Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe with Homemade French Fries
Looking for a flavorful and exotic dish to spice up your dinner table? Look no further than this Moroccan Chicken Tagine recipe! With a perfect blend of aromatic spices homemade french fries and tender chicken, this African dish is sure to transport your taste buds to the vibrant streets of Morocco. In just a few simple steps, you can create a mouthwatering masterpiece that will have your family and friends begging for seconds. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to crafting this tantalizing Moroccan delight!
What is Moroccan Chicken Tagine?
Moroccan Chicken Tagine is a flavorful and aromatic dish that originates from Morocco, a country known for its rich culinary heritage. This traditional dish takes its name from the cooking vessel it is prepared in, called a “tagine,” which is a cone-shaped clay or ceramic pot with a tight-fitting lid. The tagine pot helps to slow-cook the ingredients, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully.
History of Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Moroccan cuisine is a delightful blend of Berber, Arab, and Mediterranean influences, and the origins of the tagine can be traced back centuries. The unique combination of spices and cooking techniques used in Moroccan cooking reflects the country’s diverse cultural history.
The tagine itself, a clay pot with a cone-shaped lid is believed to have been introduced by the Berbers, an indigenous group in North Africa. Its design and functionality were ideal for slow-cooking in the desert regions of Morocco, where water was scarce, and the lid helped to retain moisture during the cooking process.
Ingredients for Moroccan Chicken Tagine Recipe
The beauty of Moroccan Chicken Tagine lies in the harmonious blend of aromatic spices and fresh ingredients. Here are the key components that make up this delectable dish:
- Chicken: Typically, bone-in chicken pieces, such as thighs or drumsticks, are used in Moroccan Chicken Tagine. If you like the skin-on chicken thighs, or pieces, you can leave it, because after cooking the chicken, you can fry it until golden brown, which makes the skin crispy and delicious.
- Spices: Moroccan cuisine is renowned for its spices, and the tagine is no exception. The aromatic blend is very simple, it’s made of up of black pepper, turmeric, and salt. These spices might be few but they do not only add depth of flavor but also give the dish its vibrant color.
- Vegetables: A variety of vegetables are added to the tagine to create a well-rounded meal. Common vegetables used include onions, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and olives. These vegetables contribute to the overall taste and add a pleasing texture to the dish. However, with this specific recipe, homemade fries taste So delicious, you’ll thank me once you try it.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs such as cilantro or parsley are often used the tagine. These herbs bring a refreshing element to the dish and enhance its visual appeal.
- Oil: With this moroccan chicken tagine recipe you can use olive oil or vegetable. A lot of people will recommand olive oil because it’s healthier, but I think vegetable just tastes better.
- Other Ingredients: To further enhance the flavors, ingredients like garlic and preserved lemons are super important in this recipe. These ingredients add a tangy and unique taste to this moroccan chicken tagine recipe with fries that you can’t taste anywhere else.
By combining these ingredients in the tagine pot and slow-cooking them, all the flavors mingle and intensify, resulting in a truly mouthwatering dish.
To learn more about Moroccan cuisine and explore other delicious recipes, you can find more authentic moroccan recipes on my blog here, and if you love this moroccan chicken tagine, then you will love this tradditonal moroccan berber chicken tagine with vegetables.
Remember, the key to a perfect Moroccan Chicken Tagine lies not only in the choice of ingredients but also in the slow-cooking process that allows the flavors to develop and meld together. Give it a try and transport your taste buds to the exotic flavors of Morocco with this moroccan chicken recipe! bon appetit!
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Homemade Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into strips
- 2 chicken legs or pieces
- 3 cups warm or cold water
- 2 tbsp parsley and coriander mix finely chopped
- 1/2 preserved lemon
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil plus more for frying
- 4 garlic cloves minced or thinly sliced
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- green olives optional
Instructions
- Peel and slice the potatoes into strips then soak them in water and a pinch of salt and place them aside.
- Remove the the flesh of the preserved lemon then place it in a mortar with garlic, parsley and coriander. Mince them until they combine well. Place the preserved lemon skin aside.
- Massage the mixture into the chicken thighs, then place them in a tagine or a thin pot with the skin side facing down. Add to them black pepper, a pinch of salt, turmeric, vegetable oil, and 3 cups of water.
- Put on the lid, and let the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until it's done over very low heat.
- When the chicken is almost done, drain the portato strips and dry them using kichen towel. Place the skillet with oil aside because you will need it later.
- Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet then fry in it the potato strips until they start to become golden. Drain them and place them aside.
- Once the chicken is done, add to it the preserved lemon and continue to cook it uncovered until the water evaportes and few tablespoons of sauce is left.
- Heat the skillet with oil again over medium heat. Drain the chicken thighs from the sauce, then gently place them in the hot oil and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes until they become golden brown on each side.
- Gently drain the chicken thighs and add them back to the tagine on top of the sauce.
- Sprinkle the fries on top of the chicken, then serve it hot with some bread and enjoy!
Notes
- With this tagine you can use any chicken pieces you want, but I highly recommand you don’t use chicken breasts because they tend to take a longer time to cook, and can be a bit dry. If you still want to use them, it’s better to slice the chicken breasts into thick rounds, this will make them cook quicker, and soak up the flavors.
- I know you’ll want to serve this tagine on it’s own or steamed rice, but I highly recommand you try it with moroccan bread first, it might change your life.
- This recipe doesn’t really work in a pot or a pan. You can try it regardless, but the taste you’ll get when you can cook it in a tagine or a thin pan will be completely different.