Morocco | Main dish

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives

Name: Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Morocco, North Africa
Ingredients: 1½ kg chicken, bone-in pieces; 2 large onions, grated or thinly sliced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp turmeric; ¼ tsp saffron threads, soaked in warm water; ½ cup cilantro, chopped; ½ cup parsley, chopped; 2 whole preserved lemons, rind sliced, pulp discarded; 1 cup green or purple olives, rinsed; ½ cup water or chicken stock; salt and black pepper, to taste

Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemons, olives, saffron, turmeric, onion, parsley, and cilantro.

Country

Morocco

Region

North Africa

Time

120 min

Serves

Level

medium

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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Morocco

5 steps 45 min prep 75 min cook (check method) 120 min total medium

Marinate chicken

Rub chicken with garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron water if using, salt, pepper, half the herbs, and olive oil.

Marinate chicken 30:00

Build tagine

Spread onions in a tagine or heavy pot. Add chicken and any marinade, then pour in a little water or stock.

Cook gently

Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and the onion sauce has reduced.

Slow cook 60:00

Add lemon and olives

Add preserved lemon rind and olives. Simmer uncovered until the sauce is glossy and concentrated.

Finish sauce 15:00

Serve

Scatter remaining parsley and cilantro over the tagine and serve with bread for scooping.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Friday family lunch. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 120 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Moroccan bread, cucumber salad, mint tea, or simple roasted vegetables

Follow the collection

One-Pot Wonders is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. One-Pot Wonders

Regional lane

Tagines and special mains. Slow-cooked, spiced, sweet-savory, and celebratory dishes that anchor the table.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Pantry lane

preserved lemon, green olives, saffron, ras el hanout, semolina

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives recipe from Morocco — Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives

Moroccan bread, cucumber salad, mint tea, or simple roasted vegetables

Best route from here

Tagines and special mains

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