Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (Stovetop, Slow Cooker Or Pressure Cooker)
on Mar 10, 2021, Updated Jun 07, 2023
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Ever tried a tagine? This one pot easy Moroccan chicken tagine is a traditional North African chicken stew braised with herbs and spices, eggplant/aubergine, and a deliciously sticky secret ingredient. This is an easy version to make on your stovetop, but throw it in your slow cooker or pressure cooker if you prefer.
Fan of easy chicken dinners, and open to trying something a bit different? This easy Moroccan chicken tagine contains eggplant, prunes, lemon and loads of yummy herbs and spices.
You could say it’s a bit like a curry. The texture is similar, and it’s packed with complex and aromatic flavours, but it’s far less spicy. A bit of sweetness from some dried plums (OK then, prunes!) might even sell it to your kids.
Before you look at the relatively long ingredients list and groan, you only need 10 minutes to get this meal bubbling away on the stove. Yes, all in one pot.
Table of Contents
- What you’ll love
- What’s a tagine and do I need one?
- About the ingredients
- How to cook a tagine on the stovetop
- How to cook a tagine in your slow cooker or pressure cooker
- How to serve it
- More things to know (recipe FAQ)
- More easy one-pot chicken dinners
- Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (Stovetop, Slow Cooker Or Pressure Cooker) Recipe
What you’ll love
- 10 minutes prep time, then it’s hands off until it’s time to serve. Layer your ingredients up in a big pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker… and let it cook! No browning of chicken or onions necessary.
- The cooking method – simmering gently – results in a rich chicken stew with complex flavours. Yum.
- It’s aromatic, rather than spicy, and sweet and slightly sticky from the dried plums. There’s a good chance even your picky eater will like it!
- Stuffed with lean meat, veggies, herbs and spices, it’s a pretty healthy meal.
What’s a tagine and do I need one?
A tagine (affiliate link) is both the name of a Moroccan stew and a traditional pot with a big cone-shaped lid on it.
The idea of a tagine is that the steam produced during cooking condenses on the inside of the lid and runs back down into the stew – the point being to keep your meat tender and the flavours and juices in.
But you’ll be relieved to hear that you don’t need a special pot to make this yummy stew! If I’m making it on the stovetop I just use a big heavy pan with a lid. Any large cast iron pan, Dutch oven or even a wok with a big domed lid over it works really well.
Alternatively, use a slow cooker or an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot). They’re perfect ways of cooking this Moroccan chicken, too!
About the ingredients
Onions and garlic: Plenty! I keep the onions in slices for a chunky, almost jammy result.
Chicken: Use skinless, boneless thighs. Either keep them whole or shred fairly lightly with two forks for a chunky curry-style stew.
Eggplant/Aubergine: It’ll look like quite a lot, but it cooks down to the point you might not even notice it’s there. It definitely adds to the yummy flavour and texture of this tagine, though.
Spices: I played around with the exact amounts of each flavour in the stew. Don’t be afraid to tweak them some more. Equally, don’t worry if you don’t have one or two of the spices. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to miss them out.
Fresh herbs: I usually just buy one bunch of fresh herbs to keep things simple. Also, this way I can reserve some to scatter over the top at the end. In the recipe I suggest parsley, but if you like you can go for coriander instead. Put a handful in the stew and scatter more over the top to garnish. Use dried parsley or skip it altogether.
Prunes: Don’t skip these! Call them dried plums if you prefer. They’re absolutely essential for a beautiful sweet and fragrant stew.
Flaked almonds: These add a lovely crunchy contrast to finish off the dish.
How to cook a tagine on the stovetop
PREP: Layer everything up in your pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. Yes. Everything (apart from your garnishes of course!). The onions and garlic go on the bottom as a kind of protective layer, followed by the cubed eggplant/aubergine, spices, chicken, salt and pepper, herbs and dried plums/prunes. Lastly, pour over the lemon juice/zest and stock.
COOK: Put on a lid. Leave it slightly ajar to let the stew thicken slightly and to concentrate the flavours. Simmer fairly gently for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir half way through if you like.
SERVE: Either remove the chicken thighs from the pot briefly or push them aside. Then squish the prunes a little so that they ‘melt’ into the sauce. Finally, shred the chicken with two forks. I usually shred lightly because I like fairly big chunks of chicken. But it’s up to you! Leave the thighs whole if you prefer.
My favourite way to serve this is with plain couscous. But see below for more suggestions.
The final step is to garnish – always important for a brown stew! Sprinkle over either fresh parsley or coriander, and toasted almonds for a contrasting crunch. I also sometimes add a small lemon wedge to everyone’s plate.
How to cook a tagine in your slow cooker or pressure cooker
Slow cooker
Now here’s the clever part. As the magic of a tagine is due to the low, slow and moist cooking method, a slow cooker is also great for cooking a perfect Moroccan-spiced chicken stew.
Prepare the ingredients in the same way as you would if cooking on the stove. Reduce the amount of liquid to just 1/2 a cup. Then cook for 5 to 6 hours on low. Shred and squish as normal!
Pressure cooker/Instant Pot
The pressure cooker will take some time to come to pressure, of course, but this method should reduce the cooking time a bit.
Pressure cook on HIGH for just 7 minutes. Let the pressure realease naturally for about 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually.
Squish the prunes, shred the chicken and serve and garnish as with the stovetop and slow cooker versions!
How to serve it
- My favourite way to serve this is very simply – with plain couscous (which as you know is incredibly easy to prepare). Scatter toasted almonds and a few fresh herbs on top and enjoy!
- If like Mr. Scrummy you’re not a huge fan of couscous, just serve with some toasted crusty bread on the side. Naan, flatbread or chapatis would work well, too.
More things to know (recipe FAQ)
I’d say it’s aromatic rather than spicy. It’s a rich and fragrant chicken stew with a little kick from the delicious spices. If you’re a spicy kind of person, feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Yes, I would say that it is! Essentially this is a braised chicken stew. Braising is a gentle, moist cooking method that’s not only delicious but helps to preserve the nutrients. There are also plenty of super healthy ingredients in this stew – lean chicken, loads of onions and garlic, eggplant/aubergine, prunes and tons of healthy herbs and spices.
Didn’t you know? Prunes have been rebranded as dried plums! Just trust me on this one and don’t leave them out. They don’t taste like prunes – they just add a very delicious and sticky sweetness to the finished dish that you don’t want to miss out on. They also help to thicken the stew slightly.
This is one of those meals that tastes better the next day. By all means keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat either for 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave or gently on the stovetop.
More easy one-pot chicken dinners
- You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious creamy pesto chicken with pesto parmesan sauce – and it’s on the table in just 15 minutes!
- Ever tried orzo? This creamy lemon chicken soup with orzo will be on the table in just 30 minutes.
- This one pan chicken and chorizo with cherry tomatoes is legendary in our house. You have to give it a try! If you love the sound of this, you’ll also love this one-pot chorizo and chicken risotto.
- Chicken and rice is the ultimate crowd pleaser, so why not try this 30-minute stove-top chicken and rice?
- Or browse all my easy one pan meals!
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Easy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe (Stovetop, Slow Cooker Or Pressure Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, sliced into rounds
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed or sliced
- ½ eggplant, cubed (use a whole one if it's small) UK = aubergine
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup prunes, stone-less (buy them already stoned) Sometimes they're called dried plums
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped, plus extra for sprinking over the dish at the end
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, (around 6, but it depends on the size)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon, zest of a whole lemon, juice of ½ a lemon, save the other ½ lemon for garnish
- ¾ cup chicken stock, US = chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
to serve
- couscous, lemon wedges and extra fresh herbs
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil gently in a heavy flat-bottomed pan (or slow cooker/pressure cooker – see notes section below for more info). Then layer up the onions, garlic, eggplant/aubergine, spices, prunes and herbs (with the onions on the bottom). Lay the chicken over the top, then sprinkle over the salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle over the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice. Pour over the chicken stock/broth. Put the lid on the pan and let the tagine simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir the ingredients about half way through cooking.
- Shortly before the end of the cooking time, dry roast the almonds in a frying pan until lightly browned. Put aside.
- Push the chicken thighs aside and squish the prunes a little with a potato masher. Roughly shred the chicken in the pot with two forks (I like to leave some fairly large pieces).
- Serve the tagine with hot couscous and lemon wedges from the leftover lemon half. Sprinkle over the reserved fresh herbs plus some toasted flaked almonds.
I’m crazy for Moroccan food! I’ve made a lamb tagine in the slow cooker before and it was absolutely delicious! Your visit to Morocco sounds a little scary, I wouldn’t know what to do in that situation, what a great story to have though.
Yes, I guess it made for a good story, but not so much fun at the time. I actually think this recipe would be great with lamb, too. Mr. Scrummy said that he thought it tasted a bit like lamb. I definitely want to try it in the slow cooker next time, too – I bet it would be perfect!
I have never had anything like this! But I am eager to try! It sounds like such an interesting/delicious combination of ingredients! And I really love your idea of using the slow cooker!
I do hope you try this some day, Annie – and definitely let me know if you try it in the slow cooker. I think it would work brilliantly!
Morocco is at the TOP of my travel list…although it’s probably not the best baby-friendly place, so I guess it will have to wait. I have heard of people and the carpet shop scam, but never being followed like that. What a pain! This tagine looks delicious and love the easy factor 😉
Yes, a big pain when you just want to enjoy a beautiful place, although as we were so young I think we saw it as more funny than anything else! So glad you like the tagine. The easy factor was what I loved, too. 🙂
What a story! I can see why it left a bad taste in your mouth. I love chicken tagine, and had the pleasure of having a moroccan chef prepare one for us when I was at cooking school, and I swore I needed to make it at home. It’s such a lengthy process normally, so I love this easy version right here — pinning to try, Helen! And glad you made it back to Spain in one piece! 🙂
So glad you like this, Marcie. I definitely can’t say that this recipe is perfectly authentic (or perhaps not at all!) but it’s definitely something I’ll make again. That would be wonderful to have a Moroccan chef prepare a proper tagine for me, though. I bet you got so many amazing opportunities like that at cooking school!
Ohh that sounded like a terrible experience Helen 🙁 But the trip looked nice – it sounds like it was a beautiful place!
This chicken tagine looks utterly amazing. I love Moroccan food and spice, so this dish sounds right up my alley! I’d love to try it soon!
Thank you, sweet Consuelo! It was slightly scary because we weren’t used to the culture, I guess. At least I got a crazy story out of it for my blog, though, so I guess I owe ‘Nephew’ some thanks! Well, maybe I wouldn’t go that far … 🙂
I love that ingredient shot with the red onions – it’s gorgeous! And this dish sounds delicious. I’ve never been to Morocco … or a lot of places! haha I need to try to travel more : )
Thanks for the compliment on the photo, Ashley (blush). I probably should have made that one larger then, hey? Don’t worry, there are a lot of places I haven’t been to, either. Like the whole of Africa and South America … oh well, step by step! Happy 4th July!
Sounds like you had an interesting time in Morocco! Definitely makes you appreciate home! I love this recipe, Helen! You always come up with such creative and interesting dishes! I’ve never cooked with prunes before, but now I’m intrigued!
Aw, thanks, Gayle. I take that as a huuuge compliment because I always think I’m not being all that creative at all! I’d had prunes with pork before in France (which is delicious) but never with chicken. It’s good – just very fruity. 🙂
That story is fantastic… but also a little scary. Travelling has its ups and its downs. Way downs. Live and learn!
This looks delicious! Love the idea of using a wok-ish pan too. And prunes. Ahh! I love love love dried fruit in savoury dishes. Moroccan flavours are one of my favourites 🙂 I’d love to go one day! I will just be sure to avoid any sketchy shops hehe. Great story, as always, and fantastic recipes and photos, as always!!!
Thanks for the compliments, Allison … between you, Ashley and Gayle above I’m blushing a bright scarlet right now 😉
You’re right about travelling … there are definitely pros and cons … but let’s face it, mostly pros!
I love fruit in savoury dishes, too … especially with meat. 🙂
I love this recipe! You always have new and unique recipes I’ve never heard of here 🙂
Really? I’m really happy to know that, Medha. Thank you so much for saying so! (blush blush) 🙂
Moroccan food is one of my favorite cuisines out there. I can imagine how turned off you were by the hagglers, since i felt similarly about Istanbul. At least the food was good!
I’d love to go to Istanbul, and I think I’d be OK with the hagglers and hasslers this time because I’m more used to it. 🙂