Textual Chef Textual Chef

Chicken Tagine with Olives

A tender braised chicken dish simmered with warm aromatic spices, preserved lemon, and savory green olives.

65 minMediumServes 4420 cal/serving

MoroccanDinnerStovetopMediterraneanHigh ProteinLow CarbPaleoWhole30Gluten-FreeNut-FreeDairy-FreeSoy-FreeEgg-FreeShellfish-FreeSesame-FreeNightshade-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 1 yellow onion, grated
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp preserved lemon rind, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cracked green olives, pitted
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot or tagine over medium heat.

  2. 2

    Add 2 lbs trimmed bone-in skinless chicken thighs and sear for 4 minutes per side until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate.

  3. 3

    Add 1 grated yellow onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, and 2 tsp grated fresh ginger to the pot, cooking for 3 minutes until soft.

  4. 4

    Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for 1 minute until fragrant.

  5. 5

    Pour in 1.5 cups chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

  6. 6

    Return 2 lbs trimmed bone-in skinless chicken thighs to the pot, cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Stir in 2 tbsp chopped preserved lemon rind and 1/2 cup pitted cracked green olives, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

  8. 8

    Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro before serving warm.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

How long does Chicken Tagine with Olives take?

As written, 65 minutes: 20 of prep and 45 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 6 (30 minutes): "Return 2 lbs trimmed bone-in skinless chicken thighs to the pot, cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes."

What internal temperature should Chicken Tagine with Olives reach?

For Chicken Tagine with Olives, the target internal temperature is 165 F (about 75 C), given in step 7. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Can I skip the searing in Chicken Tagine with Olives?

Step 2 reads: "Add 2 lbs trimmed bone-in skinless chicken thighs and sear for 4 minutes per side until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate." You can, but you give up flavor. The browning in step 2 builds the savory base the rest of the dish is seasoned against. Give the pieces room so the pan stays hot.

What can I use instead of preserved lemon in Chicken Tagine with Olives?

The entry for Chicken Tagine with Olives calls for 2 tbsp preserved lemon rind, chopped. In its place: Use fresh lemon zest with a good pinch of salt and a few drops of juice. It lacks the fermented depth but carries the dish.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs in Chicken Tagine with Olives?

You can, but it is the weaker choice here. Breasts dry out over a long cook, so add them for the last third of the time and pull them as soon as they reach 165 F. As written, the entry for Chicken Tagine with Olives uses 2 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Moroccan entries

All Moroccan recipes · All Dinner recipes · All Chicken recipes