Chermoula is a North African spice paste that is used as a marinade. You can substitute store-bought spice mix but it’s so easy to do, I prefer to make my own.
Makes 4 Servings
Total Prep Time: 3.5 hours
Ingredients
1 organic pastured chicken, cut into pieces or 6 to 8 pieces thighs and legs
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 red onions, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks chopped
1 cup (240 ml) green olives
½ preserved lemon, or juice and zest from half a lemon
1 cup (240 ml) water
Chermoula
1 red onion
1 bunch fresh cilantro
A pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) warm water
A small knob of fresh ginger
1 chili pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon (15 ml) each ground cumin, coriander and paprika
½ preserved lemon, or juice and zest from half a lemon
sea salt and black pepper
½ cup olive oil
Directions
For chermoula, blend all ingredients together in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
Place half the chermoula into a storage bag together with chicken pieces. Seal and rub marinade over chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
Mix the remaining chermoula with tomatoes and onions. Layer the bottom of an ovenproof pot with half the mixture. Add in marinated chicken pieces, olives, preserved lemon and cilantro. Cover with remaining tomatoes and onions and pour in water. Cover with lid and transfer to oven. Cook for one hour. Remove from oven and serve with steamed cauliflower.
More Recipes You'll Love
Moroccan chicken tagine is a slow-baked pot of chicken buried in tomatoes, red onions, green olives, and preserved lemon. The secret is chermoula — a vibrant marinade of saffron, ginger, garlic, and warm spices that soaks into the meat overnight. Roasted under a lid until the chicken is falling-tender, it perfumes the whole kitchen.
Pro Tips
- Marinate the chicken overnight if you can. The chermoula needs time to penetrate past the skin, and the difference between two hours and twelve is dramatic.
- Layer half the tomato-onion mixture under the chicken and half over it. That sandwich keeps the meat braising in moisture instead of drying out on top.
- Preserved lemon is worth sourcing — its salty, floral depth is nothing like fresh lemon juice. If you must substitute, use the zest and juice of half a lemon and add a pinch of salt.
- Serve with steamed cauliflower to soak up the golden sauce — it is the traditional pairing and it catches every drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this tagine ahead?
It is even better the next day once the spices have settled into the sauce. Reheat covered at 325°F until the chicken is warmed through, and skim any solidified fat from the chilled sauce first.
What if I do not have a tagine pot?
Any heavy ovenproof pot with a tight lid works. The parchment-under-lid trick from other braises helps here too — it keeps the steam where the chicken needs it.
How spicy is this dish?
Warm rather than hot. The chili pepper adds gentle background heat while the cumin, coriander, paprika, and saffron do the real flavor work.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- For chermoula, blend all ingredients together in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
- Place half the chermoula into a storage bag together with chicken pieces. Seal and rub marinade over chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Mix the remaining chermoula with tomatoes and onions.
- Layer the bottom of an ovenproof pot with half the mixture.
- Add in marinated chicken pieces, olives, preserved lemon and cilantro.
- Cover with remaining tomatoes and onions and pour in water.
- Cover with lid and transfer to oven.
- Cook for one hour.
- Remove from oven and serve with steamed cauliflower.
