Table Trotter

Dinner night · Morocco

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

The classic Moroccan braise of chicken thighs, saffron, ginger, salty preserved lemon and green olives, made in a Dutch oven and eaten with bread.

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On our list — not yet cooked
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives: The classic Moroccan braise of chicken thighs, saffron, ginger, salty preserved lemon and green olives, made in a Dutch oven and eaten with bread
AI-generated illustration
Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Total
60 min
Serves
2 adults + 1 child, with a little chicken and sauce left over
Budget
$18–$28

This is the tagine most Moroccan restaurants abroad put at the top of the menu, and for good reason: chicken thighs braised in a golden sauce of onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and saffron, finished with strips of salt-cured preserved lemon and a handful of green olives. The flavor is savory and bright at the same time, with the lemon rind adding a floral saltiness that fresh lemon cannot imitate. Traditionally it cooks slowly in the conical clay pot that gives the dish its name; here a lidded Dutch oven does the same job in about an hour, with warm bread for the sauce.

Why it's on our list

Morocco is one of the great food countries and I want our first Moroccan night to be the dish Moroccans would recognize instantly, not a fusion riff. The thing I want to learn is how preserved lemon behaves in a braise: how much to use, whether to rinse it, how the rind softens into the sauce. It is weeknight-feasible because the active work is 15 minutes of slicing and browning, the braise is hands-off, and the sides are bread and a quick tomato salad. There is no chile in it, only ginger and black pepper, so I expect my son to eat the chicken and sauce happily and simply push the olives to the side of his plate.

Field notes · Origin & culture

The tagine is both a vessel and a dish: a shallow earthenware base with a tall cone-shaped lid that returns steam to the food, so meat and vegetables braise in very little liquid. Chicken with preserved lemon and olives is one of the best-known tagines in Morocco, where it is served at family meals and celebrations alike, often with the cooking vessel brought straight to the table. Preserved lemons, cured for weeks in salt and their own juice, are a signature of Moroccan cooking, and saffron, ginger, turmeric and cumin are among the spices that give tagines their character. Tagines are generally eaten with bread (khobz, a round semolina loaf) rather than couscous, which is a dish in its own right. Sweet mint tea follows, poured from a height.

Noteworthy ingredients

  • Preserved lemons: Sold in jars at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (seasonally), Middle Eastern grocers and online. Use only the rind; scrape away the pulp and rinse the rind briefly. If you cannot find them, simmer the zest and juice of 1 lemon with 1 teaspoon salt for 2 minutes and add that instead; it is not the same, but it is close enough for dinner.
  • Saffron: A small pinch is traditional and gives the sauce its color and a faint honeyed perfume. A quarter-teaspoon of extra turmeric is the usual budget substitute.
  • Green olives: Moroccan cooks use cracked green olives; any mild green olive from the deli bar works. Castelvetrano are buttery and kid-friendly.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs: They stay moist through the braise and make a better sauce than boneless.

Prep — 15 min

  1. Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt, the turmeric, cumin, pepper and ground ginger (if using). Let it sit while you prep the rest.
  2. Thinly slice the onions. Mince the garlic and grate the fresh ginger. Chop the cilantro and parsley together; you want about 1/2 cup.
  3. Quarter the preserved lemon, scrape out and discard the pulp, rinse the rind and cut it into thin strips.
  4. If using saffron, crumble it into 2 tablespoons warm water and let it steep.
  5. For the salad, dice the tomatoes and cucumber, season with salt, a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of olive oil, and set aside.

Cook — 45 min

  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken skin-side down for 5 minutes, turn and cook 2 minutes more, then move to a plate. Work in two batches if needed so the pieces are not crowded.
  2. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the garlic and fresh ginger and cook 1 minute.
  3. Return the chicken to the pot along with the saffron water and 1 cup water. Scatter half the herbs over the top. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 30 minutes.
  4. Add the preserved lemon strips and the olives. Cook uncovered 10 minutes more so the sauce reduces slightly and the lemon softens; the chicken should reach 165°F and be nearly falling off the bone.
  5. Taste the sauce. It will probably need little salt because of the lemon and olives; add black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon if it tastes flat. Stir in the remaining herbs.
  6. Warm the bread in a low oven during the last 5 minutes.

Serving

Spoon the chicken and sauce into a wide shallow dish or straight onto plates, with the onions underneath and the lemon strips and olives on top, and put the bread and the tomato-cucumber salad in the middle of the table for tearing and scooping. My son's plate gets chicken and plenty of the oniony sauce with the olives and lemon strips picked off, and extra bread; the salad is mild enough for everyone. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat well in a covered pan over low heat; the sauce is also good spooned over couscous or rice the next day.

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