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Home » Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Chickpeas

March 1, 2019 Updated April 26, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 44 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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This elegant Moroccan Chicken Tagine is perfect for the slow cooker. The chicken braises low and slow, tenderizing and soaking up all the delicious flavors of garlic, honey and fragrant North African spices. The result is falling-off-the-bone deliciousness! A truly spectacular dish with minimal time and effort in the kitchen. 

close up of a slow cooked chicken thigh surrounded by chickpeas and rich broth, topped with garnishes of toasted almonds and bits of cilantro and a lemon wedge

If you've ever visited Morocco, you've surely had a tagine or two. It is one of the most celebrated Moroccan dishes, along with couscous and pastilla.  

What is a tagine?

A tagine is a North African stew that's named for the pot it's cooked in - a tagine. It's a conical earthenware pot that works a lot like a slow cooker, using low temperatures and long cooking times for an exceedingly moist and tender outcome. 

How To Make Chicken Tagine in a Slow Cooker

To create layers of flavor in this dish, there's a bit of sautéing before throwing everything in the slow-cooker. Here's how the recipe goes:

  • First season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown them for a few minutes in a skillet.
  • Set the chicken aside and add onions and garlic to the pan.
  • When the onions are nice and soft, add broth, honey and spices to the pot.
  • Stir to loosen any brown bits and pour the whole mixture into the slow cooker.
  • Stir in the apricots and chickpeas.
  • Place the chicken on top.
  • Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Tagine with chickpeas

Life is hurtling by at warp speed. My slow cooker is about the only thing that's slow in my life right now. At times like this I love to make delicious meals that draw the family around the table.

I'm turning to my slow cooker a lot lately, and loving it. I spend a half hour or so in the morning, chopping and sautéing, and come dinner time I can rock a beautiful meal like this scrumptious slow cooker Moroccan chicken tagine.

overhead view of inside a crockpot filled with 8 browned chicken thighs, chickpeas and broth

How to serve Chicken Tagine:

  • Serve this chicken tagine on a bed of plain couscous or rice to soak up all the flavorful sauce
  • Garnish with toasted almonds, chopped cilantro and lemon wedges. Garnishes are an integral part of this dish. The tender, sweet and spicy long-cooked stew is complemented beautifully by lots of fresh bright lemon juice, crunchy almonds, and the unique and exciting flavor notes of cilantro.
  • On the side, I love to serve a simple green salad with citrusy dressing  or a Moroccan raw carrot salad or both.

two piece of chicken tagine with chickpeas and a fork and a sprinkling of cilantro

How To Cook Chicken Tagine For A Crowd

If you're cooking this for a big group or if you want leftovers, this recipe can be "one and a halfed" (not sure how else to say this?) For one of my test runs, I made it with 12 thighs instead of 8. I increased all the other ingredients accordingly. I arranged the chicken in the crockpot, with some pieces overlapping, and it turned out great.

If you're looking for another amazing slow-cooker chicken recipe, this chicken with dried cherries and leeks is my long-time favorite. For this one there's no sautéing - just throw everything in the slow-cooker and 6 hours later you will be in for a big treat.

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Here's the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Chickpeas. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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This elegant Moroccan Chicken Tagine recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. The chicken tenderizes as it absorbs the fragrant North African spices and fills the house with the most delicious aromas. There's plenty of sauce and chickpeas to spoon over the chicken and a bed of rice or couscous.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Chickpeas


★★★★★

4.9 from 15 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 6 hours 25 mins
  • Yield: Serves 4-8 (1 or 2 pieces of chicken per person) 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Tender chicken and chickpea stew with North African flavors.

Adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • The Chicken and aromatic vegetables:
  • 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups chopped yellow onion (2 ½ medium onions)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped garlic (10-12 med cloves)
  • The Spices:
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Remaining Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ cups low salt chicken broth (I use Swanson)
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
  • ⅔ cup chopped dried apricots
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Garnishes:
  • 3 tablespoons oil (to cook almonds)
  • ¾ cup whole blanced almonds
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges
  • Suggested Accompaniment: Couscous or rice

Instructions

  1. Season the tops of the chicken thighs with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan, top/seasoned side down. Cook for 5 minutes, until nicely browned on the top side only. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add onion and garlic to pan and sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, ginger, red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth and honey, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Carefully pour hot mixture into a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in apricots, chickpeas and cinnamon sticks. Arrange chicken on top, browned side facing up. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Discard cinnamon sticks.
  4. To toast the almonds, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the almonds, tossing constantly, until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Serve chicken tagine over couscous or rice. Sprinkle generously with almonds and cilantro and place a couple of lemon wedges on each plate.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 hours 10 mins
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: slow cooker, crockpot
  • Cuisine: Moroccan

Keywords: slow cooker Moroccan chicken, crockpot Moroccan chicken stew, slow cooker chicken stew

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

[Originally published May 23, 2016. Updated March 1, 2019. Same delicious recipe with added nutritional information and some tweaks to the written post]

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Filed Under: Africa, All Recipes, Chicken, Cooking Light, Entertaining, main course, Morocco, Most Popular Recipes, Stew Tagged With: gluten-free

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Deb Nemetz

    March 25, 2023 at 12:09 am

    Hi Lisa. It's Deb Nemetz. I hope you are well. To cook in a dutch oven, on the stove top, how long should I cook? Don't have an electric slow cooker. thanks so much! Love your recipes for dinner parties!!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 25, 2023 at 8:20 am

      Hi Deb - I'm so glad you're loving some of my recipes 🙂 Here's how to cook this in a Dutch oven. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Follow the directions but use a Dutch oven instead of a skillet and use an extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth. In step 3 after you bring the broth to a simmer, return the chicken to the Dutch oven and spoon the sauce over. Cover the pot and get it back up to a simmer. Then put it in the oven, covered, and braise it for an hour and a half. That should do it - let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  2. Barbara K

    March 08, 2023 at 3:55 pm

    Hi again Lisa, my people love this recipe. I’m using organic skinless and boneless thighs this week. I wasn’t able to get bone it because Whole Foods electric was out and they were pretty much out of business. Do I need to change the cooking time for the slow cooker or make any other revisions?
    Thanks as always,
    Barbara

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 08, 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Hi Barbara - I'm so glad to hear your people are loving the tagine. I think it will work well with boneless thighs. I'm guessing it will take only 3-4 hours with boneless thighs. I suggest you check for doneness at 3 hours. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. MicheleP

    March 04, 2023 at 4:06 am

    Great recipe easy to do and with great flavour. Enjoyed by all.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Barbara Krafchin

    December 17, 2022 at 12:27 pm

    Hi Lisa, my friend who ordered the chicken tagine for a family dinner last night sent me this text-“It was perfect. They loved it! Thank you and goodnight. 💕💕💕💕💕💕”.
    🙏B

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 18, 2022 at 6:52 am

      Excellent news! Thank you for sharing it with me 🙂

      Reply
  5. Barbara Krafchin

    December 12, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    Hi Lisa, I’m making this for 15 people this week. Just to confirm, your photo looks like the thighs are with skin on, but your directions say otherwise. Please confirm. I also use fewer chickpeas and Trader Joe’s toasted sliced almonds. Very delicious and saves a step or two.
    Thanks again for you wonderful recipes.
    Happy Holidays,
    Barbara

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 12, 2022 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Barbara - I like to use bone-in thighs and remove the skin but it's just personal preference. I'm sure this dish will be delicious with skin-on thighs, too - whichever you prefer. Thanks for your kind words about my recipes. Happy Holidays!

      Reply
      • Barbara Krafchin

        December 13, 2022 at 11:04 am

        Thanks Lisa. I’ll go with skin off, less fat. Also, your slow cook chicken with dried cherries and olives was wonderful as well, but for my people, the tagine is the winner. 🙏🌻B

  6. Barbara K

    November 08, 2022 at 10:07 am

    This is a wonderful recipe, so delicious. I didn’t have two cans of chickpeas, but in the end one can seemed perfect and I think I will continue that way. I am preparing it for 12 people this week, can I do it on the stove top or in the Instant Pot? Thanks again for your wonderful recipes. Next I’m trying the chicken thighs with cherries and olives. Will let you know how it came out. 🙏🥰

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 08, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Hi Barbara - Thanks for coming back to let me know how the tagine turned out. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm not an expert on the instant pot so I can't advise you there but yes, you can absolutely cook it on the stove top in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Simmer it over very low heat and the chicken will be nice and tender. I look forward to hearing what you think of the chicken with dried cherries.

      Reply
      • Barbara Krafchin

        November 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        Hi Lisa, thanks for replying. What should the cooking time be for the Stove top Tagine? Thanks again 🙏Barbara

      • Lisa

        November 10, 2022 at 2:15 pm

        Hi Barbara - 45 minutes at a low simmer should do the trick. Check for doneness. You may need to go another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

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