Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ground turmeric and green olives come together in this chicken β 75 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pat the chicken thighs dry, season them with salt and black pepper, then toss to coat lightly in the flour and shake off any excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pot or tagine over medium-high heat and brown the chicken in batches for about 3 minutes per side, then transfer it to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced onion to the same pot and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until soft, then stir in the minced garlic, turmeric, ginger, cumin and cayenne and cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
- Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice, scraping the browned bits from the bottom, then return the chicken and any juices to the pot.
- Cover and simmer gently for about 35 minutes, turning the chicken once, until it is tender and cooked through to an internal temperature of 75 C.
- Stir in the green olives and the rinsed, thinly sliced preserved lemon and simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes so the sauce reduces and concentrates.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, scatter the chopped cilantro over the top, and serve hot with couscous or crusty bread.
You'll use: Large pot Β· Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 16 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Moroccan food-Chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives-01.jpg by Foodista, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.