I first started coming across recipes that used preserved lemons like this dish for a Moroccan tagine with preserved lemons and olives, about this time last year. The idea of preserved lemons was very intriguing and I just had to try them. Since I was not able to find any preserved lemons I finally decided to just make some myself and my first batch was ready to try. Olives are a food that I really enjoy but I rarely seem to cook with them so this dish was on the top of my list of recipes to try using the preserved lemons. Besides, it was the perfect excuse to pick up some nice quality olives to snack on at the same time. To top it all off this dish is braised so the chickens juices drip into the sauce and all of the flavours have a good chance to mingle and get to know each other including those amazing Moroccan spices.
This dish takes a little bit of time and effort, but not too much, and it is well worth it. The Moroccan chicken tagine with olives and lemon preserves turned out really well! Everything mixed together to form a tasty symphony of flavour in your mouth. Every time I try a dish with a Moroccan spice blend I am liking them more and more. I don’t normally use so many spices in a single dish but the Moroccan spice blends seem to work really well. I really liked the touch of heat that the harissa brought to the table and the sweetness of the honey balanced it out well. The preserved lemon peel had a nice texture and really brought the lemon flavour to the dish. Overall I really enjoyed this dish and I look forward to enjoying the leftovers.
I now have a jar and a half of preserved lemons and I would certainly like to hear how you enjoy your preserved lemons.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
ingredients
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch saffron
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces, or chicken thighs or breasts)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 1/2 cup water (or chicken stock)
- 1 preserved lemon (pith removed, and peel rinsed and sliced)
- 1 cup olives
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
directions
- Mix the paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper and rub it into the chicken.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat add the chicken and brown on all sides and set aside.
- Add the onion, and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the water, chicken, preserved lemon, olives, harissa and honey, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix in the parsley and cilantro.
Slow Cooker: Optionally implement steps 1-4, place everything except the parsley and cilantro in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the parsley and cilantro and turning off the heat.
Note: You will probably want to go easy on the salt as the lemons are preserved in a lot of salt and the olives are pretty salty as well.
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Kylie says
May 15, 2009 at 12:27 amDid this come from The Beautiful Mediterranean Cookbook?
Looks amazing!
Ciao Chow Linda says
May 15, 2009 at 12:53 amBravo to you for making preserved lemons, something I’ve wanted to try. How about posting the recipe for that?
Sharon says
May 15, 2009 at 1:10 amI think this dish looks well worth the effort!
Melissa says
May 15, 2009 at 1:12 amWow! I bet the flavor in this is incredible! It looks amazing. 🙂
Helene says
May 15, 2009 at 1:16 amPreserved lemons is on my list to do since a long time. Your finish dish is beautiful. Love anything with olives but don’t cook with it except in pizzas.
Heather says
May 15, 2009 at 1:27 ami love the new banner – the asparagus picture is gorgeous! and this sounds so good!! one of my favorite dinners. i love olives.
Christie's Corner says
May 15, 2009 at 1:39 amI love Moroccan food and can’t find preserved lemons. As luck would have it, I came across a recipe for them just last week. I’ll keep this recipe in mind when my lemons are ready.
Chris says
May 15, 2009 at 1:56 amI love this spice mix Kevin. I tried a version at home last week and it was stellar.
Nina Timm says
May 15, 2009 at 3:27 amI have been looking everywhere for a Moroccan stew recipe…Thx Kevin, this is by far the best looking one I’ve seen!!!
Debbie says
May 15, 2009 at 4:42 amLooks so tasty.
I have a question since you are from Canada. What are popular or scenic places to visit in Vancouver? I might be planning a trip there next month.
Cookin' Canuck says
May 15, 2009 at 4:54 amFabulous! I’m salivating just reading this recipe. I love these flavors and can’t wait to try this recipe.
http://www.cookincanuck.com
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
May 15, 2009 at 5:06 amI LOVE tajines! Yoiurs looks mighty delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
Chris says
May 15, 2009 at 5:35 amI’m currently on week 2 of making preserved lemons. When they are ready, I think this will be the perfect dish to try.
Looks great!
Jan says
May 15, 2009 at 5:55 amLovely dish Kevin! I preserved some lemons myself and they are just sooo good.
I’ve only ever used them in a chicken Tagine dish though (much the same sort of recipe as yours) I too need to discover what else to do with them!
mirtilla says
May 15, 2009 at 8:36 amSembra molto buono.
Buona giornata.
Sylvie says
May 15, 2009 at 8:50 amI’d happily spend a while chopping and cooking if the result looks like that!
Sophie says
May 15, 2009 at 8:57 amReally impressive, Kevin!! I love a good eh,…an excellent tajine!! I love your beautiful wonderful flavours & your colours too! MMMMMMMMMMM…..
aforkfulofspaghetti says
May 15, 2009 at 9:37 amFabuloso! I adore these middle Eastern flavours – so aromatic, so evocative. Looks delish, Kevin!
Happy cook says
May 15, 2009 at 9:58 amWow really beautiful dish, i have been wanting t make a dish like this, but hubby don’t like preserved lemons in chicken etc…….do you think i can make it without the lemons?
I know he taste won’t be same but still.
Y says
May 15, 2009 at 10:26 amI have a jar of preserved limes. I think this is fate!
Dishesdone says
May 15, 2009 at 11:50 amThat is a really great looking stew! I made preserved lemons a while ago, I wish I had seen this at the time!
Ben says
May 15, 2009 at 1:07 pmI’ve never had anything like that before, but it looks delicious.
Joanne says
May 15, 2009 at 1:10 pmI absolutely love Moroccan spice blends…I don’t know how they figured out that all those different flavors work together, but I sure am glad they did! This looks amazing.
I’ve never had preserved lemons (or seen them in stores) so I may have to do this the Kevin way and make them myself.
Debbie says
May 15, 2009 at 1:31 pmHow do you make preserved lemons? I’d be very interested. No clue here!!!
Jeff says
May 15, 2009 at 1:39 pmI had a pain in the butt time finding preserved lemons and was shocked on how easy they were to make. Definitely something I am planning on keeping the fridge stocked with.
I have added them to couscous with great success. Past that not a whole lot of experimenting with them.
Peter M says
May 15, 2009 at 3:32 pmKevin, you have a medley of herbs and spices here. I’m definitely transported to Morocco with this dish.
♥peachkins♥ says
May 15, 2009 at 3:36 pmThis is my first time here and I enjoyed reading your posts..
E. Lee says
May 15, 2009 at 5:04 pmThat chicken looks good.
giz says
May 15, 2009 at 5:29 pmThis is gorgeous Kevin – I think I have to take out my tagine.
Marta says
May 15, 2009 at 6:12 pmI know homemade preserved lemons are probably better than store bought, but I’ve seen them in the St. Lawrence Market, just in case you feel inclined to expand your stash!
I like them in lamb tagines as well, and in veg stewas with artichokes and eggplants, sort of Greek-y
Allie says
May 15, 2009 at 6:48 pmI use preserved lemons in a ridiculous number of things (mostly because I’m obsessed w/ them – I make jar after jar of them any time lemons are on sale). They’re wonderful in soups, in salads, pasta primavera, couscous… Pretty much anywhere you want a little punch added to the food. They’re also an interesting, albeit not traditional addition to hummus or baba ganoush, and they’re even good added to risotto.
Jenn@slim-shoppin says
May 15, 2009 at 8:58 pmI think that definitely looks worth the time and effort!
The picture looks awesome!
Thanks for posting that Kevin!
Anonymous says
May 15, 2009 at 9:20 pmWe can just smell it!
Marija says
May 15, 2009 at 10:18 pmNow that’s what I call a good lunch!
Gloria says
May 15, 2009 at 10:50 pmHi Kevin, this look yummy and is a really beatiful picture, I love it. I love cilantro too.xGloria
Anonymous says
May 16, 2009 at 12:22 amwe had almost that exact meal this evening for supper! it was the Moroccan chicken with green olives and lemon recipe from this month’s BA mag [http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/fasteasyfresh/2009/05/moroccan_chicken_with_green_olives_and_lemon]. We had golden raisin, almond and cilantro couscous as a side dish, and a shiraz cabernet to drink. Yum!
Cheers,
*Heather*
angela@spinachtiger says
May 16, 2009 at 2:56 amThe lemons and olives drew me in. This is something very tasty and appetizing and I’m not even hungry right now. This looks like a lot of work, but well worth it. I would make enough to eat for 3 days.
Street Foodie says
May 16, 2009 at 3:55 amThis dish was my staple when I visited Morocco a few years back, i couldn’t get enough of the salt lemony twang to it, plus the olives there were out of this world!
I love tagines because you can add anything to the and they will steam away by themselves – I use to add a little pyramid of green beans and potatoes for a side when I cooked this one at home.
Sadly my tagine fractured whilst moving house though!
Jo says
May 16, 2009 at 7:57 amOh wow you are making me salivate. I had in fact been meaning to make preserved lemons today. Only thing is I’m low on salt so have to postpone it to tomorrow. I am hoping to try out a chicken tagine once the lemons “mature”. I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe when that day comes.
HoneyB says
May 16, 2009 at 11:15 amThis looks delicious!
Elaine says
May 16, 2009 at 8:13 pmNice one! I’ve always wanted to make my own preserved lemons. They look so yummy! To answer your questions, if i were to make my own preserved lemons I would make a ton of moroccan dishes and then pick on those preserved lemons whenever I can.
Karen says
May 17, 2009 at 12:53 amI love the spices in this… it sounds amazing!
The Food Hunter says
May 17, 2009 at 2:12 amI made some preserved lemons awhile back but haven’t figured out what to do with them. This dish looks perfect. thanks
Tangled Noodle says
May 17, 2009 at 3:08 pmMost definitely a dish like this is worth the effort! It’s beautiful and I’m sure the leftovers are even better as the flavors deepen.
Paula Pereira says
May 17, 2009 at 10:04 pmHello,
I just started my first batch of preserved lemons also and this will have to be a recipe I try. I am also really looking forward to making a lamb tagine because lamb is one of my favorite meats cooked Indian style or Morrocan. Preserved lemons are great in lentils, rice dishes, and different bean dishes.
Here is a recipe for white gazpacho which will be perfect for this summer:
http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/7193/1995/07/09/White-Gazpacho-With-Preserved-Lemon/recipe.html
with quinoa:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/quinoa-with-asparagus-and-preserved-lemon-dressing
recipe from chef zen:
http://chefsgonewild.blogspot.com/2009/03/grilled-octopus-salad-with-chickpeas.html
Salmon dish:
http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/memes-moroccan-salmon-preserved-lemon-and-parsley
Mrs. L says
May 18, 2009 at 11:16 pmWhat a great sounding dish. I’ve always wanted to try preserving lemons too.
Jamie says
May 19, 2009 at 5:18 amWow! Gorgeous, just simply gorgeous!
Deborah says
May 20, 2009 at 12:46 amI’m not too familiar with Moroccan cooking, but this makes me want to learn!
Kevin says
May 21, 2009 at 1:21 amKylie: This is an amalgamation of various recipes that I found on the web. I will have to pick up a Moroccan cookbook so that I can explore more Moroccan cuisine.
Debbie: Sorry, I have not had the chance to visit Vancouver yet though I hear that it is a very beautiful place and I would like to go some day. I hope you have a great time!
Happy cook: You could probably make it without the lemons as there are a lot of other nice flavours in there.
Paula Pereira: Thanks for all of the great links!
Mai Mai says
May 31, 2009 at 3:59 amHi, Kevin 🙂 Thanks for dropping a line on my blog.
I was surfing your site and this recipe caught my eye. I love mediterranean food and will have to try this one out. I’ve also never tried preserved lemons so will have to try that too. Did they come out bitter?
Kevin says
May 31, 2009 at 11:34 amMai Mai: You generally just use the rind of the preserved lemons with the membrane removed and it is not bitter at all. All of the lemon flavour without the bitterness! The liquid that they are in is of course really salty and tart.
Alice Gracie says
July 22, 2009 at 2:04 amThanks for the recipe. I lucked into some preserved lemons at the farmer's market and knew I wanted to make chicken tagine with it. Took a chance on your recipe from all the others I found on the internet, and wow! Amazing taste and easy to make. My lemons were really really salty, even rinsed and with the flesh removed, so with the olives, any more salt added would have been baaaad. But their lemony flavour was amazing. Maybe I'll preserve my own lemons next time …
Thanks again from a newbie to your site.
Anonymous says
August 8, 2009 at 11:07 amHello Kevin,
I've made some preserved lemons lately and used it for your dish. It was delicious. Your's version of Moroccan Chicken is one of simplest to make. Thank you for sharing. Please continue to post exciting wonderful recipes.
cookingforcock says
August 11, 2009 at 2:41 pmI recently enjoyed a very flavourful lemon risotto in the south of France that used lemon confit.
Anonymous says
August 12, 2009 at 12:15 pmI made this for my family last night, I was looking for a quick tagine recipe, not one that takes hours to make, and this was just the ticket.
My family loved did and so did I. Will certainly make this again. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Claudia says
September 30, 2009 at 11:56 amLooks great, I always wanted to make a tajine and preserved lemons some time ago. I just didn't have the actual tajine pot. I will try it now the way you made it. Really nice blog and such great photos – what kind of camera do you use?
Kevin says
September 30, 2009 at 9:47 pmI took this photo with a Canon XSi (450D).
Betsey says
October 20, 2009 at 4:56 pmGreat recipe…linked from mmmStuff.com
Jeni Q says
December 9, 2009 at 12:07 amI made a quick and dirty version of this recipe with flattened boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
I used the spice base you listed, and subbed garlic powder and ginger powder for the missing vegetables. I used chicken broth, honey and preserved lemons to make a quick sauce.
I served the chicken with leftover rice to soak up the sauce. So yum.
Thanks for posting this. I was dying to make something with my lemons (besides eating them right out of the jar!).
Muguet says
June 8, 2010 at 1:55 amI just made this dish for dinner. Had some chicken thighs and wanted a quick meal. It's delicious. The honey and harissa added a layer of complexity that I love. Thanks for sharing it.
Callie Grayson says
December 30, 2010 at 9:39 pmmy mouth is watering! this looks so delicious!!
I will have to make this very soon, it has all my favorites!!!!
xx
callie
Anonymous says
August 16, 2011 at 11:11 pmHey Kevin! This looks really appetizing. As a matter of fact, I had already seasoned the chicken as we speak. I had to put cooking off for a couple of days because I'm missing a couple of ingredients. I condensed the other spices by buying garam masala instead since spices can be very expensive if bought separately. I had to buy the turmeric though since it seems to be the common denominator between tagine recipes I found so I guess it's one of the key ingredients.
Your recipe has been my main reference for making this moroccan dish. I hope I can make it as good as yours look. Thank you for posting this recipe.
I hope people don't get intimidated by the hefty list of ingredients. It's really easy.
Thanks once again.
Anonymous says
August 18, 2011 at 11:57 pmI forgot to ask, are the preserved lemons purely for flavor or they are edible part of the recipe? I know this question sounds silly but I just want to know. I have never tried this recipe before let alone preserved lemons.
Kevin says
August 19, 2011 at 1:11 amjanislrobles The preserved lemons are completely edible! The lemon rind becomes soft after preserving it and it has an amazing lemon flavour. Generally you remove the pith and rinse the preserved lemon to cut down on the saltiness from preservation. Enjoy the tagine!
Kate says
January 4, 2012 at 8:29 pmI like it, although you don't need to remove the flesh of your preserved lemons, just rinse them and make sure you don't add any extra salt – you can always add some at the end… If you love Lamb & Preserved Lemons, here's a recipe that you may love, especially good for a winter evening… http://foodfromourlife.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/i-think-this-is-my-favourite-moroccan-meal/ It's one of the most authentic Moroccan recipes you will ever have. I can say that as Hubby is Moroccan, I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you 😀
Lovejoy says
February 22, 2012 at 1:31 amThought I would finally leave a comment after cooking this several times. It's such a wonderful recipe–thank you!
I have been playing with it a little–I use chicken thighs (tried with breasts once and actually prefer the thighs), carton of Pomi tomatoes along with a a little water, and I add the lemon at the last 5 minutes as I found it a little salty otherwise.
I have been serving with red rice cooked with some curry powder, chicken stock and mixed raisins.
A little Greek yoghurt on the side is nice too.
Thanks again!
Michelle Katz says
July 21, 2012 at 3:26 amThis was D-licious!! Very good served over brown rice. The instructed cooking time was a bit too long for my chicken.
Thank you for the recipe!
MissChris says
August 2, 2012 at 8:31 amLovely – making your own preserved lemons is one of the best things ever. I've tried expensive deli lemons and they're not a patch on mine!!! I'm very surprised you recommend RINSING the peels. I would suggest you do not – instead take your time to lick your fingers thoroughly.
Emily Kirsch says
August 20, 2012 at 5:33 pmI can WAIT to make this for dinner tonight! I love Moroccan flavors.
Chris says
August 29, 2012 at 2:33 amI have to tell you. This looks like the most amazing chicken dish ever – I can just imagine the flavors. I have pinned this on my "Recipes I want to try" board on pinterest and will be trying it soon. I really love the blog.
henriques_p says
February 10, 2013 at 7:31 amThis chicken dish is truly amazing! I tried it tonight using chicken legs and thighs. The flavours were distinctly Moroccan. I served it with couscous that was made with sundried tomatoes and chopped parsley. Thanks for the inspiration and these great recipes!
Leah says
May 20, 2013 at 1:05 amIm looking forward to making this tonight, thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Anonymous says
February 21, 2014 at 2:25 pmI made this last night and it was delicious! There was some multi-layered taste awesomeness going on with all the lemon and spice. I will definitely make it again!
kevin says
February 23, 2014 at 9:39 pmAnonymous: I am glad that you enjoyed it! I love Moroccan dishes like this with all of the layers of flavour that work so well together!
wrightgal says
February 26, 2014 at 4:33 pmI want to try making my own Lemon Preserves – have a lemon tree and never know just what to do with all those wonderful lemons! Even after reading all the posts though I am still confused. Do you use just the lemon rind in the recipe – removing the" fruity" part? Or do you use both the rind and fruit? I see mention of removing the "pith" – do you mean the actual pulpy fruit? Also, do you think you could preserve key limes the same way?
kevin says
March 8, 2014 at 7:06 pmwrightgal: Preserved lemons are actually really easy to make. You pickle the whole lemon (quartered) and when you use it in a recipe you generally remove the "fruity" part and use the skin (both the yellow and the white parts). The "fruity" part has a lot of salt in it so it is generally not used but it can be. Check out my recipe for preserved lemons: https://www.closetcooking.com/2009/05/preserved-lemons.html
Kath says
March 22, 2014 at 3:42 pmLynn Rossetto Kasper's recipe for Roasted Carrots with Allspice in "How to Eat Weekends" uses preserved lemons. We really enjoyed the recipe.
http://kathdedon.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/roasted-carrots-with-allspice/
Jodee Weiland says
March 22, 2014 at 6:10 pmThis looks so good, Kevin! My mouth is watering in anticipation of all these perfectly blended ingredients in this dish. Love it! You really have a talent, my friend…thanks for sharing!
tammy says
April 11, 2014 at 2:47 pmCould this be made in the oven, and if so what temperature and for how long would you suggest? Thank you.
kevin says
April 11, 2014 at 5:31 pmtammy: Yes, trasfer it to the oven after adding verything and bake, covered, until the chicken is done, about 45-60 minutes.
Rose says
January 17, 2015 at 7:49 pmMade this last night, with just a couple changes (Hubby unfortunately hates cilantro hehe), and it was great! 🙂
Kathi Petersen says
November 2, 2016 at 12:08 amI made this tonight, it was a huge hit. I made enough for at least two meals with leftovers, and it is ALL GONE! Love your recipes, thanks!!
kevin says
November 2, 2016 at 2:15 pmKathi Petersen: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
February 14, 2017 at 4:00 amThis is simmering away on the stove as I type this! Smells and looks amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous says
February 16, 2017 at 6:53 amOh jeez, this was stunning. Much easier to make than I anticipated, and I was pleasantly surprised that, unlike most online recipes, all of the cook times and instructions fell together perfectly. My end product even looked like the picture! The chicken was so tender and flavorful, and the heat was spot on. Had a lot of compliments, and am definitely not going to work through more recipes on this blog. Thanks so much!!
LCP says
March 24, 2019 at 1:13 amWow, wow, wow….I’ve had your recipe saved for over a month – waiting for my lemons to preserve 🙂
This recipe was fantastic. I made it in the slow cooker . My note to self is next time add some more broth. I was ready to lick out the slow cooker! Yummm. I didn’t have harissa , so added some sriracha and some red pepper flakes. Thank you. I’m looking forward to making more of your recipes.