Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives
If you are looking for a new, easy, and delicious one-pan chicken dish, look no further!
Chicken with preserved lemons and olives is a classic Moroccan dish, and one of my favorite ways to make use of my preserved lemons.
Traditionally cooked in a tagine, you can make it at home using a high sided large skillet with a lid, or a Dutch oven. With just a little time and effort you will have an impressive, flavourful dish of tender succulent chicken.
As easy as one, two three...
Chicken with preserved lemons and olives is easy to make, requiring very little active time.
1. Marinate the chicken. The chicken gets a good rub down with the garlic and spices and marinates for a few hours to give it time to absorb all those wonderful flavours of the spice mixture.
2. Brown the chicken and onions. Browning the chicken helps seal in the juices so your chicken remains juicy and tender.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer. The cinnamon, preserved lemon, olives, and dates are nestled around the chicken. Once the stock is added, the lid goes on and the chicken simmers for about 30 minutes.
All you need is a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or parsley to finish, and some bread and couscous to serve alongside.
Chicken with preserved lemons and olives is a wonderfully fragrant dish, with complex flavours. The spices provide a subtle boost of flavour, while the dates add a hint of sweetness. The preserved lemons are what really makes this dish for me, they deliver a tangy, salty punch that pairs beautifully with the briny, bitterness of the olives.
Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are what makes this dish special so it’s definitely worth keeping a jar in your pantry or fridge. They can be found at most specialty food stores, or consider making your own.
To make at home all you need is a mason or canning jar, salt, lemons, and a little patience.
See my post Preserved Lemons for Your Pantry for details on how to make your own.
If you don’t have preserved lemon substitute a fresh lemon, thinly sliced, and tucked in around the chicken. The flavour will not be the same, but it will work in a pinch.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 -8 bone in/skin on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions sliced thin
- 1 cinnamon stick broken into 2-3 pieces
- 8 – 10 Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 8 – 10 cracked green olives pitted and halved
- 8 dates pitted and halved
- 1 preserved lemons (or 2 if quite small), quartered and cut into strips
- 1 cup chicken stock
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin. Turmeric, half of the saffron and pepper together. Rub the chicken with the spice mixture, cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Combine the lemon juice and chicken stock and add the other half of the saffron. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in heavy skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Note: At this point you can transfer the onions to your tagine, if you are using one. Otherwise leave in the skillet and continue.
- Reduce the heat to low. Place the chicken on top of the onions. Tuck in the olives and dates around the chicken pieces and nestle in the pieces of the cinnamon stick.
- Rinse the preserved lemons to get rid of any excess salt, then quarter and cut into strips. Scatter the strips around the chicken. Pour the stock and lemon juice mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook until chicken is done, about 30 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro (or a mixture of both). Serve with couscous on the side.
Nutrition
If you like this dish, you may also enjoy my recipe for Spicy Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Rosemary and Ginger