Description
Moroccan chicken tagine with apricots blends aromatic spices from North African cuisine. Tender chicken, sweet apricots, and warming spices create a delightful meal you’ll savor with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (3 lbs or 1.36 kg) chicken, cut into 6 pieces
- 3 tbsps plus ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup dried apricots, separated into halves
- 1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced ¼ inch thick
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup whole blanched almonds
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 sprigs fresh cilantro
- 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsps mild honey
Instructions
- Spice Preparation: Create a vibrant spice blend by mixing ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and salt with olive oil. Massage the aromatic mixture thoroughly into each chicken piece, ensuring complete and uniform coating.
- Searing Chicken: Heat butter and oil in a tagine or large skillet over medium-high temperature. Brown chicken pieces until golden, approximately 4-6 minutes per side, then transfer to a holding plate.
- Aromatic Base: In the same cooking vessel, sauté diced onions until translucent and soft. Add minced garlic and continue cooking, developing a rich, fragrant foundation for the dish.
- Simmering Process: Tie cilantro and parsley stems together. Return chicken to the tagine, add water, and the herb bundle. Cover and simmer gently, allowing flavors to meld and chicken to become tender.
- Glaze Development: Simultaneously prepare a luxurious glaze by combining honey, water, cinnamon stick, and dried apricots in a separate saucepan. Reduce until syrupy. Toast sliced almonds in a small skillet until golden and aromatic.
- Final Touches: Introduce the apricot glaze into the tagine during the final cooking stage. Once chicken reaches perfect tenderness, remove herb bundle. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve immediately, presenting a vibrant, fragrant Moroccan-inspired dish.
Notes
- Spice Massage Technique: Thoroughly rub the spice blend into each chicken piece to ensure maximum flavor penetration and even coating.
- Searing Secret: Brown chicken carefully on medium-high heat to develop a rich, golden exterior that locks in moisture and creates depth of flavor.
- Herb Bundle Trick: Tying cilantro and parsley stems together allows for easy removal and prevents stringy herbs in the final dish while infusing intense aromatics.
- Glaze Perfection: Reduce the honey-apricot mixture slowly to create a syrupy consistency that will beautifully coat the chicken and add a luxurious sweet-tangy dimension to the tagine.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 855 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg