Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint

Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint is an exotic, warmly spiced stew that is easy to prepare, family-friendly, and oh so delicious! 

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. Tagine falls squarely into our new comfort food wheelhouse. 

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Fresh, healthy ingredients are the cornerstone of new comfort food, and this Apricot Chicken Tagine is chock-full of them. It's a dish that I feel good about eating and feeding to my family.

I think that's what comfort food is really all about. It isn't about the carb count or the gravy on top. It's about breaking bread and sharing a meal people we love, and making memories around the table. 

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! 

Do I need a tagine dish to make this tagine recipe? 

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!

Should the chicken be browned in the tagine?

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.

What is 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.

What to Serve with Tagine

Our 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!

5 from 6 votes

Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint

Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint is an exotic, warmly-spiced Moroccan stew.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French-Moroccan

Prep Time:25 minutes

Cook Time:1 hour

Total Time:1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Renee

Equipment

• Tagine
• Skillet

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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
• 1 ½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 - 8 Chicken thighs and/or drumsticks skin removed
• ⅔ cup dried apricots coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into ½” inch pieces
• 1 ½ 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 loosely packed chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts optional

Instructions

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.)

  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? 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 ½ hours.

SERVE

• 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

You do not need to have an official clay tagine to make this dish: it can also be easily prepared in a cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, slow cooker, or even a humble covered casserole dish with excellent results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 7510IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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If this Moroccan Chicken Tagine recipe looks tasty to you, be sure to check out our equally delicious recipe for Caribbean Chicken Stew! 

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