Apricot Chicken Tagine with ginger and mint is an exotic, warmly spiced stew that is easy to prepare, family-friendly, and oh so delicious!
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What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
Some years ago, Mr B and I took a French-Moroccan cooking class, where we learned to make (among other things) chicken tagine. At it's core a North African stew, tagine is comprised of warm spices, tender meats, fresh vegetables and herbs, and dried fruits. Over the years, our apricot chicken tagine recipe has evolved into a savory, satisfying, family favorite.
Tagine Tradition
Tagines are traditionally made in a distinctive cone-topped, clay-pot slow cooker of the same name. (In other words, you make a tagine in a tagine.) Don't worry though: you can make this apricot chicken tagine recipe in whatever cooking vessel you would typically make chicken stew (i.e., cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, etc.).
Tagines are made for making memories. They are traditionally eaten communally, with diners gathered around the tagine eating by hand, using pieces of bread to scoop up meat, veggies and sauce. A family meal doesn't get much better than that!
What Goes into this Recipe
Moroccan cuisine is a fusion of flavors reflecting the region's many cultural influences. This dish, characteristic of the region, is a complex mix of savory and sweet ingredients.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
★ Chicken: Use chicken thighs or legs, or a combination.
★ Harissa: Harissa is a North African spice blend made up of hot chili peppers and other spices, including coriander, cumin, and garlic.
Harissa comes in a wet paste or a dry powder, with varying degrees of spiciness, and has a deep, roasted pepper flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
I’ve chosen to use the dry spice for this recipe, but you can substitute the spice paste if that’s what you have on hand.
★ Onion: We prefer to use yellow onions for this recipe; however, any regular onion will work.
★ Dried apricots: Dried apricots are common in Moroccan cooking. Any dried apricot will work for this recipe.
★ Raisins: We use golden raisins because they have a more subtle flavor and lack the bite of dark raisins; however, any raisin will work.
★ Pine nuts: You can substitute slivered almond for the pine nuts, or even leave them out entirely if necessary.
How to Make Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Stovetop Prep
Combine spice rub ingredients in a medium bowl. With hands, rub mixture all over chicken, thoroughly covering all surfaces. Use all of the rub.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stovetop-safe tagine, Dutch oven, or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides; about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and let rest.
Into the same cooking vessel you used for the chicken, add sliced onions, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and just beginning to brown; about 10 minutes.
Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Transfer the prepared onions to a separate bowl and set aside.
Arrange browned chicken into the bottom of tagine or other cooking vessel.
Layer on top of the chicken (in order): carrots, chopped apricots, raisins, and prepared onion mixture.
Whisk together chicken broth, honey, tomato paste, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, and harissa in a medium bowl.
Pour broth mixture evenly over the top of your little chicken mountain.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, just hot enough to keep it simmering.
Cook & Serve
Cover the tagine and cook:
Oven (preferred method): Bake in 325°F | 165°C oven for 35-60 minutes; until chicken is very tender.
Stovetop: Cover and simmer on low, checking occasionally, for 35-60 minutes; until chicken is very tender.
Remove tagine from oven. Remove lid, fold in half of the fresh mint, and allow to cool for 15 minutes so that the mint infuses into the dish and the juices thicken a bit.
Season to taste. Garnish with remaining fresh mint and toasted pine nuts (optional). Serve with warm bread or couscous.
FAQs & Expert Tips
Short on time? With one small adaptation, this dish can go from stove-top to table in under an hour! Just substitute in boneless, skinless thigh fillets and cook it for it for just 25 minutes.
Extra time on your hands? For crushingly melty-delicious, fall-apart tender meat, heat the oven to 300° F and cook in covered tagine for 2 - 2 ½ hours.
You do not need a fancy tagine dish to cook a tagine recipe! You can make this (or any tagine recipe) in whatever cooking vessel you would typically make chicken stew - a cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or even covered casserole dish!
Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta & Fresh Herbs makes a quick, refreshing side for this Chicken Tagine. An exotic mix of zesty citrus, sweet carrots, fresh herbs, and feta, it is dressed with a warmly spiced, piquant honey-lemon vinaigrette. (Ready to serve in just 15 minutes!)
If your tagine has a ceramic base, it is best to brown the chicken in a cast-iron skillet and then transfer the browned chicken to the tagine before putting it into the oven.
If your tagine has a steel-clad or cast-iron base (or you are making it in a Dutch oven or other metal-based vessel) you can brown it on the stovetop right in your cooking vessel.
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Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint
Equipment
- 1 Tagine
- 1 heavy skillet
Ingredients
Spice-rub
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon harissa dry spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Tagine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 - 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks; skin removed
- ⅔ cup dried apricots coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into ½” inch pieces
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon harissa dry spice
- ¼ cup fresh mint loosely packed; chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts optional
Instructions
Chicken Prep
- Combine spice rub ingredients in a medium bowl. With hands, rub mixture all over chicken, thoroughly covering all surfaces. Use all of the rub.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stovetop-safe tagine, Dutch oven, or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides; about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and let rest.
- Into the same cooking vessel you used for the chicken, add sliced onions, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and just beginning to brown; about 10 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Transfer the prepared onions to a bowl and set aside.
- Arrange browned chicken into the bottom of tagine, then layer on top (in order): carrots, chopped apricots and raisins, and prepared onions.
- Whisk together chicken broth, honey, tomato paste, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, and harissa in a medium bowl. Pour broth mixture evenly over the top of your little chicken mountain.Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, just hot enough to keep it simmering.
Cook & Serve
- Cover the tagine and cook: Oven (preferred method): Bake in 325°F | 165°C oven for 35-60 minutes; until chicken is very tender. Stovetop: Cover and simmer on low, checking occasionally, for 35-60 minutes; until chicken is very tender.
- Remove tagine from oven. Remove lid, fold in half of the fresh mint, and allow to cool for 15 minutes so that the mint infuses into the dish and the juices thicken a bit. Season to taste. Garnish with remaining fresh mint and toasted pine nuts (optional). Serve with warm bread or couscous.
Notes
Nutrition
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Laura says
I love this recipe and have made it several times! Just wondering--Have you ever substituted lamb for chicken? I think it would be an easy swap but not sure how long to cook it.
Renée says
Thank you, Laura! I'm so glad you like it - it one of my all-time favorite stews. I've never tried to make it with lamb, but I imagine the cooking times would be similar, with the lamb perhaps taking a little less time. Chicken should be cooked to at least 165°F [75°C], while lamb only needs to be 145°F [65°C] to be done. (Note: Ground lamb needs to be 160°F [70°C].) If you do make it with lamb, please come back and let us know how it turned out!
Stephanie says
This was soooo incredibly delicious! I did the boneless skinless chicken thigh route, but I still had to cook it in the oven for the whole hour because the carrots weren't cooked yet (thankfully chicken thighs are very forgiving). =0) It was phenomenal!!! I will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you!
Renée says
Thanks so much for the great feedback, Stephanie! I'm so glad the chicken thighs worked for you!