Indulge in a fragrant and savoury Moroccan delight with this easy chicken tagine with apricots recipe. Perfectly spiced, sweet and tangy all in one dish! This delicious recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.
To serve, top with flaked almonds and freshly chopped coriander or mint, and pair with fluffy couscous for a meal the whole family will love. And if you're a fan of this dish, try my lamb and apricot tagine recipe too!
Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, this meltingly tender chicken and apricot tagine is delicately spiced and deliciously warming. And the best part? You don't need a traditional tagine pot to make this recipe. A heavy-bottomed, lidded casserole dish will work just as well.
👩🍳 Love mildly spiced chicken recipes? Try my easy chicken korma too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Mildly Spiced Chicken Dish: This dish is perfect for those who prefer a mild spice level in their food. The combination of spices used in this recipe creates a warm and aromatic flavour that is not too overpowering.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is incredibly easy to make, even for novice cooks. With a few simple steps, you can have a delicious and healthy meal on the table in no time.
- Perfect for the Whole Family: The tagine is a real crowd-pleaser and a great way to introduce new flavours to picky eaters.
- Freezer-Friendly: This dish is perfect for batch cooking and freezing. You can make a large batch and freeze it in portions for a quick and easy meal on busy nights.
- Healthy and Nutritious: It's a healthy and nutritious meal that is packed with protein, fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Chicken - The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces. However, you can also use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer.
Plain Flour - Used to thicken the sauce. If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy, you can use a gluten-free alternative.
Olive Oil - A light olive oil is recommended for frying. However, you can also use vegetable oil or another neutral-flavoured oil.
Onion - One red onion, thinly sliced. If you don't have a red onion, you can use a brown onion instead.
Garlic - Two cloves of garlic are finely chopped and added to the dish for extra flavour.
Fresh Ginger - The ginger is peeled and grated before being added to the dish. Ginger adds warmth and spice to the dish.
Spices - The recipe uses a ready-made spice mix called ras el hanout, smoked paprika, as well as a cinnamon stick.
Tomato Puree - This ingredient adds richness and depth to the dish.
Apricots - You'll need plump dried apricots for this recipe. However, you can also swap them for other dried fruits such as dates, prunes, sour cherries, or raisins.
Stock - Chicken stock made from a stock pot or stock cube is used to create the sauce. If you have homemade chicken stock, even better!
Herbs - Freshly chopped coriander or mint can be used as a garnish and adds a fresh flavour to the dish, as well as a pop of colour.
Flaked (Slivered) Almonds - These are used as a garnish and add a crunchy texture to the dish. If you have a nut allergy or dislike almonds, you can leave them out or swap them for another type of nut such as cashews or pistachios.
🔪 How to make chicken tagine with apricots
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed shallow casserole and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger on a medium heat until soft.
Two: Toss the chicken pieces in flour, shake off the excess then add them to the pan. Turn up the heat so the chicken pieces brown.
Three: Turn the heat down and add the spices (ras el hanout, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper).
Five: Mix in the tomato puree (tomato paste), apricots, chicken stock and cinnamon stick.
Six: Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on then a further 10 minutes without the lid, to help thicken the sauce. Squeeze over a little lemon juice to finish and sprinkle over flaked almonds and chopped coriander or mint.
💭 Expert tips
- Thicken the sauce: If you find that your sauce is too thin, you can sprinkle in some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry to thicken it. To make a cornflour slurry, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with enough water to make a paste. Then, slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce until it thickens to your desired consistency.
- Make your own spice mix: If you have the time and ingredients, consider making your own ras el hanout spice mix instead of using a pre-mixed version from the supermarket. This will give you more control over the flavour of your dish and allow you to tailor it to your preferences.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: It's important to use a heavy-bottomed pan to cook the chicken tagine. This will ensure that the heat is distributed evenly and prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the bottom.
- Don't overcook the chicken: To ensure that the chicken stays tender and juicy, be careful not to overcook it. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, it should be cooked through in about 10-15 minutes.
- Make it ahead: Chicken tagine with apricots is a great dish to make ahead of time, as the flavours will only improve as it sits. You can make a batch at the weekend and reheat it during the week for a quick and easy meal.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Fluffy couscous, giant couscous, halloumi couscous salad, turmeric rice, and roast sweet potato are all tasty accompaniments to Moroccan chicken tagine. I also like to serve a green salad with it (rocket salad is nice), and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Leftovers can be reheated and spooned onto flatbreads for a quick lunch, or they can also be used as a tasty filling for air fryer baked potatoes.
📖 Variations
- Add some green olives and crumbled feta cheese: This is a great way to add extra flavour and saltiness to the dish. If your family doesn't like olives, you can serve them separately at the table.
- Add chickpeas: For a heartier meal, add a can of drained chickpeas to the tagine. This will also stretch the dish out to feed more people.
- Garnish with lemon zest: For a sour note to the dish, garnish with lemon zest. Alternatively, you can also simmer the dish with preserved lemon slices for extra flavour.
- Increase the vegetables: If you want to add more vegetables to the dish, you can add chopped red peppers at the same time as the onion.
- Make it in a slow cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker: If you're short on time or want to make the dish in a different way, you can try making it in a slow cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker. To make it in a slow cooker, reduce the stock to 300ml and cook on low for 6 hours. Cook without the lid for the last hour of cooking to thicken up the sauce. To make it in an instant pot or pressure cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking chicken.
🥡 Storage
Store - Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheat - Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze - Allow the chicken tagine to cool, then place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
❓ Frequently asked questions
A tagine is a North African stew of spiced meat and vegetables prepared and cooked in a shallow earthenware cooking pot (known as a tagine) with a tall conical lid. So tagine is a dish and also a cooking pot.
A tagine is the traditional clay cooking vessel for the dish but you don't need a tagine to make the recipe. You can use another lidded pot (such as a shallow casserole) instead, as long as the lid fits tightly.
You can make your own ras el hanout spice mix by mixing together;
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon salt
The spice mix can be kept in a tightly sealed pot for future use
Yes, chicken tagine with apricots can be made in advance and reheated before serving. In fact, many people believe that the flavours of the dish improve after it has been refrigerated and reheated.
😋 More delicious chicken recipes
- Chicken Rogan Josh
- Chicken and Vegetable Stew
- Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Stew
- Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Creme Fraiche Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
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Recipe
Easy Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Red Onion Peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
- 600 g Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 1½ tablespoon Ras el Hanout
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 10 Dried Apricots
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 tablespoon Flaked Almonds
- 2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander or Mint
- 1 Lemon juice only
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed shallow casserole and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger on a medium heat until soft.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Red Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger
- Toss the chicken pieces in flour, shake off the excess then add them to the pan. Turn up the heat so the chicken pieces brown a little.600 g Chicken Thighs
- Turn the heat down and add the spices (ras el hanout, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper)1½ tablespoon Ras el Hanout, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Mix in the tomato puree (tomato paste), apricots, chicken stock and cinnamon stick.2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 10 Dried Apricots, 500 ml Chicken Stock, 1 Cinnamon Stick
- Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on then a further 10 minutes without the lid, to help thicken the sauce. Squeeze over a little lemon juice to finish and sprinkle over flaked almonds and chopped coriander or mint.2 tablespoon Flaked Almonds, 2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander or Mint, 1 Lemon
Notes
- Thicken the sauce: If you find that your sauce is too thin, you can sprinkle in some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry to thicken it. To make a cornflour slurry, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with enough water to make a paste. Then, slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce until it thickens to your desired consistency.
- Make your own spice mix: If you have the time and ingredients, consider making your own ras el hanout spice mix instead of using a pre-mixed version from the supermarket. This will give you more control over the flavour of your dish and allow you to tailor it to your preferences.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: It's important to use a heavy-bottomed pan to cook the chicken tagine. This will ensure that the heat is distributed evenly and prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the bottom.
- Add some green olives and crumbled feta cheese: This is a great way to add extra flavour and saltiness to the dish. If your family doesn't like olives, you can serve them separately at the table.
- Add chickpeas: For a heartier meal, add a can of drained chickpeas to the tagine. This will also stretch the dish out to feed more people.
- Garnish with lemon zest: For a sour note to the dish, garnish with lemon zest. Alternatively, you can also simmer the dish with preserved lemon slices for extra flavour.
- Increase the vegetables: If you want to add more vegetables to the dish, you can add chopped red peppers at the same time as the onion.
- Make it in a slow cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker: If you're short on time or want to make the dish in a different way, you can try making it in a slow cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker. To make it in a slow cooker, reduce the stock to 300ml and cook on low for 6 hours. Cook without the lid for the last hour of cooking to thicken up the sauce.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This tagine looks so tasty and quick to make too. I love the sweetness of the apricots with all those lovely spices.
Vidya Narayan
Perfect recipe for weeknight dinner. Love the apricots and spices used.
Casey
Such a unique, flavorful and EASY dish! I added green olives--DELISH!
Toni
This is such an amazing combination of flavors! My whole family enjoyed it!
Nic
Delicious! What a great Moroccan chicken recipe! We loved the apricot with it. Will make again.