous cous, see recipe below).
10. Take your preserved lemon from the jar, remove the flesh to one side and thinly slice the skins.
11. Take the lid off. Turn the thighs meat side up and turn lower legs over. Add the olives, the lemon flesh and lemon juice then stir in. Place the sliced lemon skin on top of the chicken pieces and place the lid back on the Tagine, cook for a further 10 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce to a thicken (around 10 minutes).
13. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped coriander/cilantro.
14. Serve.
Moroccan Cous Cous
Instructions
1. Peel and finely dice your onion and peel and crush your garlic clove.
2. Place a saucepan on the stove and apply a medium heat, once hot add 1 tbsp olive oil.
3. Add your finely diced onion to the pan and cook until soft and translucent, add your crushed garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Add your cous cous to the pan and toast in the pan for a minute to a minute and a half. It is important to keep stirring the cous cous so that it doesn’t burn.
5. Add the chick peas, the chopped almonds and the sultanas to the mix and stir in.
6. Immediately add your stock to the pan. As the pan is hot it will boil almost immediately. As soon as this happens turn off the heat and place a lid or some tin foil/aluminium foil on top of the pan and allow the cous to cook and absorb the stock (this will take 5 – 6 minutes).
7. Take of the lid and add 15g of salted butter to the cous cous. Stir the mixture with a fork to help to combine all the ingredients and fluff up the cous cous.
8. Serve.
Foodvlog
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00:00 – Introduction
00:40 – Heat the tagine
01:00 – Infuse saffron
01:19 – Slice the onion
01:39 – Mince the garlic
02:21 – Add oil to the tagine
02:35 – Add onions to the tagine
03:09 – Add salt
03:36 – Add garlic
04:29 – Add the spices
05:05 – Add chicken thighs
06:02 – Add the stock
06:18 – Add saffron infusion
06:31 – Add bayleaves
07:18 – Prepare the cous cous
07:29 – Add oil and diced onions to the pan
07:45 – Add crushed garlic and cous cous
08:03 – Add chickpeas, sultanas and chopped almonds
08:20 – Add stock
08:37 – Leave cous cous to cook
08:49 – Add butter to the cous cous
09:19 – Add olives to the tagine
09:32 – Add lemon juice to the tagine
09:47 – Cut up and add preserved lemon
10:40 – Remove the lid and reduce the sauce
11:07 – Serve and taste
1 Comment
That looks really tasty, can you use chicken breast instead of chicken leg?