There’s something utterly transporting about the aroma that drifts from the kitchen when a tagine simmers—warm spices, a whisper of preserved lemon, and a slow dance of savoury and bright. My version is built around homemade preserved lemons—an ingredient that converts simple citrus into something deeply aromatic, tender, and tangy. It works well here and it's simple to make yourself, but you can easily buy them now in fine grocers.
These glossy preserved lemon halves add a sunlit briny note to the tagine and marries beautifully with fragrant spices and succulent chicken. Preserved lemon gives the citrus-laced complexity you can’t quite replicate with fresh lemons alone.
This tagine is slightly different from my previous version, as I am using chicken drumsticks for this one, and lemon instead of lime.
The key ingredient for this version also uses a beautifully fragrant spice blend, ras el hanout.
To serve, I paired the tagine with homemade saffron basmati rice—each grain perfumed with golden threads of saffron and nutty richness. The rice is the perfect counterpoint: delicate, subtly floral and airy. It works well and balances the savoury sauce from the tagine. You can serve this dish with flatbread, white rice or couscous, if you prefer.
Together, the duo feels like an elegant cross-continental embrace: the North African depth of the tagine, the regal warmth of saffron rice, and the preserved lemons lending a signature, unforgettable note. Serve it with a scattering of fresh parsley or slivered almonds, a side of crisp greens, and soft warm flatbread—the kind of meal you linger over, every sense awakened, every bite a moment.
And of course, the vessel matters just as much as what’s inside—and I’ve fallen absolutely in love with the Emile Henry limited-edition Tagine in Canari (canary yellow) as the stage for this dish. This tagine is crafted from their Flame Ceramic® line, known for distributing heat softly and evenly, so nothing scorches, and every bit of flavour is trapped beautifully in the dish.
With the tagine’s elegantly shaped lid, the steam rises and condenses before falling back into the pot—self-basting the chicken, preserving moisture, and deepening those citrus-spice notes. Served alongside saffron basmati rice that soaks up every drop of sauce, it becomes a sensory experience—not just a meal.
When I lift the lid in front of guests, the swirl of preserved lemons, warm spices, and the scent of saffron steaming feels like a little moment of drama at the table. Plus, I love saffron! Styling this dish in that Canari tagine—its colour alone—turns dinner into a statement: a dish that’s beautiful just as much as it is comforting to taste.
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This Ras El Hanout Chicken Tagine is served with homemade preserved lemons and saffron rice. A modern take on a Moroccan classic.
Tip: If you're in a time crunch, just marinate the chicken for 1 hour. It will still turn out good.
Substitutions:
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