An easy Moroccan chicken and apricot tagine, perfect for busy weeknights!
Serve this easy Moroccan chicken recipe with flaked almonds, chopped coriander or mint, and fluffy couscous! You might also like my lamb and apricot tagine recipe.
Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, this meltingly tender tagine is delicately spiced and deliciously warming. The whole family will love it!
You don't need a proper tagine to make this recipe either. A heavy bottom lidded shallow casserole dish will also work too.
👩🍳 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.
- Easy to make.
- Perfect for the whole family.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bitesize pieces. You can also use boneless chicken breasts.
- Plain Flour - to thicken the sauce.
- Olive Oil - a light olive oil for frying.
- Onion - 1 red onion, sliced thinly. Use a brown onion if that's all you have.
- Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped.
- Fresh Ginger - peeled and grated.
- Spices - I use the ready-made spice mix ras el hanout, smoked paprika, and a cinnamon stick.
- Tomato Puree - for richness and flavour.
- Apricots - plump dried apricots, or swap for dates, prunes, sour cherries, or raisins.
- Stock - chicken broth made from a stock pot or stock cube.
- Herbs - freshly chopped coriander or mint.
- Flaked (slivered) Almonds - for garnish.
🔪 Instructions
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 a little.
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
- If you wish to thicken the sauce further, sprinkle in some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry (1 tablespoon of cornflour mixed with enough water to make a paste).
- If you have time, make your own ras el hanout spice mix rather than using a pre-mixed version from the supermarket.
🍴 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, 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 to the tagine for extra flavour. My children aren't so keen on olives, so I serve them separately at the table.
- Add a can of drained chickpeas to stretch the meal out.
- Garnish with lemon zest for a sour note to the dish, or simmer with preserved lemon slices.
- Increase the vegetables and add chopped red peppers at the same time as the onion.
- Make slow cooker chicken tagine in your crockpot. Reduce the stock to 300 mls and cook on low for 6 hours. Cook without the lid for the last hour of cooking to thicken up the sauce. You could also try making it in your instant pot or pressure cooker.
🥡 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 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
😋 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
- If you wish to thicken the sauce further, sprinkle in some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry (1 tablespoon of cornflour mixed with enough water to make a paste).
- If you have time, make your own ras el hanout spice mix rather than using a pre-mixed version from the supermarket.
- Add some green olives and crumbled feta cheese to the tagine for extra flavour. My children aren't so keen on olives, so I serve them separately at the table.
- Add a can of drained chickpeas to stretch the meal out.
- Garnish with lemon zest for a sour note to the dish, or simmer with preserved lemon slices.
- Increase the vegetables and add chopped red peppers at the same time as the onion.
- Make slow cooker chicken tagine in your crockpot. Reduce the stock to 300 mls and cook on low for 6 hours. Cook without the lid for the last hour of cooking to thicken up the sauce. You could also try making it in your instant pot or pressure cooker.
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.