Chicken Tagine with Apples and Cinnamon
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This Moroccan-inspired tagine recipe and you can cook it in a Dutch oven using a whole chicken broken into pieces. It’s has fragrant spices, like cinnamon and ginger cooked with apples and Marcona almonds for a substantial meal filled with fall flavors.
I had a similar dish at a restaurant called 404 in Paris, France. That iteration was made with pieces of rich duck while I swap chicken and use apple cider, a popular fall ingredient in the US for the braising that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients. You can also make the using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer not to make the step of breaking down a whole chicken.
Chicken Tagine with Apples and Cinnamon
Table of contents
What is Tagine?
Tagine is both the name for the dish as well as the vessel it’s usually cooked in. Also, the tagine (the dish) includes stewed proteins like chicken, meat, fish and/ or vegetables with aromatic spices of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin and more, as well as with herbs, dried fruit or nuts.
It is traditionally made in a tagine (the cookware). The cookware is made from ceramic or clay with a top in the shape of a cone. Moreover, the goal is to seal in moisture while allowing steam to circulate while the dish cooks to create condensation to drip back onto the meat or other ingredients to keep them tender.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Spices – I use a combination of warm spices like cinnamon and ginger as well as cumin, black pepper and turmeric to add depth to this chicken dish.
- Chicken – I love cooking a chicken whole. It’s significantly less expensive than buying multiple of one cut plus it allows guests to choose what type of meat they want – light meat or dark meat; thighs or legs.
- Apples – Apples add texture and flavor to this recipe. It’s important to use a variety of apples that will hold up to the long cooking time without getting mushy and falling apart. I recommend using Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Braeburn apples.
- Apple cider – Apple cider is a raw, unfiltered apple juice that has not gone through a filtration process (like apple juice). Also, it’s used to braise the chicken, keeping it moist while it cooks.
- Almonds – Marcona almonds have a sweeter flavor and are more oily than regular almonds. They are shallow fried in oil to add a toasted flavor before they are served with the chicken tagine.
How to Make Chicken Tagine with Apples and Cinnamon
Step 1: Mix the spices.
In a small bowl stir together the ground cinnamon, pepper, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Step 2: Break down the chicken.
Break the chicken down into 8 pieces, cutting the breasts in half and discarding or reserving the wings and backbone for stock.
Step 3: Marinate the chicken.
Add the pieces of chicken to a large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag and season with salt then toss it with the spices. Then, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
Step 4: Sear the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature if refrigerated overnight. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Then sear the chicken, working in batches, until browned all over, about 6 minutes.
Step 5: Sauté aromatics.
Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the butter and allow to melt, then add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Also, add the garlic and apples, stirring to combine and sauté for an additional minute.
Step 6: Add the chicken and liquid.
Stir in the apple cider, 1 cup (326g) of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Then, add Nestle the chicken back into the pot with the cinnamon stick.
Step 7: Cook the chicken.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 8: Assemble and serve.
Serve the tagine topped with the almonds and parsley. Eat on its own or ladled over couscous.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
What if I don’t have a tagine?
It’s ok! I don’t have tagine, so this recipe is written using a Dutch oven. It cooks similarly by locking the steam inside. If you do happen to have a tagine, use it!
Swaps and substitutions
- Don’t want to spend time breaking down a whole chicken? It can easily be swapped for one cut – like bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or a combination of chicken legs and thighs.
- Marcona almonds can be swapped for blanched whole regular almonds.
- Apple cider can be swapped for a more traditional chicken stock.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this tagine ladled over couscous. Couscous looks like a grain but is actually a pasta, made from small balls of semolina flour. It’s a staple of North African cooking and can be found in a range of sizes from smaller grains to larger pearls. To make couscous, bring 1 cup (236g) of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon (4.5g) of olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1 cup (180g) of traditional (not Israeli) couscous and remove the pot from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this moroccan tagine recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram for more updates:
Chicken Tagine with Apples and Cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 medium gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2” pieces
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 1 medium cinnamon stick
- ½ cup Marcona almonds or whole blanched almonds
Instructions:
- In a small bowl stir together the ground cinnamon, pepper, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
- Break the chicken down into 8 pieces, cutting the breasts in half and discarding or reserving the wings and backbone for stock.
- Add the pieces of chicken to a large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag and season with salt then toss it with the spices. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature if refrigerated overnight. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Sear the chicken, working in batches, until browned all over, about 6 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the butter and allow to melt, then add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and apples, stirring to combine and sauté for an additional minute.
- Stir in the apple cider, 1 cup (326g) of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Nestle the chicken back into the pot with the cinnamon stick.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Serve the tagine topped with the almonds and parsley. Eat on its own or ladled over couscous.
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