A rich, spice-infused Moroccan chicken and chickpea tagine. Cook in a traditional tagine or in the oven. Serve with couscous for a delicious Moroccan-inspired meal.
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Post updated October 2026
Easy-to-make chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish. Chicken pieces are braised in a rich sauce with spices, garlic, onion and tomatoes.
Adding chickpeas makes this a filling meal. It's sweet rather than spicy, so the whole family will love it.
What is a tagine?
Historically, it's a dish from North Africa and is the name given to the actual earthenware pot the dish is cooked in.
Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the Tagine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables.
Moroccan tagines are savoury stews typically made with meat, poultry or fish along with spices and vegetables and often fruit is added.
The result is melt-in-the-mouth meat or poultry which is tasty, warming and proper feel-good food.
If you enjoy Moroccan flavours, you might also like my Cheats Kefta Mkaouara or my Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Dates.
Oh yes, I am obsessed with my tagine; in fact, that was the very first blog post I ever did here on this blog way back in 2008.
Good quality tinned tomatoes!
I know, I know, I'm always going on about it, but you really do need to buy good, quality tinned tomatoes; otherwise, the sauce will be watery and lacking in taste.
I use Ciro tinned tomatoes as, in my opinion, they are the best. They're really lovely, sweet tasting and the sauce is really thick.
Some tinned tomatoes are actually quite bitter and definitely not what you want! 😐
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
- 🫗 Mild olive oil
- 🐔 Chicken fillets
- 🧅 Onion
- 🧄 Garlic
- 🍅 Tomato purée
- 🔥 Rose harissa
- ⚫ Black pepper
- 🌿 Dried coriander
- 🌕 Turmeric
- 🌰 Cinnamon
- 🌿 Cumin
- 🍯 Runny honey
- 🍗🫗Chicken stock
- 🥫 Tinned tomatoes
- 🧆 Chickpeas
- 🌰 Flaked almonds
- 🌿 Fresh coriander
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Rose harissa
You can, of course, use regular harissa paste (which is far cheaper), but I love Belazu Rose Harissa; it's available on Amazon, Waitrose and Sainsbury's.
Many Moroccan chicken tagine recipes use Belazu Tagine Paste, but I prefer Belazu Rose Harissa for this recipe. The rose harissa adds a slow-burning chilli warmth and sweet smokiness that works beautifully with chicken and chickpeas.
The name Harissa comes from the Arabic harasa, meaning ‘to pound’ or break into pieces.
It's not far from a straight translation of the Italian pestare, to 'pound' or 'crush' - which is where we get the word 'pesto' from.
Sweet smoked paprika
Is another amazing ingredient in this dish; I find La Chinata Sweet Smoked Paprika is the best. It is used by Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein, so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me!
Over here in the UK, I've only ever seen it in Waitrose or Sainsbury's. It's available over at Amazon via my link above, but please be aware of the prices because (at the time of writing) it's only £2.50 in Sainsbury's. 😉
It’s great for cooking tasty tagines, stews, and any dish that needs slow simmering. You can use it on all direct heat sources—gas, electric, or halogen—and even in the oven, with an induction disk for induction hobs. Mine is 35 cm, which is quite large, but it is available in smaller sizes.
Equipment - Can I make this without a tagine?
Yes! If you don’t have a tagine, you can cook this in a heavy-based casserole dish. Simply cover with a lid and bake in the oven at 160°C for about 1½ hours, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. The flavours develop beautifully either way.
Storage & Freezing
This tagine keeps really well and the flavours deepen overnight, so it’s ideal for making ahead.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the oven until piping hot.
Freezer: Freeze the tagine (without the almonds or fresh coriander) for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until hot throughout.
Couscous is best made fresh, but the tagine itself freezes beautifully.
Variations
• Add dried apricots – Stir in a handful before baking for a sweeter, more traditional Moroccan flavour.
If you love the combination of chicken and dried fruit, you might also enjoy my Chicken and Apricot Tagine, which is a separate recipe and one of my older favourites.
• Add preserved lemon – Finely chop ½ a preserved lemon and add it with the spices for a bright, citrusy lift.
• Swap chickpeas for butter beans – A lovely alternative if you prefer a creamier texture.
• Make it spicier – Add extra harissa or a pinch of chilli flakes.
• Add vegetables – Carrots, courgettes or butternut squash work beautifully and bulk out the dish.
If you're looking for more tagine inspiration, I have a few older favourites on the blog that are still hugely popular with readers.
Anyway, on with the recipe!
Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below!
Chicken and Chickpea Tagine
This is a colourful and truly mouthwatering dish that won't want to stop eating.
Ingredients
- mild olive oil
- 2 skinless chicken fillets
- 1 large onion
- 2 fat cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree (paste in the US)
- 2 heaped tablespoons rose harissa paste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 heaped tablespoons of runny honey
- a good pinch of black pepper (no salt, as the stock cube is already salty)
- 1 Knorr chicken stock cube dissolved in 250ml of hot water
- 1 x 400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400 (14oz) can of chickpeas
- 140g couscous
- ½ of a Knorr chicken stock cube
- 200ml boiling water
- a handful of toasted flaked almonds
- freshly chopped coriander
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion and cook: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan or directly in your flame‑proof tagine. Add the onions and cook slowly over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet but not browned.
- Mince the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the honey and all the spices, stirring well.
- Cut chicken into bite‑sized pieces: If needed, add another tablespoon of oi and add the chicken pieces and rose harissa paste.
- Give everything a quick turn to coat — don’t cook the chicken fully; it will finish in the oven.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas: Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes (with their juice). Break up the tomatoes slightly. Add the drained chickpeas.
- Bake the tagine: Bring to a gentle boil, then cover with the tagine lid or casserole lid. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and piping hot.
- Check the sauce: Make sure the sauce isn’t too thick — couscous will absorb some. Taste and adjust seasoning: more harissa, honey, or pepper if needed.
- Prepare the stock: Put the couscous in a small bowl. Dissolve ½ stock cube in 200ml boiling water.
- Add stock to couscous: Pour the liquid over the couscous, give it a stir, cover with cling film, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Fluff & finish: Fluff with a fork and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Notes
• Chickpeas: Rinse well to remove excess starch and keep the sauce smooth.
• Tagine size: A 30–35 cm tagine works best for this quantity.
• Oven alternative: A heavy casserole dish works perfectly if you don’t have a tagine.
Beautiful tagine! I really like using mine. Love the idea of adding the nuts on top!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious Jan. I really must invest in a tagine. I went on a cookery course on holiday in Marrakesh years ago and I've been meaning to ever since. You've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious Jan. I really want to get a tagine.
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious and I must confess I'm rather jealous of your tagine!
ReplyDelete