Name: Chicken Tagine With Apricots and Almonds
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 1/2 hr
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon turmeric; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1¼ teaspoons salt; 3 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil; 1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 5 fresh cilantro; 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1½ cups water; 2 tablespoons mild honey; 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick; ½ cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves; ⅓ cup whole blanched almonds; a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string

Gourmet's Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds in a tagine pot with mint tea and almonds on the side.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad

Active Time
30 min
Total Time
1 1/2 hr

Created by chef Baija Lafridi at Jnane Tamsna in Marrakech, this Moroccan chicken tagine recipe is both savory and a little bit sweet, thanks to the addition of dried apricots. Gourmet food editor Maggie Ruggiero had the opportunity to taste this dish on a visit to Morocco, where there is no lack of delicious tagine preparations to try.

For this chicken tagine recipe, a passel of warm spices—including cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and black pepper—complement the sweetness of the dried fruit and infuse the meat with a luscious flavor and aroma. After coating the chicken pieces in the spice mixture, sear them in the base of a tagine (or if you don’t have one, a skillet) until the skin is nicely browned. The chicken then gently cooks slowly atop a bed of sautéed onions and garlic inside the tagine; the cookware’s conical design keeps moisture inside and ensures that the chicken will be continually basted by the condensation that forms along the walls of the cooking vessel. Meanwhile, you’ll plump up the dried apricots in a syrup of honey with cinnamon sticks, and then toast a handful of whole, blanched almonds in a bit of oil. Just before serving, stir in the tender spiced apricots, and then top with the toasted almonds.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the May 2006 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared online December 31, 2014.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon black pepper

1¼ teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil

1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 fresh cilantro

5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

1½ cups water

2 tablespoons mild honey

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

½ cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves

⅓ cup whole blanched almonds

Special Equipment

a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string

Preparation

Step 1
Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.
Step 2
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.
Step 3
Add onion and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with ½ cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
Step 4
While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5
While apricots cook, heat remaining ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Step 6
Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.

Leave a Review

Reviews (204)

Absolutely delicious! This dish is now a regular in my house.
- DLBloom
- Los Angeles, CA
- 11/18/2023
My family absolutely loves this. I use a tagine and the chicken is so moist. I add sweet potato, green olives, chicken stock instead of water and saffron threads soaked in a little hot water. Delicious 😋😋
- Suzanne
- NSW Australia
- 8/29/2023
Made this for my sister and her friend and they loved the Chicken. Served this with Couscous and Naan Bread. It was a great dinner and I loved it so much, I am making in for me today! The only alteration I made was using Árgan Oil instead of Olive Oil.
- Jim Heneghan
- Chicago, IL
- 4/16/2023
Definitely went out of my comfort zone on this one and glad I did. Nice flavors and colors. Will definitely make again.
- Susan
- West Michigan
- 2/8/2023
I like this with saffron, preserved lemon, and green olives, served over brown rice. The honey glaze is maybe a bit too much sweetness; I’d rather add golden raisins.
- Hollis Ramsey
- Vero Beach, FL
- 7/12/2022
Excellent flavors! I made it a day ahead. Before serving, I skimmed off congealed fat. Will definitely make again.
- SW_Washington
- Vancouver, WA
- 3/28/2022
My niece made this for my family the first time we had it. My daughter was thrilled. Now we have to have this dish several times a monthly. Fantastic dish!!
- Lisa
- Dock Junction, GA
- 3/18/2022
I made this with great success in an Airbnb in a wok with a lid on it. First I browned the chicken in a flat skillet and then proceeded with the wok. Are used fresh ginger to good advantage and will make it again, doubling the spices. I’m sure it will be more flavorful tonight after a day in the refrigerator. The delicious onion the sauce with the apricots and almonds had amazing layers of flavor. We may have it tonight with a dash of Portuguese Piri Piri sauce.
- MartaCinci
- Cincinnati
- 2/5/2022
This will be wonderful, I can already taste it.
- Anonymous
- Shelton, Washington
- 2/1/2022
Really delicious . Made mostly as written : used chicken thighs combo bone in and boneless. Increased herbs and added fresh ginger and braised in oven at 350 for an hour . Served with couscous for all that wonderful juicy ness and roasted cauliflower and chick peas seasoned with the same spices .
- Anonymous
- Burr ridge
- 4/12/2021
This was great! Definitely will make this part of a rotation. I didn’t tie the herbs, which I will do next time. I mostly followed the recipe, but used boneless thighs and a white onion, and doubled the spices. We served it over basic couscous. So good. Everyone loved it; I made it for my dad as part of a Moroccan themed birthday dinner, along with the Harira recipe from epicurious, which was also amazing. If you’re wondering if you should make this, STOP WAITING! 😂 You and the people you are cooking for will love it!
- 3langstons
- Gainesville, FL
- 10/25/2020
This was absolutely delicious. It was my first attempt at Moroccan food (which I usually go to a restaurant for when I have a craving). My husband does not like nuts or fruit in his food and he loved this! Thanks.
- boomper68
- Ontario
- 4/28/2020
This was delicious. We recently spent 2 weeks in Morocco and this was better than any tagine we had there. I used chicken breasts and marinated them in the spice rub for a couple of hours before cooking. I added coriander, cardomom and cumin as other reviewers recommended. I used chicken stock instead of water and doubled the apricot sauce. I also added a can of garbanzos as some reviewers did but I don’t think it was a good addition. Served over Israeli couscous. A huge hit with my guests.
- mekleger
- Philadelphia
- 2/17/2020
Authentic and Fantastic! This is exactly like the dish I used to order when we lived in the city and had access to a Tagine restaurant. I didn't tie the herbs, just tossed several sprigs into the pot and pulled out the stems before serving. Also, tossed in two cubed sweet potatoes to the simmering since I remembered the tagine including some type of vegetable. Forgot to pick up a red onion but a yellow onion works just fine. Served with roasted cauliflower.
- kpfromchicago
- Wilmette, IL
- 2/18/2019
This is so, so good. I serve over couscous or rice. A few notes: I use boneless, (mostly) skinless thighs, and I don’t bundle the herbs. I just chop up a bunch of cilantro and throw it on top when it’s done. I also toast the almonds instead of frying. Oh! And one more thing: I roughly shred the chicken at the end, and then stir it into the sauce. I find it easier to eat that way. Absolutely delicious.
- teatime81
- California
- 1/4/2019