This is chicken with a lot goin’ on! Flavors come at you from all directions in this Moroccan-inspired dish, which is traditionally slow-cooked in a heavy clay pot called a tagine. In my kitchen, I throw all the ingredients in my slow cooker and let it do the work. Chicken has never tasted better with bright hints of lemon, sweet prunes, and the kick of capers and green olives!
2½-3 pounds (1361 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp (5 ml) sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (720 ml) white wine
1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
½ cup pitted, dried prunes, coarsely chopped
½ cup pitted, green olives, coarsely chopped
2 TBSP (30 ml) capers
Serves 4
Place the chicken thighs in a slow cooker.
Sprinkle the garlic, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and pepper over the chicken.
Place the lemon slices on and around the chicken.
Add the white wine, chicken broth, prunes, olives, and capers.
Cook the chicken on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Serve the chicken with a spoonful of the juices and lots of the prunes, olives, and capers.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine is Moroccan-inspired comfort with almost no effort. Chicken thighs braise with lemon slices, prunes, green olives, capers, garlic, and herbs in white wine and broth until the meat is silky and the sweet-salty-fruity sauce is spoon-licking good.
Pro Tips
- The combination of prunes, green olives, and capers is the heart of this tagine — sweet, salty, and briny all at once. Serve plenty of them with every portion.
- Thin lemon slices laid on and around the chicken perfume the braise as it cooks; the rind softens and becomes edible, adding a gentle bitterness that balances the prunes.
- Chicken thighs are the cut to use — they stay tender and juicy through 5–6 hours on low where breasts would dry out.
- Serve each portion with a spoonful of the braising juices; it's the flavour of everything in the pot in one glossy sauce.
- Coarsely chop the prunes and olives so their flavour melts into the sauce rather than sitting in whole lumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Thighs are strongly recommended for the long cook, but if you use breasts, cut the time down and check for doneness early to avoid drying them out.
Is chicken tagine paleo?
Yes: chicken thighs, dried prunes, green olives, capers, lemon, and aromatics in wine and broth. No grains, dairy, or refined sugar.
What makes a dish a tagine?
Traditionally it's the slow, aromatic braise in a cone-lidded pot, with sweet-savoury combinations like fruit, olives, and warm spices. The slow cooker reproduces that gentle braising perfectly.
Can I make it ahead?
Definitely — the flavours deepen overnight. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat gently; it reheats beautifully with all the juices spooned back over.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Serves 4 Place the chicken thighs in a slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the garlic, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and pepper over the chicken.
- Place the lemon slices on and around the chicken.
- Add the white wine, chicken broth, prunes, olives, and capers.
- Cook the chicken on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Serve the chicken with a spoonful of the juices and lots of the prunes, olives, and capers.
