Full or warming spices and North African flavours, this slow cooker chicken tagine is a brilliant easy recipe. It's great for a simple midweek meal and the leftovers are easy to reheat too!
Traditionally tagines are cooked slowly and this slow cooker chicken tagine was the perfect excuse to get my slow cooker out again. There is something so warming about the Moroccan spices in a tagine that makes it perfect for cold autumn and winter evenings.
This simple chicken tagine was absolutely delicious and left me feeling I could eat tagine every day. It's easy to prepare and super healthy too. All the vegetables are a great way to get some of your 5 a day. I also love the soft dried apricots as they turn really plump and juicy as they cook. My husband is not so keen on them so I get even more to eat too!
Altogether this easy slow cooker tagine is a great recipe to throw into your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious evening meal. If you have time then make the marinade the evening before and pop it in the bottom of the slow cooker with the chicken. In the morning just add the vegetables and stock and set the slow cooker off.
Can you really just dump everything in the slow cooker?
When I first got my slow cooker I used to follow recipes. I'd cook the items in stages and then put the contents into the slow cooker. But somehow, I didn't feel that that made my life much easier, and nor did it save on washing up!
I soon realised that just throwing all the ingredients into the slow cooker led to practically the same results and that's more or less what I've done ever since. Ok, if I was cooking for guests I might do the stages thing but for a simple home cooked family meal I don't think you need to!
Ingredients for this chicken tagine
To make this slow cooker chicken tagine you'll need:
- Chicken - Thighs or legs are best as the meat is less likely to dry out in the slow cooker.
- Carrots
- Onions - Red or brown onions
- Chopped tinned tomatoes - You can replace them with chopped fresh tomatoes and some tomato puree
- Chickpeas - I use tinned chickpeas but there's no reason why you can't use dried chickpeas. You can soak them overnight and then add the soaked chickpeas along with everything else.
- Dried apricots
- Chicken stock
- Coriander (cilantro) - For serving.
You also need to make a tagine marinade for the chicken. It helps to add lots of flavour to both the chicken and the tagine itself. For the marinade you'll need:
- Spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder and black pepper
- Garlic - I love to use crushed fresh garlic but you can use a puree
- Ginger - I also prefer fresh root ginger but a puree is fine
- Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you have it or a bottle of lemon juice.
- Extra virgin olive oil
How do you cook this chicken tagine?
As I said earlier, this chicken tagine is a super simple recipe that needs very little preparation. I always mix up the marinade for the chicken the day before and then the next day I just put everything in the slow cooker and switch it on. It takes about 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.
Can you cook this in a tagine instead?
Traditionally a tagine is cooked in a conical ceramic dish called a tagine. I would love to have one but I really don't have room. Using a slow cooker may not be exactly the same but it does the job just as well.
If you do have a tagine pan then you can use it instead. You can start by cooking the onions in the tagine on the hob, then add the chicken and any excess marinade. Seal the chicken on all sides and then add all the other ingredients. Put the lid on and transfer the tagine to the oven for an hour at 180C.
If you don't have a tagine pan or a slow cooker you can cook this in a normal oven-proof saucepan
What kind of chicken meat should you use?
Traditionally tagines are made with meat that is on the bone. Often a whole jointed chicken will be used in Morocco. I would advise using skinless chicken thighs which is what I've used here. Because of the cooking method, if the chicken has skin on it will go slimy in the slow cooker so it's best to remove it.
Can you adapt this slow cooker chicken tagine recipe?
This chicken tagine is easy to adapt. Firstly you can vary the levels of spicing in the marinade. If you are cooking for people who don't like heat then use a little less chilli powder. Or increase it for those who do like hot food. You can also add a chilli pepper or two!
You can also vary the vegetables. Sweet potatoes, aubergines (eggplant) and peppers are lovely in a tagine. You can also add olives, a little preserved lemon or even sundried tomatoes.
Some people like a few raisins as well. Or you could replace the apricots with raisins.
What to serve with this chicken tagine
I usually serve my tagine with couscous as that's what it would be served with in Morocco. However, if you don't have couscous then you can substitute it for something else. It is delicious with rice or bulgur wheat. You can even serve it just with some fresh bread to mop up all the sauce!
What can you top the tagine with?
There are all kinds of garnishes for a tagine. I love to sprinkle on lots of fresh chopped coriander (cilantro). It's just perfect with a tagine!
Other great toppings for a tagine are sliced almonds, toasted pine nuts and of course an extra squeeze of lemon.
Storing and freezing this chicken tagine
Any leftover tagine can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Just reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan before serving. You may need to add a little water to stop it going dry.
You can also freeze it for up to three months. It's a great recipe for batch cooking or making into freezer meals. Before reheating defrost in the fridge overnight.
For more idea for meals you can batch cook then do check out my cook once eat twice recipe collection.
Will the kids eat it?
I love recipes that the whole family will eat and luckily my children do like spices and they are also quite good at eating chickpeas. This tagine is spicy but not hot and my kids love it! It's a great family friendly recipe.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Marinade
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- Pinch black pepper
- 20 g fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 lemons juiced
- 1 tablespoon oil
Ingredients for the Tagine
- 640 g chicken thighs
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions finely diced
- 400 g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 400 g tinned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 12 dried apricots
- 200 ml chicken stock
Instructions
- Make a marinade with the spices, lemon juice and oil. Add the chicken. Ideally put it in the fridge and leave overnight or for a couple of hours.
- Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for up to 5-6 hours.
- Serve with couscous with extra lemon wedges and chopped coriander (cilantro).
Notes
Nutrition
More spicy chicken recipes
If you love spicy chicken recipes as much as I do you'll love these ones:
And do check out my recipe collection for easy spicy recipes.
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this slow cooker chicken tagine recipe. I love to get feedback from readers.
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Diane
This looks delicious so will marinate tonight and cook tomorrow. Might have to change the apricots for home-dried plums as I do not think there are any apricots in the house. Could add a bit of apricot jam for flavour I guess. Thanks for this. Keep safe, Diane
Corina Blum
Hi Diane, I'm sure home-dried plums would be a great substitute for the apricots. They'd add a similar fruitiness. You could add the jam too. I hope it turns out well. Let me know. Corina
jenny paulin
This looks so good Corinna and it is guaranteed to warm us up in this cold weather too. I love my slow cooker - I use it so much. x
Corina Blum
It is perfect right now isn't it? It's so easy as well. x
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
YUM!!! This sounds delicious. Right up my street - I totally agree about not cooking things first before putting them in the slow cooker - with most things I think it's a total waste of time! Even things like lamb and beef - you just don;t notice the difference (and apparently we are in good company as Jamie Oliver agrees!) Eb x
Corina Blum
Yay! Well if Jamie does it I certainly won't feel bad about taking a short cut in future! x
Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale
The flavors in this look outrageous!! I am definitely saving this to make for dinner soon. I am loving the spices mixed with the apricots and chickpeas over the chicken.
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you want to make it! I hope you like it as much as we do.
Katie Crenshaw | A Fork
The flavors in this look outrageous. I am saving this to make for dinner soon. I am loving the spice mixtures with the apricots and chickpeas.
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you like it! The apricots make it really juicy and I love how they soak up all the flavours as the tagine cooks.
Beth
I just adore a good tagine! Especially chicken tagine! I love the addition of the dried apricots too! Must give it such a burst of flavor!
Corina Blum
They do and become really juicy as well! I think I ate almost all the dried apricots as my family are a bit picky but I definitely didn't mind.
Jacqui Bellefontaine
I sued to have a tagine which i bought back from Marrakesh but sadly it got broken. I do love tagine so i should start using my slow cooker instead. Thanks for the recipe its on the to do list.
Corina Blum
I think tagines look so good if they are cooked in a tagine but the slow cooker does a fantastic job as well. Just not so pretty!
Janice
This is absolutely my kind of recipe! Slow Cooker-tick, chicken - tick, spices - tick! Thanks I think that's my weekend menu sorted.
Corina Blum
I hope you like it Janice! It was a real hit here so I will be making it again soon too.
Lathiya
I don’t have a slow cooker but recently had electric pressure cooker and loving it for easy cooking. The chicken tagine looks scrumptious and the way you explained makes me to try this dish
Corina Blum
I keep wondering whether to get a pressure cooker as well. I love the sound of them but then I also think do I really need one as I can use my slow cooker for lots of things that it's possible to pressure cook. I'm so pleased you like this recipe anyway!
Ramona
Stews are my season absolute favourite. I do agree, it cannot get any easier, no point hassling with much washing and many steps. Brilliant! I love mixing the meats sometimes - delicious.
Corina Blum
I definitely love easy recipes right now. I'll have to try mixing the meats too.
Prajakta Sukhatme
I love tagine cooking. This recipe looks so beautiful and sounds delicious. Will be great comforting meal during winter.
Corina Blum
Exactly! I love using my slow cooker when the weather is cold or grey.
[email protected]
Hi Corina, I love using my slow cooker and totally agree that for a regular family meal it is totally acceptable to just put everything straight into the slow cooker and cook from raw. Who needs more washing up after all! I love the look of this recipe. It's printing as I type! x
Corina Blum
That's great Anna! I hope it turns out as well for you as it did for us.
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder
Such a lovely dish Corina and I so totally agree that there is no difference in the final dish whether you brown the meat and veggies before or not and if there is no difference who needs the hassle. Fantastic flavours and some brilliant tips. x Ps. Love the new look of your blog!
Corina Blum
Thanks so much Jo! If I'm cooking for other people I might brown the meat first but for everyday I just chuck everything in! I'm so pleased you like the new look of the blog. I'd been thinking about it for ages and looking at different themes. I feel I haven't managed to do much else this week though!
Monika Dabrowski
Sounds delicious with all the lovely spices and I especially like the dried apricots in this dish. I love to pair fruit with chicken. Your new blog looks great! Thanks for joining in with #CookBlogShare
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you like the recipes and the new blog layout Monika! It's something that had been on my to do list for ages!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
Oh, gawd—the dried apricots are LIFE in this kind of Moroccan dish! Too bad my hubster likes them: I'd eat all the extras for sure! 😛 I make a lamb stew that's very similar, but your chicken sounds abso delicious—and so easy!
Corina Blum
I bet your lamb stew is delicious! I do actually have a really old lamb tagine recipe on here too - It's one I really need to try and update soon as well!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This looks so colourful and comforting. I really like the idea of the apricots soaking up all the flavours.
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you do! I love the apricots but I actually had to eat everyone else in the family's apricots too! My daughter likes them but she wouldn't try them because they were cooked. Luckily everyone loved the chicken though!
Balvinder
What a beautiful dish and the flavors sound so wonderful! Lovely recipe for those who love tagine but don't own a tagine pot.
Corina Blum
Thanks Balvinder! We all really enjoyed this one and I was so pleased the children loved it too.
Cliona Keane
I love tagine, but have never thought to make it in my slow cooker! Brilliant idea!
Corina Blum
Thanks Cliona! It works really well in the slow cooker and is so easy too!
Francesca
As you may know I have gone slow-cooker mad this winter so I will definitely be giving your Tagine a go. I love Moroccan food.
Liz
I agree that the slow cooker recipes that start off with a lot of prep/steps outside the crock itself are not much help! The thing I love about my CrockPot is the ability to dump everything in it, leave it alone for several hours, then return to a cooked meal! This looks like a great slow cooker dish! I'm excited to be learning so much about Morocco on my first trip with MKMW 🙂
Kayte
Looks like a great recipe for a crockpot to me...with the cooler days and nights here, I am thinking this one is going on my list of things to try. We loved this whole month of Moroccan cooking, I learned a lot. Yours looks like comfort food to me! Yum.
Peggy
That sounds so delicious. I love making things in my crockpot. Whatever did we do before they invented them! Long hours in the oven I guess. Cannot wait to see where we go next month!!
Katerina
I've been to Morocco and I loved their kitchen. Your tagine looks perfect for this time of year.