Equipment
Ingredients
Protein and Base
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 30 ml olive oil
Aromatics and Spices
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 5 g ground ginger
- 5 g ground turmeric
- 2 g ground black pepper
Liquids and Finishing
- 250 ml chicken broth, low-sodium preferred
- 1 preserved lemon, rind only, thoroughly rinsed and finely sliced
- 100 g pitted green olives, rinsed
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Toss the chicken pieces with the ground ginger, ground turmeric, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and sear until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced yellow onion to the pot and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
Stir in the sliced preserved lemon rind and green olives. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in half of the freshly chopped cilantro, reserving the rest to sprinkle over individual plates before serving.
Chef's Notes
- It is crucial to discard the fleshy pulp of the preserved lemon; it is intensely salty and unpleasantly bitter. The aromatic essential oils and complex fermented flavors are entirely housed within the rind.
- While this recipe deliberately omits added salt in the seasoning step due to the brininess of the lemons, olives, and broth, always taste the sauce at the very end. Add a pinch of salt only if absolutely necessary.
- Chicken thighs are highly recommended over breasts for tagines. Their higher fat content and connective tissue break down during the simmer, yielding a remarkably tender texture that resists drying out.
- If you want to build a thicker sauce, remove the lid for the final 5 minutes of simmering to encourage evaporation, or mash a few of the cooked chicken pieces into the broth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen overnight.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze without fresh cilantro. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
