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Turmeric Chicken Tagine with Dried Fruit + Couscous

Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Why we love it:

This being a stew, means the flavors will continue to meld and shine if left overnight and reheated which means it’s a perfect prep ahead dish. The combination of earthy spices, creamy garbanzo beans and sweet braised fruit is a weeknight winner! The stew also freezes quite well if you’d like to stock the freezer.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 pound Chicken Thighs, Boneless/Skinless
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 112 teaspoons Kosher Salt (divided)
  • 1 Lemon (zest and juice, divided)
  • 1 cup Couscous
  • 1 teaspoon Honey
  • 1 15-ounce can Garbanzo Beans (drained)
  • 14 cup Currants (or raisins)
  • 12 cup Dried Apricots (loosely packed...aka a big handful)
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (optional)
  • 14 bunch Cilantro

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 400 DEGREES
  • 2. STOCK

    Place all of the stock in a pot over high heat and let it come to a boil.

  • 3. CHICKEN + ONION

    Dice the chicken into 1-2” pieces. Place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

    Cut the onion in half and peel it. Slice each half into thin half moon rings. Add to the chicken dish and drizzle it all with the olive oil.

    Place casserole dish in the oven for 5 minutes.

  • 4. SPICES + LEMON

    Meanwhile, combine the spices (turmeric, cumin) in a small dish and add all but ½ a teaspoon of the salt. Zest the lemon into this dish then set the fruit aside for squeezing later in the recipe.

  • 5. COUSCOUS

    Measure the couscous into a bowl and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover top of the bowl with plastic wrap (or for bonus plastic-free points, wax paper or parchment secured with a rubber band, a silicon lid, bees wrap, or use a glass dish with a fitted tupperware lid. Basically, whatever you use, you need a tight seal on the dish with couscous in it).

    Remove the lid and pour in the exact same amount of boiling stock as you have couscous (ie. for 4 servings: 1 cup of dry couscous and 1 cup of stock). Cover the dish as quickly as you can. Let this sit to steam for about 10-12 minutes.

  • 6. STOCK

    Slide the casserole dish out of the oven and carefully add the spices to the chicken. Toss to coat evenly.

    Add the honey to the rest of the chicken stock, then pour that over the chicken dish. Add the drained garbanzo beans, the currants and apricots as well. Stir carefully to combine and nestle everything down in an even layer. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 15 minutes longer.

  • 7. FINISH COUSCOUS

    After the time has passed, open the lid and use a fork to scrape the grains and fluff the couscous. Add a squeeze of the lemon to this dish. You can cover again until ready to serve.

  • 8. SERVING

    Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Squeeze the lemon into the sauce and if desired, stir in a pat of butter for richness. Plate the couscous in bowls. Top all generously with leaves and stems of torn or chopped cilantro.

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Substitutions

  • GLUTEN FREE:
    you may find GF couscous, or use GF rice or quinoa for the base and cook according to package instructions
  • PALEO:
    omit the couscous and consider adding more veggies as described above
  • CHICKEN THIGHS:
    chicken thighs are very nice here because they stay juicy and become tender in the braise but you can use white meat if preferred. Bone in thighs also work
  • APRICOTS:
    dried plums
  • CURRANTS:
    gold or brown raisins
  • ADD VEGGIES:
    we’ll often toss in segments of green beans, cauliflower or broccoli florets. Or, once its cooked and hot, stir baby spinach into the broth. Another option is to serve with a hearty green side salad
  • BEANS:
    if allergic, omit the beans. If you’d like to replace them with something, diced squash or cauliflower florets are nice. Small cubes of yukon gold potatoes are also a hit with the spice blend
  • HONEY:
    omit or use brown sugar or maple syrup
  • STOCK:
    you can make this with water but you may need more salt and lemon to boost flavor
  • KIDS CORNER:
    kids may go for this as is, or try serving it deconstructed with the components lifted out of the broth and the couscous served dry or with melted butter. If you expect the yellow color may throw them off omit the turmeric from the spice blend and use about 1 teaspoon of paprika instead
Rate this recipe:
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