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Tagine chicken with preserved lemons served in a traditional tagine
Exotic Moroccan tagine with lemons and olives

Tagine Chicken with Preserved Lemons

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Tagine is not just the food but the name of the distinctive conical clay pot. This shape is brilliant engineering: rising steam condenses on the cooler cone walls and trickles back onto the food, so the chicken essentially braises in its own aromatic steam until butter-soft. The explosion of flavour from salty, fermented preserved lemons and bitter olives makes this one of Morocco's most exciting dishes.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 50 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 550 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Moroccan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Tagine pot or heavy-bottomed pan (with lid): For braising.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten (couscous)

Instructions

1 ✓

Dice onion, crush garlic. Cut peel of preserved lemon into strips (discard pulp or use elsewhere as it's very salty).

Tip: Preserved lemon peel carries essential oils and special aroma; fruit pulp is often too salty and mushy.
2 ✓

Heat oil in pot, sweat onion and garlic until translucent.

Tip: Low heat important so onion doesn't burn, just softens.
3 ✓

Add chicken skin-side down, brown until golden. Turn over.

Tip: Fat in skin renders, flavouring dish. Browning deepens flavours.
4 ✓

Sprinkle with spices (turmeric, cumin, cinnamon), stir to let heat reach them.

Tip: Spices dissolve best in oil, releasing essential oils (blooming).
5 ✓

Add lemon peel, olives, and stock. Salt very carefully (lemon and olives are salty!).

Tip: Always taste before adding salt, ingredients are already salty.
6 ✓

Cover, simmer on lowest flame 45 minutes until meat falls off bone.

Tip: Slow braising lets spices and lemon permeate meat.
7 ✓

Serve with couscous, sprinkled generously with fresh coriander.

Tip: Neutral couscous absorbs rich tagine sauce perfectly.

Recipe FAQ

What if I don't have preserved lemons?
This is the hardest element to replace. In an emergency use fresh lemon peel and more salt, but the taste won't have that fermented depth.

Ingredients

  • 800 g Chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 2 whole Preserved (Moroccan) lemons
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 100 g Green olives (pitted)
  • 1 tsp Ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 250 ml Chicken stock
  • 1 bunch Fresh coriander
  • 1 pinch Salt (carefully!)
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper
  • 200 g Couscous (side)