Moroccan Chicken Tagine With Chickpeas and Raisins

Written by
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih is a freelance writer and cooking class instructor with a background in Moroccan cuisine.
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Christine Benlafquih
Updated 03/24/21
Chicken tagine with chickpeas and raisins recipe

​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
684 Calories
31g Fat
52g Carbs
51g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 684
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 9g 47%
Cholesterol 131mg 44%
Sodium 808mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 10g 35%
Protein 51g
Calcium 157mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sweet and savory tagines are quite popular in Morocco, with a great number of them including fresh or dried fruit as key ingredients. In this Moroccan recipe, chicken is stewed with tomatoes, chickpeas, and raisins in a spicy, fragrant sauce seasoned with cinnamon, saffron, and Ras El Hanout. The result is a rich, flavorful, aromatic dish that brings both sweet and savory to the table, pleasing all members of the family. Although not traditional, you can also serve the tagine over couscous or rice for absorbing the sauce.

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Ingredients

  • 1 chicken (skin removed and cut into pieces)
  • 2 onions (1 chopped, 1 sliced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
  • 2 tablespoons​ olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons​ Ras El Hanout
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (crumbled)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped), plus more for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
  • 1/3 cup/50 grams golden raisins
  • 15 ounces/425 grams chickpeas (cooked or canned)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chicken tagine with chickpeas and raisins
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, mix the chicken, onions, garlic, oil, butter, and all of the spices. Cover and cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, for 15 to 20 minutes.

    mix the chicken, onions, garlic, oil, butter, and spices
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley. Cover and continue cooking over medium heat, occasionally stirring, for another 20 minutes. A rich sauce should form. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

    Add the tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the raisins, chickpeas, honey, and ground cinnamon (if using) to the pot, along with enough water to cover the chickpeas.

    Add the raisins, chickpeas, honey
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is quite thick and the chicken is very tender.

    continue cooking chicken and chickpea tagine
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Transfer to a serving platter, and if desired garnish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped cilantro.

    Transfer chicken to tagine
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Serve and enjoy.

    Chicken tagine with chickpeas and raisins
    ​The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • In this recipe, the cooking time is for the use of conventional cookware. If preparing this dish in a clay or ceramic tagine, allow double the cooking time; you will need additional time for bringing the ingredients to a simmer, as well as an additional 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time at each step. Place the tagine on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat.
  • Although you can eat a Moroccan tagine with a fork, most tagines are traditionally eaten by dipping in and scooping everything up with a dense, chewy Moroccan bread called khobz. You can use a crusty bread as well.
  • If cooking this dish in advance, note that the chickpeas and raisins will continue to absorb the liquid.
  • When reheating, you may need to add a little water to thin the sauce and return it to its original consistency.

Recipe Variation

If you like, a handful of dried apricots can be substituted for the raisins. If they aren't soft enough to pinch in half, boil them until tender and drain before proceeding with the recipe.