Mary Berry Chicken Tagine Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken tagine is fragrant with Moroccan spices, tender with preserved lemon and olives — a deeply comforting and transporting one-pot dish.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 4 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 430

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Spice Mix:
2 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp sweet paprika, ¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp black pepper 1 tsp fine salt
Tagine:
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions finely sliced
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger grated
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
300 ml chicken stock
2 preserved lemons — pulp removed rind rinsed and finely sliced
100 g pitted green olives
75 g dried apricots roughly chopped
1 tbsp honey
Fresh coriander and parsley to finish
To Serve:
Couscous or flatbreads natural yoghurt with cumin, lemon wedges

Method

Mix spice mix. Rub all over chicken — overnight in fridge if possible, 30 minutes minimum.
Brown spiced chicken in batches skin-side down in 2 tbsp hot oil — 4–5 minutes until deeply golden. Turn — 2 minutes. Remove.
Cook sliced onions in remaining oil over medium heat 12–15 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add garlic and fresh ginger — 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, stock, preserved lemon rind, apricots, and honey. Stir. Bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust.
Return chicken skin-side up. Cover tightly. Cook on lowest heat or in 150°C oven 45–50 minutes until very tender.
Add olives — final 10 minutes. Remove lid — final 5 minutes to reduce sauce.
Taste and adjust. Scatter fresh coriander and parsley. Serve over couscous with yoghurt alongside.

Notes

Marinate the chicken in spice rub overnight — the difference in depth of flavour is remarkable.

Cook the onions 12–15 minutes — caramelised onions are the foundation of the sauce.

Use preserved lemons — their flavour is completely different from fresh lemon.

Cook on the lowest possible heat — high heat gives tough chicken and thin sauce.

Make the day before — this is one of the dishes that improves most dramatically overnight.

Freeze in portions for up to 3 months.