Chicken with Green Olive and Lemon Tagine

A flavorful Moroccan tagine featuring tender chicken thighs braised with green olives, preserved lemons, and aromatic spices, served over fluffy couscous for a complete meal.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 45 min
• Total: 1 hr 5 min
• Servings: 2
• Cuisine: Moroccan
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $5.18/serving

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Low-Sugar
• High-Protein

Tags

• comfort food
• fresh
• roast
• savory

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, cut in half)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, diced)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 preserved lemon (pulp removed, rind thinly sliced)
• 0.5 cup green olives (pitted)
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 0.75 cup couscous (medium-grain)
• 0.75 cup water
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven or a tagine pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Add diced yellow onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
3. Add ground turmeric, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon to the pot. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
4. Return the browned chicken to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth. Add thinly sliced preserved lemon rind and pitted green olives.
5. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is very tender.
6. While the tagine simmers, prepare the couscous: In a medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water or broth to a boil. Stir in the couscous, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
7. Once the tagine is done, adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the chicken and olive tagine over the fluffy couscous, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 808
• Protein: 55.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 57.1 g
• Fat: 38.6 g
• Fiber: 5.5 g
• Sodium: 1648 mg
• Saturated Fat: 8.2 g
• Sugar: 3.1 g
• Cholesterol: 227 mg