Slow-Cooked Chicken Tajine with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-10 · Updated 2026-07-10

A fragrant Moroccan chicken dish slow-cooked with aromatic spices, preserved lemons, and briny green olives that blend into a rich, tender tajine. This middle eastern-inspired chicken ready in about 65 minutes pairs bone-in chicken thighs, olive oil, large, thinly sliced onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 6 pieces bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large, thinly sliced onion
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1, pulp removed, rind thinly sliced preserved lemon
• 1 cup, pitted green olives
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or tajine over medium heat. Add 6 bone-in chicken thighs and brown each side for about 4 minutes until golden but not fully cooked, then remove and set aside.
2. Step 2: In the same pot, add 1 large thinly sliced onion and 4 minced garlic cloves. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring frequently.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook the spices with the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Step 4: Return the browned chicken thighs to the pot. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 preserved lemon rind thinly sliced (with pulp removed), and 1 cup pitted green olives. Bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Step 5: Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
6. Step 6: Remove from heat and garnish with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley before serving with couscous or crusty bread.