Moroccan Chicken With Olives and Preserved Lemons

Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons is a classic dish that embodies the rich and vibrant flavors of Moroccan cuisine.

This dish is a harmonious blend of savory, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors. The chicken is typically marinated and cooked with a mix of aromatic spices such as cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and saffron, which infuse the meat with warmth and depth.

The preserved lemons add a distinctive tangy and slightly salty taste, while the olives contribute a briny and earthy flavor.

The combination of these ingredients creates a complex and flavorful profile that is both comforting and exotic.

The sauce is often rich and aromatic, mingling the juices of the chicken with the spices and other ingredients.

This dish is typically cooked with an earthenware dish called a Tagine. Most foods in Morocco are typically cooked with such an earthenware.

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How Is Traditional Tagine Pot Used

A traditional tagine pot is a distinctive piece of cookware used in North African cuisine, particularly in Morocco, to prepare slow-cooked savory stews and dishes. It consists of two parts: a wide, shallow base and a conical lid.

It can be compared to a modern slow cooker. Food cooked in a Tagine is typically cooked slowly over a period of hours. Though no electricity is used.

The food is prepared in advance. This preparation is essential for the slow-cooking process that the tagine facilitates.

The base of the tagine is usually greased with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. Ingredients are then layered starting with a bed of onions followed by the meat that has been seasoned generously with spices before hand.

Additional ingredients, such as vegetables, dried or preserved fruit, like lemons are layered in over the meat.

The tagine is traditionally used over a low heat source. It can be placed on a stovetop with a diffuser to distribute heat evenly, or in an oven. Historically, it would have been placed over charcoal or open flames.

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As the tagine heats up, steam rises into the conical lid, condenses, and then drips back down into the dish, keeping the ingredients moist and helping to meld flavors together. This rise and fall of moisture makes this pot self-basting.

Whether you have a traditional tagine or not, you can make this classic Moroccan Chicken With Olives and Preserved Lemons dish in your own kitchen using an ovenproof skillet or baking dish. The same as with this Mediterranean One Skillet Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives Orange & Fennel.

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Moroccan Chicken With Olives and Preserved Lemons

8-10 chicken thighs, skin removed

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, sliced thin

1 cup olives, mixed kalamata and green, pitted, rinsed (the brine they are bought in can be salty, reason for rinsing)

3 small preserved lemons (sold in Middle Eastern or African markets)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped (garnishing, optional)

Remove the flesh from the preserved lemons and chop the flesh finely. Reserve rind for cooking.

Add to a small bowl the lemon flesh, garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well to combine.

Add chicken thighs to a large bowl and rub chicken thoroughly with lemon/garlic mixture, cover bowl, marinate in refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 hours for best results.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

To a large cast iron skillet (or large baking dish 13×9 inch) add 1 tablespoon olive oil and using a culinary kitchen brush, brush the oil so it evenly coats the bottom of the skillet. Alternatively, swirl the skillet.

Spread the sliced onions in an even layer over bottom of ovenproof skillet.

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Next place the marinated chicken on top followed by the olives and reserved lemon rinds.

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Drizzle evenly over the chicken the 1/3 cup olive oil.

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Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the chicken is light golden brown, basting occasionally.

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes. The chicken should be deeply browned and the juices should run clear.

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Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

The dish is often accompanied by couscous, bread, or rice, which serve as perfect vehicles to soak up the delicious sauce.

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Try These Mediterranean & North African Favorites

• One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Artichokes
• North African-Style Harissa Orange Chicken Thighs
• One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken With Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• North African Lamb Chops
• Moroccan-Style Chicken & Rice

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