Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint is an exotic, warmly spiced stew that is easy to prepare, family-friendly, and oh so delicious!
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Ever since Mr B and I took our French-Moroccan cooking class last spring, I have been intrigued with tagine cooking. A North African stew made in a distinctive clay-pot slow cooker of the same name, tagine is an easy to prepare, family-friendly medley of warm spices, tender meats, fresh vegetables, and dried fruits. Moreover, tagine (the stew, not the clay pot) falls squarely into what I like to call the New Comfort Food.
Mr B and I have been blogging here for almost four years now (can you believe it!?) and in that time, GHW has experienced a lot of changes as we’ve refined our niche. However, if there is one thing that has been constant on GHW from the get-go, it is our focus on clean, mindfully prepared comfort food.
For us, comfort food doesn’t need to be the heavy, fatty and gravy-laden fare of our great-grandma’s time. (No offense to great-grandmas anywhere – your food was awesome!) This new generation of comfort food is about nourishing body and soul – with delicious food that is both good for us and environmentally responsible.
Fresh, healthy ingredients are the cornerstone of our New Comfort Food, and this tagine is chock-full of them. It’s a dish that I feel good about eating and feeding to my family.
Speaking of family – I think that’s what comfort food is really all about. It isn’t the carb count or the gravy on top – its family and friends and the memories we make with them around the table. That’s another thing I love about this meal: tagines are traditionally eaten communally, with diners gathered around the tagine eating by hand, using pieces of bread to scoop up meat, veggies and sauce. As far as I’m concerned, a family meal doesn’t get much better than that.
Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint
Ingredients
Spice-rub for Chicken:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon harissa dry spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Tagine:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 ½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 - 8 Chicken thighs and/or drumsticks skin removed
- 2/3 cup dried apricots coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into ½” inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon harissa dry spice
- ¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts optional
Instructions
PREP (20-25 minutes)
- Chicken: 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.
- Onions: 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 saute for another 2 minutes. Transfer the prepared onions to a bowl and set aside.
TAGINE (1-2-3 & Done!)
- 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), cover and cook until chicken is very tender; 35-60 minutes.(You can do this on the stove-top, but I prefer to cook it in a 325° F oven.)
SERVE
- Remove 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
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 [Tagine – Step 3].
Extra time on your hands? I prefer to complete the cooking of my tagine in the oven. For crushingly melty-delicious, fall-apart tender meat, heat your oven to 300° F and cook in covered tagine for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
Prep Notes
Browning the chicken
Because my tagine has a ceramic base, I brown the chicken in my cast-iron skillet and then transfer the browned chicken to the tagine. 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 the tagine.
Harissa
If you’re unfamiliar with harissa, it’s 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.
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So what is comfort food to you? Do you have any “new” comfort food traditions?
We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
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Yum! I recently did apricot chicken and love the sweet and savory combo!
Thanks, Matt! I really like the dried apricots in this. They create a much thicker, more flavorful sauce than fresh ones do.
Love love love everything about this dish! That cooking class that you took sounds great! I spent 2 weeks in Morocco this past summer and ate tagine pretty much everyday and took a cooking class at a local women’s center there that is focused on teaching cooking skills to underprivileged women and we learned how to make a lamb tagine!
Two weeks in Morocco! That cooking class must have been such a great experience. I’d love to read more about it – did you write a post? If so, please feel free to drop a link here or on the cooking class post.
I love all these flavors! This dish looks like some delicious hearty fall comfort food – YUM!
Thank you for stopping by, Holly. 🙂
Next time you go abroad, could you let me know so I can tag along? What a great time you must have had learning to cook authentic Moroccan food. The tagine looks very inviting.
Sadly, I didn’t learn how to make tagine on the road (this time). I did, however, take an amazing cooking class at Sur La Table! {You can read about it here.}
Wow! I really love all of the flavors and colors going on with this dish. It looks tasty and hearty without being too heavy, what a great combo!
Thank you! It actually has great balance: it requires very little oil, plus the mint and lemon bring a real freshness to the dish.
I love the flavors going on in this dish Renée! It sounds absolutely amazing and a total comfort food for Fall which is (unfortunately) just around the corner.
Thanks, Erin! I have to admit, I really love what fall brings to the table (pun intended) – the colors, the flavors, the smells – the whole vibe of it.
This looks delicious! I like the idea of non-fattening comfort food! I’ll have to see if I can find the ingredients and try to make this for my family.
This looks so yummy!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Definitely saved it to my pinterest recipe board.
Thank you, Elizabeth!
WHAT?! This looks amazing! Im kind of a terrible cook, but I will HAVE to try this sometime!
It is *so* much easier to make than it looks – you really should give it a go! Thanks for stopping by!!
I am going to share this with my mom. She makes an apricot chicken and I think she would really like the twist you put on it.
Thank you, Robin! I’d love to know what she thinks of it!
Such great flavors! With Fall and winter coming up this seems like a dish that will warm the belly. Will have to try this!
There isn’t anything about this dish I don’t like. It sounds so yummy. Plus it’s perfect for cooler weather.
I love the dried apricots and would never had thought to have put them in a dish like this! YUMMY! Thanks for sharing.
I love them too. In this dish, not only do they add a lot of flavor, but they act as a thickener for the sauce as well.
This is the kind of chicken we have been buying – going green tastes better to me.
I totally agree, Lindsey!
Yum! This looks delicious! My favorite thing about Fall is that I immediately want to cook so many things and try new recipes! I’ll have to add this to my list!
Yes – this is what comfort food is all about! I love chicken dishes and this one seems like one that would be perfect in the fall and winter! I cant wait to try this out!
Wow! This looks totally amazing and delicious. I love using fresh mint in my cooking. It doesn’t taste like chewing gum. it adds a brightness and freshness to the dish.
Wow this sounds great! It also fits in with my strict diet. I will have to make this next week!
This is why I love cooking with chicken! They’re quick to absorb flavor. This dish is a must try for me, I love experimenting with different cuisines, it’s fun and it allows me to teach the kids to enjoy eating. Thanks for the recipe!
The Moroccan flavor/spice profile is a lot of fun to experiment with!
Looks great! The pictures make the food look totally mouthwatering! I will definitely be pinning this to come back to later
I have always wanted to take a cooking class and if this is what can result, I am so looking for one! This looks incredible!
This chicken dish is bursting with flavor. Ginger and mint is a great combination, add apricot and I’m sure this is sooo good. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
uummm this just sounds so sweet and delicious. I’ve got to try this for the family, I’m sure they’ll love it.
This looks so sweet and yummy. I’ve got to try this for the family, I’m sure they’ll lvoe it
The first time I had a Tangine was in Marrakesh and it was so delicious and spicy. The best one I have ever tasted was in Tangier – so deliscious! Yours looks amazing. Turned out so well
Thanks you, Sheri. Sounds like you’ve had some real adventures!
I pinned this and can’t wait to make it! It looks so robust and full of flavor. Perfect for Fall.
Thank you, Kim!
This looks so amazing, especially for a fall day. I love a good savory bowl of whatever! It reminds me of the stews my dad makes
The flavor combinations in this dish sound absolutely wonderful! I’m not so certain if I can approve this by the whole family so I’ll probably have to modify it for just one if I ever make it.
With six kids, I’ve learned to make a point to honor eating styles (i.e., vegetarian, vegan,etc.) but I don’t even try to make everyone happy anymore. Instead, I cook a them a good meal and they either eat what I serve or make themselves a PBJ. No personal chef service, period. After doing that for years, I can tell you, they eventually come around. 😉
This looks delicious! Thank you for the recipe. It is definitely something I would like to try.
Thanks, Rachel!
Omg can we say yum?!?! I’m always Loki g for new chicken recipes!!! Must give this a try!
Yum. This sounds like an Indian dish. My husband is East Indian and we make Indian food multiple times throughout the week. I’ll definitely give this one a try!
You’re right! I cook a lot of Indian food as well, and there are many similarities between the two cuisines.
The apricot flavor makes this a wonderful dish that is a little different from other chicken recipes.
Thanks, Jill. The apricots almost melt away, leaving a thick sauce that is slightly sweet, but not overly so.
Wow! This looks amazing! I never would have thought of putting ginger and mint together, what an interesting combo. I think I may have to try this one, thanks!
I don’t think that I’ve ever had Moroccan food before. This looks really interesting, but definitely I would like to try it!
Wow! This recipe looks like it tastes and smells so good! I like the idea of adding mint; it always sees like it brings out other flavors in the nicest way.
This looks so delicious! I am definitely pinning this for a Fall or Winter meal! It sounds like a good around the table warm family meal !
Yum! This stew sounds perfect for chilly fall dinners! I love trying exotic foods that I’ve never had before and this looks delicious!
oh my goodness, this looks amazing. i have never tried it, but will have to save this and show my husband (he cooks more). awesome job!
what a delicious recipe for those chilly nights! totally going to make this for my hubby — we are always looking to try new recipes at home!
These look deliciously mouthwatering! Great chicken recipe!
Thank you! It’s delicious!
What a savory dish for dinner! I know what I will be having for dinner tonight! Yum!
This is a gorgeous recipe! I love everything about moroccan food, everything! Tagine is no exception and I´m just dying to try this one! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for the kind words, Paula. If you make it, be sure to drop back in and let us know how it turned out!
The Sauce sounds incredible. I know you said I can cook this in something I already own, but I feel inspired to get a tagine to try this.
Got for it! A tagine is a lot of fun to work with!
What a unique combination of flavors! I love this dish, really flavorful and good all year round in my opinion