Chicken Tagine
This is one of my favorite meals to make for a dinner party, or weekend meal. It’s packed with layers of flavor, and the meat is always incredibly tender. You can use chicken, lamb or a combination of both. I have yet to make it with just veggies or beef stew meat, but I think it would be great with either.
When this North African stew is cooking, the whole house smells amazing. It’s the combination of all the spices coupled with the fresh lemon and ginger that makes it so delectable. While tagine is easy to make, it does take time to marinate and cook, you also need A LOT of spices…but it’s worth the investment. I make it over and over again from the same bottles.
You can easily double this recipe for a dinner party. This recipe serves 4-6 people
Prep time: 45 minutes
Marinating time: 8+ hours (you can do less if needed, see below)
Cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds organic chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 1/2 in cubes: you can also use lamb or mix both types of meat
2 tsps paprika
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch saffron (I have never used saffron since it’s incredibly expensive, feel free to leave it out)
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2 medium onions cut into 1 inch cubes
5 carrots, peeled and cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 lemon zested
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste (you can use regular or sun-dried tomato)
1 tbsp honey (you can leave out if you’re watching your sugar)
Directions
1. Place diced meat in a large bowl and toss with 2 tbsps olive oil and set aside. In a large resealable bag toss together the dry spices: paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder and coriander, and mix well. Add the meat to the bag and seal. Toss around the meat so it gets well coated with the spices. Refrigerate overnight if possible. I have let it sit for as little as 2 hours and it’s still great, but if you have the time 8+ hours is best.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive all in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1/3 of your meat and brown well. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes (without the meat). Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger and cook for 5 more minutes. Return the meat to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours stirring occasionally.
3. If the broth is too thin you can thicken it with a mixture of 1 tbsp cornstarch to 1 tbsp of water. I don’t mind if the broth is thin, so I don’t thicken it.
I serve the tagine with basmati rice, some crunchy french bread and a salad. It’s great to have rolls or bread to mop up the stew.
Adapted from a recipe on AllRecipes.com
Nancy is a Certified Health Coach and loves to cook healthy, delicious food for her friends and family.
