This chicken dish is inspired by a Moroccan tagine, which is a slow-cooked braise or stew, traditionally made in a clay or ceramic pot (also called a tagine). It’s redolent with North African spices, such as cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, and often includes olives, dried fruit, or preserved lemons. This simple skillet chicken recipe balances bright and salty preserved lemons with fruity green olives, along with a short list of warm spices that infuse the marinade and deeply flavor the chicken and pan juices.
It’s straightforward to prepare in an ovenproof skillet (no tagine required), and it’s reliable for a weeknight dinner or equally at home on a table meant for sharing. Serve it with couscous to soak up the pan juices.
Roasted Chicken Thighs With Preserved Lemon and Olives
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, plus marinating time
Serves 4
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup minced seeded preserved lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 chicken thighs, with bone and skin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
- Rind of 1 preserved lemon, finely diced
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend.
Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken. Place the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet. Add the onions and saute until soft without coloring, about 4 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the bag, allowing the excess marinade to drip back into the bag. (Do not discard the marinade.) Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, in one layer in the pan. Lightly season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle any remaining marinade into the pan around the chicken.
Transfer the chicken to the oven. Cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone, registers 165 degrees F, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Scatter the olives and preserved lemon rind over and around the chicken. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with the pan juices.
