Chicken Tagine with Dates and Yogurt
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 4, 2008
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 strips lemon zest (each 2 inches long) from 1 to 2 lemons4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmedSalt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup pitted dates, halved 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Before You Begin
The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook at the same rate; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. Serve with couscous.
Instructions
- Combine 4 teaspoons of the garlic, the paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne together in a small bowl; set aside. Mince 1 strip of the lemon zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
- . Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon, if needed.) Add the onion, the remaining 2 lemon zest strips, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic-spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Nestle the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes for the breasts (160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks (170 to 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while finishing the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible off the surface of the sauce, add the dates, and return to a simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic/lemon-zest mixture, cilantro, and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Yield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 strips lemon zest (each 2 inches long) from 1 to 2 lemons
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pitted dates, halved
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 strips lemon zest (each 2 inches long) from 1 to 2 lemons
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pitted dates, halved
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 strips lemon zest (each 2 inches long) from 1 to 2 lemons
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pitted dates, halved
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Tagines can include all manner of meats, vegetables, and fruit, but for this recipe, we set our sights on a tagine that included moist, tender chicken complemented by richly flavored dates and creamy yogurt. Noting that the dark meat—drumsticks and thighs—takes roughly 1 hour of simmering time to become tender, we found that the breasts (cut in half for easier serving) took only 20 minutes. Giving the dark meat a 40-minute head start in the pot took care of the different cooking times and ensured that all the chicken was perfectly cooked and ready at the same time. A couple of carrots, an onion, and several minced garlic cloves rounded out the basic flavors of the stew. Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, and cayenne brought the proper balance of warmth and mild fruitiness to complement the lemon, dates, and yogurt.
Before You Begin
The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook at the same rate; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. Serve with couscous.
Instructions
- Combine 4 teaspoons of the garlic, the paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne together in a small bowl; set aside. Mince 1 strip of the lemon zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
- . Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon, if needed.) Add the onion, the remaining 2 lemon zest strips, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic-spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Nestle the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes for the breasts (160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks (170 to 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while finishing the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible off the surface of the sauce, add the dates, and return to a simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic/lemon-zest mixture, cilantro, and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
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