Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. Cooking Light had a version with chicken and chickpeas that sounds delicious. This recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Chickpea Tagine combines both sweet and spicy elements to make a really flavor-filled dish.
This recipe takes a bit more prep time that my usual slow cooker recipes, so be prepared for that. This recipe is great for a Saturday: prepare everything in the morning, run whatever errands you have for the day, and come back to an amazing smelling kitchen and dinner mostly ready! I shredded my chicken and served it over couscous but you can keep the chicken whole and eat it as is.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large or two medium onions (about 2 1/2 cups), chopped
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- 2/3 cup dried apricots
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- cooked pearl couscous, for serving
Add oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed on one side.
Remove from heat and reserve.
Add the onion and garlic to the saute pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and ground ginger.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, chicken stock, honey, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add to your slow cooker.
Stir in the dried apricots and rinsed chickpeas.
Arrange the chicken, browned side up, on top of the chickpea mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
After 7 hours, discard the cinnamon stick. If desired, remove the chicken pieces and shred with a fork.
Mix back into the slow cooker mixture.
Spoon over pearl couscous, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.
I asked my boyfriend to shred the chicken while I worked on making the couscous. I look over to see his progress and he is just standing there eating the chicken! That’s when I knew this was going to be a great meal. He even told me he thinks this is the best meal I’ve ever made!
This dish tastes like someone was working hard on making it all day. The flavors are balanced; sweet/spicy is perfected in this dish! Shredding the chicken allows the meat to hold on to some of the liquid instead of spooning it over the dish. Be sure to give a squeeze of lemon before digging in, it really makes a difference!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large or two medium onions about 2 1/2 cups, chopped
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 2/3 cup dried apricots
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish
- Lemon wedges for garnish
- cooked pearl couscous for serving
Instructions
- Add oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed on one side.
- Remove from heat and reserve.
- Add the onion and garlic to the saute pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and ground ginger.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, chicken stock, honey, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add to your slow cooker.
- Stir in the dried apricots and rinsed chickpeas.
- Arrange the chicken, browned side up, on top of the chickpea mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
- After 7 hours, discard the cinnamon stick.
- If desired, remove the chicken pieces and shred with a fork. Mix back into the slow cooker mixture.
- Spoon over pearl couscous, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
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