Chicken Tagine with Apples and Cinnamon

This Moroccan-inspired tagine recipe is made in a Dutch oven using a whole chicken broken into pieces. It’s made with fragrant spices, like cinnamon and ginger cooked with apples and Marcona almonds for a substantial meal filled with fall flavors.

Course chicken, Main Course

Cuisine African, moroccan

Keyword apple, apple cider, braise, braised, cinnamon, tagine

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 160kcal

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

US Customary - Metric

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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