Opening the recipe box…
Greatest plates · Main
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon, Green Olives & Couscous
A fragrant, slow-braised chicken tagine spiced with ginger, cumin and saffron, brightened by salty preserved lemon and green olives, served over fluffy couscous for a full and comforting dinner.
Serves 4Prep 20 minCook 50 minChicken
Containsdairy · gluten
Protein 24%Carbs 33%Fat 43%
About 806 kcal a serve — 49 g protein, 66 g carbs, 39 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Method
Season the chicken
prepPat the chicken thigh pieces dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Combine cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon in a small bowl ready to use.
On the benchprep →
Brown the chicken
cookHeat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan or tagine over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces in batches, about 3 minutes each side, then set aside.
In the pansear →
medium-high, 6 min
Soften the aromatics
cookReduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute until fragrant.
In the pansauté →
medium, 6 min
Bloom the spices
cookAdd the combined ground spices and stir for 30 seconds to toast them, then pour in the saffron with its soaking water.
In the panspice →
30 sec
Braise the tagine
cookReturn the chicken to the pan, pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
In the panbraise →
low, 30 min
Add lemon and olives
cookStir in the preserved lemon rind and green olives, then simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes to concentrate the sauce.
In the panfinish →
10 min
Steam the couscous
cookWhile the tagine finishes, place the couscous, salt and butter in a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
In the bowlsteam →
5 min
Serve
serveStir most of the fresh coriander and parsley through the tagine. Spoon over the couscous and scatter with the remaining herbs.
On the plateserve →
Cook's notePreserved lemon and olives are already salty, so taste before adding extra salt to the tagine. Thigh fillets stay juicy through braising; if you prefer, use bone-in thighs and extend the braise by 10 minutes.
Estimated per serve
806 kcal · 49 g protein · 66 g carbs · 39 g fatestimates, within ~10%
Every recipe in KalaPlate reads like this.
A whole library of them — plus a weekly plan built around your household's rules, a shopping list that writes itself, and a plate guide for anyone tracking. Allergies are enforced, never filtered.
More recipes like this
Browse every recipeMoroccan Chickpea & Apricot Tagine with Couscous
Moroccan · Main
Honey-soy salmon with steamed rice and greens
Japanese · Main
Ethiopian · Main
World · Main