Moroccan Vegetable Chicken Tagine Recipes

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
• Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been 'cracked' or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
• Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. slow cooker, combine the squash, potatoes, onion and garlic. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place over vegetables. Top with apricots and cranberries., In a small bowl, combine flour and broth until smooth. Stir in the chili sauce, ginger, curry, cinnamon and cumin. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender., Stir in garbanzo beans; cover and cook for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with couscous if desired.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat the broth in a tagine or in a thick-bottomed pot with a lid.
• Add the spices/herbs and seasonings to the broth and whisk to ensure there are no lumps. You can use a real whisk if you want, but I just use a fork.
• Finely dice the onion and place into the seasoned broth. Simmer, covered.
• Finely dice the chillis and add to the simmering onions. Keep the seeds if you like your food hot, otherwise remove the seeds before dicing.
• While this is simmering, dice the zucchini and yellow squash. Then cut the bell peppers into long strips. Set both aside in a bowl.
• Cut chicken breast in half the long way. Take each half and slice along the short axis so that the slices are not more than 1/4" thick. This is easiest to do if the chicken is partially frozen.
• Add the chicken to the simmering onions and chillis, ensuring that the slices are submerged.
• Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Do not stir. It's ok if they are not submerged, the steam will cook them.
• Re-cover and simmer 45 minutes. Serve over couscous or rice. Alternatively, remove chicken and veggies, increase heat to "high", and reduce the sauce. Add chicken and veggies back, heat throughout, and serve as a stew.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Mix cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, mint, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup spice mix and set the remaining aside for another use.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil; add apricots and raisins. Cook until fruit is soft, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.
• Pour enough olive oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven to coat the bottom; turn heat to medium. Coat chicken with the 1/2 cup spice mix and place in the hot oil; cook until golden brown and releases easily from the skillet, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Mix onion and garlic into skillet with chicken; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add apricots, raisins, reserved 1/2 cup water from fruit, chicken broth, and honey; reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until chicken is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Serve chicken garnished with cilantro and almonds.