Delia Smith Chicken Tagine Recipe

This easy Moroccan chicken tagine is full of warm spices, tender chicken, sweet carrots, and salty green olives. It’s cozy, flavorful, and perfect for serving with couscous or bread. Even better, it’s simple to make in one pot and tastes like something from a restaurant.

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat (see note)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins
• ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved (see note)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

How To Make Chicken Tagine Recipe?

1. Mix the spices: In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon. Zest the lemon and mix 1 teaspoon of the zest with 1 clove of minced garlic; set aside for later.
2. Season and brown the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken skin-side down for 5 minutes until golden, then flip and cook 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, let cool slightly, then peel off and discard the skin. Pour off extra fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
3. Cook the onions and garlic: Turn the heat to medium. Add sliced onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and browned at the edges. If the pot gets too dark, add a splash of water. Add the rest of the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until it smells good.
4. Add spices and broth: Add the spice mix and flour, stirring for 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits stuck to it.
5. Simmer the chicken: Put the chicken and its juices back in the pot. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
6. Add carrots and keep cooking: Add the carrots, cover again, and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the carrots are soft but not mushy.
7. Finish and serve: Stir in the olives, the lemon zest-garlic mix you set aside, chopped cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve hot with couscous or crusty bread.

Recipe Tips:

• Brown the chicken well: This adds deep flavor to the sauce, so don’t rush this step—make sure the skin is golden and crisp before flipping.
• Remove the skin after browning: Taking off the skin after browning keeps the rich flavor but removes extra fat, so the sauce stays light and not greasy.
• Add water if the onions stick: When cooking the onions, if the pan gets too dark or dry, just splash a little water to stop burning and keep flavors balanced.
• Use fresh lemon zest, not bottled juice: Fresh zest and juice bring a bright flavor that makes the whole dish taste fresh and Moroccan—don’t skip it.
• Don’t overcook the carrots: Add them later so they stay tender-crisp, not mushy. This keeps the texture nice and the dish feeling fresh.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

• Refrigerate: First, let the leftover Moroccan chicken tagine cool until it reaches room temperature. Then, place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Let the tagine cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat: Place the chicken tagine in a pan over low heat. Add a splash of water or broth if it looks too thick, then warm it gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Total Fat: 33g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Cholesterol: 145mg
• Sodium: 780mg
• Potassium: 600mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 18g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Sugars: 8g
• Protein: 38g

Try More Delia Smith Recipes:

• Delia Smith Coronation Chicken Recipe
• Delia Smith Chicken Liver Pate Recipe

Delia Smith Chicken Tagine Recipe

Course: DinnerCuisine: MoroccanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

This easy Moroccan chicken tagine is full of warm spices, tender chicken, sweet carrots, and salty green olives. It’s cozy, flavorful, and perfect for serving with couscous or bread. Even better, it’s simple to make in one pot and tastes like something from a restaurant.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 lemon

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat (see note)

• Salt and ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1¾ cups chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins

• ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved (see note)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

• Mix the spices: In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon. Zest the lemon and mix 1 teaspoon of the zest with 1 clove of minced garlic; set aside for later.
• Season and brown the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken skin-side down for 5 minutes until golden, then flip and cook 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, let cool slightly, then peel off and discard the skin. Pour off extra fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
• Cook the onions and garlic: Turn the heat to medium. Add sliced onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and browned at the edges. If the pot gets too dark, add a splash of water. Add the rest of the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until it smells good.
• Add spices and broth: Add the spice mix and flour, stirring for 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits stuck to it.
• Simmer the chicken: Put the chicken and its juices back in the pot. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
• Add carrots and keep cooking: Add the carrots, cover again, and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the carrots are soft but not mushy.
• Finish and serve: Stir in the olives, the lemon zest-garlic mix you set aside, chopped cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve hot with couscous or crusty bread.

Notes

• Brown the chicken well: This adds deep flavor to the sauce, so don’t rush this step—make sure the skin is golden and crisp before flipping.
• Remove the skin after browning: Taking off the skin after browning keeps the rich flavor but removes extra fat, so the sauce stays light and not greasy.
• Add water if the onions stick: When cooking the onions, if the pan gets too dark or dry, just splash a little water to stop burning and keep flavors balanced.
• Use fresh lemon zest, not bottled juice: Fresh zest and juice bring a bright flavor that makes the whole dish taste fresh and Moroccan—don’t skip it.
• Don’t overcook the carrots: Add them later so they stay tender-crisp, not mushy. This keeps the texture nice and the dish feeling fresh.