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.
How to Serve:
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.
Tagine by Emile Henry
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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Ras El Hanout Chicken Tagine & Saffron Rice
Description
This Ras El Hanout Chicken Tagine is served with homemade preserved lemons and saffron rice. A modern take on a Moroccan classic.
Ingredients
Saffron Rice
Method:
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Prep:
- Line a medium baking tray or large plate with kitchen paper towelettes. With gloves, place the chicken on the lined tray and pat it dry as much as possible with extra kitchen paper towels. Season the front and back of the chicken with only half of the ras el hanout spice.
- In a small bowl, add the turmeric, black pepper, half a teaspoon of salt, and the remaining ras el hanout to the bowl. (We will use the remaining salt in Step 3 of “Cooking the Chicken Tagine”).
- Stir with a spoon to blend. Then, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix the spice rub with a spoon until a paste forms. Set aside.
- Place the seasoned chicken in a large zip-top bag and generously spoon in the olive oil spice mixture all over the chicken. Securely close the bag, making sure that no air is trapped in. Remove your gloves and massage the bag of chicken to coat the rub on the chicken. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
Tip: If you're in a time crunch, just marinate the chicken for 1 hour. It will still turn out good.
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Cooking the Chicken Tagine:
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
- Over medium-high heat, pour the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil into a 2.6 Qt. to 3 Qt.-Capacity tagine or large frying pan. Place the chicken in the pan and sear the chicken on both sides. Use tongs to turn and rotate the chicken until the skin has browned and become slightly crisp. (This will take about 7 to 10 minutes.) Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a large plate. Set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Keeping the oil and extra bits in the pan, add the sliced onions and the remaining salt. Cook the onions for 4 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for a further 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions have softened and some of the onions start turning brown.
- In a container filled with the chicken broth, whisk in the cornflour (cornstarch) until smooth and incorporated. (Make sure there are no lumps. This will help thicken the liquid as the tagine cooks).
- Pour in the chicken broth mixture, and white wine into the pan of onions. Then, add the cinnamon stick, raisins, and saffron. Stir with a spoon to remove any clumped raisins. Now, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Place the chicken in the pan, fitting them in snugly. Scatter the olives and the wedges of preserved lemon between and around the chicken.
- Place the lid on top and cook the tagine for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal 165°F/74°C.
- Check that the chicken is done and taste the sauce to see if you need any additional salt and pepper. Switch off the heat. Garnish the dish with chopped parsley and serve with flatbread or rice. When plating the dish, you can cut any preserved lemon wedges in half to make sure each person gets a bite of lemon pieces.
- To serve with saffron rice, follow the next steps.
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Making the Saffron Rice:
- Fill a medium saucepan (1 Qt.-capacity) with the chicken broth over high heat. When it reaches to a boil, immediately lower the heat to a simmer, and add the turmeric, rice, star anise, and saffron. Give it a quick stir with a spoon and cover with a lid.
- Cook for 13 to 17 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
- Remove the rice from the heat. Check that the rice is done and fluff it with a fork. Before serving, remove the star anise.
Note
Substitutions:
- To substitute white wine, you can either use the same amount of low-sodium chicken broth or, where wine is called for, use water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for this dish. This way, you will still get a little acidity and liquid needed in place of wine.
- You can use fresh, chopped coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) if you don't have fresh parsley.
FAQs
Do I have to cook this dish in a tagine?
No, you don’t need a tagine to cook this recipe. You can use a large braising pan, cast-iron skillet, or deep-frying ceramic pan that is oven-proof. The tagine allows you to cook evenly on the hob/stovetop, and the conical lid ensures that the food and steam are balanced in one vessel, essentially self-basting with the fat and delicious juices. This recirculates the moisture inside, trapping in the flavour, making the food tender and providing an optimal cooking experience.
What if I don’t have drumsticks?
If you don’t have drumsticks or aren’t keen on them, you can use chicken thighs. I used a mix of drumsticks here to make this a budget-friendly meal, as drumsticks are generally less expensive for more volume. But you can use chicken thighs; in fact, I typically use chicken thighs for this. To ensure that the chicken remains juicy, get chicken with the skin on, bone-in, which has more flavour.
The chicken skin protects the chicken. When we sear the chicken well in the beginning, the skin allows the chicken to have a semi-crisp exterior whilst locking in the flavour from the juices with the fat on the skin when cooked. Any excess or unwanted chicken skin can be trimmed before starting the recipe, if needed.
How can I make this dish kosher?
Technically, this dish does not use non-kosher ingredients. I have listed this dish as kosher because I have had to make this dish before, kosher. You will just need to make sure that your chicken is kosher. This should be easy, especially if you get it from a kosher butcher or grocer that also sell kosher meats.
Do I have to use wine?
Not exactly. You can avoid the wine if you don’t have wine or don’t want to use it. The alcohol cooks off a bit and is used solely for acid and flavour. Where there is wine, you can use water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for this dish. This way, you will still get a little acidity and liquid needed in place of wine.
User Reviews
This sounds and looks delicious! I’m pinning and am going to make it soon!
Jill – Doused in Pink
This sounds really delicious! Beautiful photos!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
this sounds a nice and unusual (for me, at least) way to cook chicken, I’d love to try it!
XO
S
https://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com
It’s pretty traditional culturally, but definitely worth a try if you’ve never had a tagine.
My sister would love this. I’ll send it to her.
This looks like the perfect dish for a cozy fall dinner!
-Ashley
https://lestylorouge.com/
Wow! What a scrumptious looking dish.
http://www.benitajames.com
Thank you!
This looks delicious! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Brilliant! Can’t wait for you to give it a go! x
This chicken looks so tender that I feel like it melts before my eyes, I’d eat it all by myself! <3
http://www.couture-case.com/
Haha, thanks so much. Glad that you think so… x
This looks and sounds delicious! xx
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