isithalal.food · Recipes

Chicken and chickpea tagine with Halal chicken

Chelsie Collins's easy Moroccan-inspired tagine: harissa-marinated Halal chicken thighs simmered with onion, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, tomatoes, raisins and chickpeas in Halal chicken stock, served with couscous and mint.

Moroccan · Main · Easy · 4 portions · 115 min

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

Print Back to recipe

Why Halal checks matter here

The tagine is made with 800 g of chicken thighs, which are Halal only from Halal-slaughtered birds, and 500 ml of chicken stock, which is a chicken product.

Halal-critical ingredients

• Chicken thighs: Chicken is a Halal bird, but slaughter decides, and chicken without a Halal mark doesn't say how the bird was slaughtered. Buy the chicken from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Chicken.
• Chicken stock: Bought chicken stock is a chicken product, and the UK's mainstream stock cubes contain uncertified chicken or meat fat. Use a Halal-certified chicken stock or a vegan vegetable stock. See Stock cubes.

Ingredients

Tagine

• 800 g Halal skinless, boneless chicken thighs, in large chunks
• 1 tbsp harissa
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 500 ml Halal-certified chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 400 g can chopped tomatoes
• 100 g raisins
• 400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

To serve

• 250 g couscous
• small handful mint leaves

Method

1. Marinate. Mix the chicken with the harissa in a large bowl, cover and chill for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole or tagine and fry the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes until browned. Lift out and set aside.
3. Simmer. Fry the onion for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, then stir in the spices. Return the chicken with the stock, tomatoes and raisins, season, bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces a little and thickens. Serve with couscous and mint leaves scattered over.

Allergens

gluten (couscous)

How this recipe was researched

Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Easy chicken & chickpea tagine' by Chelsie Collins (serves 4: 800 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs in large chunks mixed with 1 tbsp harissa and chilled 20 to 30 minutes; browned 2 to 3 minutes in 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a flameproof casserole or tagine and set aside; a large finely sliced onion fried 8 to 10 minutes, then 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, cumin and turmeric; the chicken returned with 500 ml chicken stock, a 400 g can of chopped tomatoes and 100 g raisins, seasoned, brought to the boil and simmered covered on low 45 minutes; a drained 400 g can of chickpeas added and simmered uncovered 15 minutes; served with 250 g couscous and a small handful of mint leaves). The source calls it Moroccan-inspired. We specified Halal chicken thighs and a Halal-certified chicken stock or a vegetable stock; nothing else needed changing. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Photograph from our ingredient library: vegetables layered in a tagine before cooking, not the finished dish from this recipe.