Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint

Closeup of Chicken tagine, garnished with fresh herbs and pine nuts.

Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint

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

Course Main Course

Cuisine French-Moroccan

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 281kcal

Author Renee

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

US Customary - Metric

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

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.

Nutrition