Do you have a craving for Moroccan Lemon Chicken? This quick recipe asks for only 30 minutes of your time and is just as delicious as the traditional version. Moroccan Lemon Chicken is usually slowly simmered and is infused with deliciously complex flavors. This quick version of this classic dish has all the flavor and takes half the time to make.
Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It’s company-worthy yet easy to throw together. Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It’s a company-worthy dish yet easy enough to throw together on a not-too-busy weeknight.
Cooked with onions, garlic, lemon, and olives and seasoned with bold North African spices, this Moroccan chicken is incredibly flavorful. Many of my chicken recipes are simple. Crispy chicken thighs, grilled chicken breast, Greek chicken - you get the picture. But when I want to make something truly remarkable, company-worthy, yet perfect for a family dinner, I make this Moroccan chicken. It's incredibly flavorful, and despite its complex flavor profile, it's not difficult to make.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here is what we need to make it:
- Onions, parsley and olive oil: This is your flavor base. Choose red onions over white as they have more flavor.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Instead of using whole cuts of chicken which take a lot longer to cook. Boneless Chicken thighs cook much faster, are very flavorful and are a great choice for a speedy weeknight dinner.
- Spice mix: cumin, turmeric and ground ginger are the spices that are typically used to flavor chicken stews in Morocco. These are very easy to find and are the perfect choice for this dish. Get the best quality spices you can find as they make a huge difference flavorwise.
- Preserved lemons: put simply, these are lemons that have been preserved in a brine made from salt and their own juice. They are very salty so make sure that you don’t over salt your dish when using preserved lemons. This recipe, tweaked a bit from Cook’s Illustrated, does not call for preserved lemons, a specialty ingredient that can be difficult to find. Instead, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice add tart brightness to the dish.
- Olives: you can use green olives or Kalamata. They both work. Word of advice: get good quality olives from your deli or some other place that sells good quality olives. They will be better in this dish than canned or jarred olives. Cracked green olives are olives that have been ‘cracked’ or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate.
See the recipe card for exact measurements.
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- To season: In addition to salt and pepper, I use paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Chicken: I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. While you can use a whole cut-up chicken for chicken tagine, my preference is to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs only, similar to my coq au vin recipe. The thighs provide a good amount of meat and remain tender even if slightly overcooked, and the bones and skin add depth of flavor and richness to the sauce (though the skin is removed midway through cooking).
- Oil: I use olive oil to cook the chicken and onions.
- Aromatics: Onions, garlic, and ginger. I typically use yellow onions, but you can use Vidalia onions, a sweet variety that works well in this recipe. Fresh garlic and ginger greatly enhance the flavor of this dish. Please avoid using powders.
- Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth if you have some, but store-bought is fine, too.
- To finish: Lemon slices, pitted green olives, and chopped cilantro.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
2 Simple Steps to Make Moroccan Chicken
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card.
- Heat up your olive oil in a non-stick skillet to medium. Add your chopped onions and parsley. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add Chicken, turmeric, ginger, turmeric, chopped preserved lemon, salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tbsp of water and cover. Lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Add olives a 5 minutes before your stew is ready. Turn off the heat once your onions have completely cooked through and chicken is tender. Garnish with some more fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Remove the chicken to a plate and cook the onions in the same pan. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Add the chicken back to the pan with lemon slices and olives. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, for 20-30 minutes.
Tips for the Best Moroccan Chicken
- Depending on the size of your saucepan, you might need to brown the chicken pieces in two batches. I use a fairly small Dutch oven to make this recipe, so I brown four of them first, then the remaining ones. Depending on the size of your pan, you might need to brown the chicken pieces in two batches. I use a fairly small Dutch oven to make this recipe, so I brown four chicken pieces first and then the remaining ones.
- You can use boneless chicken thighs, but you'll need to brown and cook them for a shorter time. Brown them for 2 minutes per side and cook them for 20 minutes, then check to see if they're done. You can use boneless and skinless chicken to make this recipe. Be sure to adjust your cooking time down accordingly; boneless chicken will cook more quickly. I prefer to use boneless thighs here than boneless chicken breasts, but both will work.
- I don't recommend using chicken breasts. Thighs have more fat and are juicier. Chicken breasts will be drier and not as flavorful.
- Plan in advance. The chicken tastes best when marinated for at least 1 hour before you start cooking. If you do have the time, spice the chicken ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight for more pronounced flavor.
- Don’t skip the sear!
- Add dried apricots. These are often added to traditional tagines, where their natural sweetness balances the bold flavors.
- Sneak in more veggies. I like to sneak extra veggies into this meal for more nutrition sometimes (the kids don’t notice!).
- Add more lemon. You can add a splash of lemon juice or fresh lemon zest to give this dish a zingy boost.
The word tagine refers to the shallow clay vessel with a cone-shaped lid in which the dish is traditionally cooked, but you don’t need one to make it. I use a large cast-iron braiser; a wide Dutch oven or heavy covered skillet will work, too.
Serving Suggestions
Moroccan chicken is a saucy dish, so you'll want to serve it on top of something to absorb those yummy juices. You can also serve this dish on top of raw baby spinach leaves. The hot cooking juices will wilt the spinach just enough to lightly cook it. I often serve this Moroccan chicken tagine with plain couscous (super easy to make following the package instructions). You can try your favorite grain or Lebanese rice instead, if you like.
Serve with some crusty bread or on top of couscous. Freshly baked Lebanese bread on the side is my favorite way to serve Moroccan chicken. It’s also delicious with rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice instead of couscous, along with a side of lentils, chickpeas, roasted root vegetables, or a simple green salad. To complete the experience, garnish the dish with sliced almonds, fresh cilantro, and a dollop of cool and creamy garlic yogurt sauce.
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Storage and Reheating
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat them covered (to prevent splatters) in the microwave at 50% power. Reheat the chicken in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water or chicken broth to keep it from drying out.
- You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutritional Information
I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms.
Moroccan Chicken Recipe
This Moroccan Chicken dish has hands-down become my favorite dinner to make for the family lately. The spices add so much flavor, and the chicken comes out so delicious and juicy. I still can’t get over how easy it is to make.
| Prep Time | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 25 minutes |
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tags: #Moroccan
