Succulent Chicken Chermoula Tagine | Easy Moroccan Tagine Recipe (2024)

It’s been a long time coming. As I have searched my website I realized that My Moorish Plate does not have a single Tagine recipe. That has to be rectified. Starting now, with my favorite of all, the Chicken Chermoula Tagine.

What is a Tagine ?

Tagine is a word that has a double meaning.

First, it refers to the traditional cookware typically made out of clay. There are also Tagines that are made out of ceramic but they are largely used for serving and not for cooking. The bottom of a Tagine is wide, circular and quite shallow while the top is usually shaped into a rounded dome or cone with a small side-hole that allows for a small amount of steam to escape.

Whether it is shaped like a dome, or a cone will largely depend on the region from which you buy the Tagine. The prupose of the top part is trap in the steam and allow the ingredients to cook from the bottom up.

Tagines also tend to retain the flavour of whatever you cook in them, and over the long term develop a distinct aroma.

Fun fact: the traditional way to cook a Tagine is on a majmar(small clay-made barbecue)or hot ambers which allows for a slow cook and incorporates a fantastic bbq flavour in it.

Second, the term Tagine refers to the stew that is slowly cooked in the clay pot itself. Typically, a Tagine is the process of cooking a piece of meat (beef, lamb, chicken or fish) as the centrepiece along with vegetables that are in season. You should know however that a vegetarian or vegan Tagine is not an uncommon thing.

How to make a Chicken Chermoula Tagine

My recipe for this Moroccan classic draws heavily on the recipe that mom used to make. In fact, I had a chat with her before learning to make this and thankfully she was more than happy to walk me through her process.

There a couple minor differences however. The Chermoula that I made for this Tagine is a lot more watery than a typical Chermoula. The reason why I chose to make so, is because I wanted to cook the chicken in it without adding any extra oil or liquids to the stew. I’m happy to say that it worked out very well.

The second difference is in the choice of chicken parts. I love chicken drumsticks and decides to only use those. Typically, this Chicken Tagine would have a mixture of parts (drumsticks, thighs, breast ect …). You can use any parts you have as long as you stick to whole parts, and not deboned. Depending on the cut you choose, your cooking time will vary.

1. Place your saffron in a heat-safe cup and pour hot water over it. Let it sit to release for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients of the chermoula.

2. Cut in quarters, and then remove the pulp by sliding a knife along the interior of the skin. Finely chop the pulp, set aside the skin, and add the chopped pulp to the large bowl.

   Smash and mince garlic. Add to bowl.

   Add spices (salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin) to bowl. Pour the saffron water atop. Add olive oil and mix.

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   Add in the cuts of chicken to the chermoula bowl and mix with your hands until the chicken is well covered. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 4 hours.

3. Roughly chop red onion. Place 1/2 of the chopped onions at the bottom of the tajine. Place your marinated chicken on top of the onions, then pour the remainder of the sauce over top.

4. Cover with the rest of the onions. Chop the lemon skins into cm-wide strips and add to the top of the onions.

5. Warm up Tagine on medium heat. Cook at a simmer with the cover slightly cracked to allow some steam to escape. We like to use a tablespoon between the bottom and top of the tajine to leave it slightly ajar. Tagine should have enough liquid because of the chermoula and onions, however, keep an eye and ear on it. If you notice that the liquid does evaporate (if you hear it sizzle, for example), you can add a splash of water to prevent it from burning. Cook on a simmer on medium-low for 40-45 minutes, keep an eye on it.

6. Once the Tagine is ready, uncover the tajine and add the olives atop. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes for a saucy tajine. If you like your tajine on the thicker side, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes instead, to let more liquid evaporate and for the sauce to thicken.

   Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander or parsley, to preference.

Serving Suggestion

Baguettes or a Homemade Moroccan Bread are the absolute number 1 choice for this dish. If you don’t have any bread to serve this with, try serving this Tagine on top of couscous. It’s pretty good!

F.A.Q.

I don’t have a Tagine, how can I make this ? I totally understand. Tagines are not easy to come by in North America and they are kind of pricey. You can make this in a skillet or better yet a ceramic casserole. Even a Cast Iron Pan will do. The only thing to keep in mind is that Tagine don’t diffuse heat as efficiently as a Cast Iron Pan so you might have to reduce the heat to avoid over cooking your food.

Can I substitute preserved lemons for fresh lemons ? The short answer is no. Preserved lemons are salty and have almost an umami like flavour. Their acidity is quite low compared to fresh lemons and the citrusy flavour is much more enhanced. You can get them from Amazon right here

I don’t like olives, can I skip them ? Yes olives are optional, and so is the choice of olives you use. This dish is traditionally made with green olives. I prefer Kalamata olives. They are not very Moroccan, I know, but they go really well here.

What is Chermoula ? Simply put, it is a North-African marinade commonly used to marinate fish, like this recipe here, and is also used for other meats. The composition of it varies widely from one region to another, and from one dish to another.

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