Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Caramelized Pears

Recipe By Natalie Titanov
Rating
Published May 21st
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Caramelized Pears
Prep 20m Cook 1h 8m Additional - Ready In 1h 28m
Servings 6 servings Calories 533

Chicken cooked in a tagine is always meltingly tender. Adding sweet, caramelized pears at the end makes this Moroccan dish irresistible.

Recipe Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 onions, peeled and sliced
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 bay leaves, crushed
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pears, cored and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Cooking Directions

  1. 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. 2 Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions until softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer onions into a tagine. Layer chicken pieces on top of onions.
  3. 3 Combine turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, and salt in a small bowl; mix well with remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil. Spread spice mixture onto the chicken pieces. Add cinnamon pieces, bay leaves, ginger, and cilantro. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and cover tagine with a lid.
  4. 4 Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
  5. 5 Melt butter in a skillet over low heat while chicken is cooking. Add sliced pears and honey and cook, while stirring, until honey has caramelized.
  6. 6 Remove tagine from the oven and stir in caramelized pears. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories 533
  • Carbohydrate 19.8 g
  • Cholesterol 109.8 mg
  • Fat 36 g
  • Fiber 3.4 g
  • Protein 32.6 g
  • Saturated Fat 9.2 g
  • Sodium 508.7 mg
  • Sugar 12.9 g

Chef's Notes

Use a heavy-bottomed ceramic or cast iron casserole if you don't have a tagine.

Reviews

  1. judys12 Mar 1, 2021 10:40 AM
    Nice flavor; will add to the rotation. I used a Dutch oven to cook it in. Only problems were that I didn't like how watery it was and that the chicken didn't brown at all. Will likely add some more fruit or nuts next time I make it.
  2. 1nicolem Aug 31, 2020 02:52 AM
    Such a lovely and simple dish. I only had ground chicken and chicken thighs available but it turned out so will. This needs to be on couscous and maybe plums or raisins added next time.
  3. Marion Staples Jan 14, 2020 08:33 AM
    I loved it. I cannot say how impressed I was with this recipe. When it came to placing the caramelized pears into the pot I also added the resulting juices.
  4. Cornelia Wegner Jun 19, 2019 11:17 PM
    Great recipe. Used half and half and regular onions- all I had. Served over egg noodles.
  5. MiMi Stirn Sep 20, 2018 07:02 PM
    Cooked it in a tangene and served at our latest dinner party with couscous. Delish!
  6. carolinablue Aug 28, 2018 11:08 PM
    Great recipe!! Very good family enjoyed it! Used my tangine. Variations due to time available for prep and chicken available in my freezer at the time. I seasoned overnight and I used boneless skinless chicken thighs
  7. Dennis Gleason Jul 4, 2018 06:45 AM
    I sliced the pears too thin otherwise very tasty! My husband loved it.
  8. Dianna Kay Michaels Feb 19, 2018 11:48 PM
    I've made this twice now using my clay cooker not an actual Tagine. And it turned out beautifully delicious! Loved the cilantro as a pot herb chicken is tender and the dish is very tasty and different. It will be a future favorite. I did not change a thing (except I used 4 skinless chicken - Read more ...
  9. Michelle BarlondSmith Jan 25, 2018 07:25 AM
    Turned out excellent and served it over couscous...will make it agaIn adding some raisins...