Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash Chickpeas and Olives

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Olives is a lovely, budget-friendly, low-stress exotic dinner you’ll love coming home to or serving to guests!

Hey, friends!  It’s that slow-cooker time of year!  I’ve got a super-easy and budget-friendly dish you’re going to love!  Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Olives!

Now, I’ve clearly got a butternut squash thing happening in my life right now but we have about a bushel of it in our pantry so please stay with me!  And who doesn’t love a creative butternut squash recipe?

This Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Olives has got it goin’ on!

What is a tagine?

A tagine sounds exotic but it’s really only the Moroccan version of a slow cooker.

A tagine is both a dish and a cooking vessel.  The cooking vessel has a conical shape which is meant to preserve every single drop of precious moisture in a climate with very little moisture.  Steam from the dish collects on the sides of the tagine then drops back down to continue the slow cooking process.  The same thing happens in a slow cooker!

How to make Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Olives in a slow cooker:

• Start by combining the vegetables, chickpeas and olives at the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Combine the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle half on the chicken thighs.
• Brown the chicken thighs well then place on the vegetables.
• Stir the remaining spice mixture into the vegetable combination.

• Set the slow cooker on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours and let it go!

• Add cilantro, place it on a platter, garnish and look like a global culinary superhero!  That’s it!

If you add the olives near the end, they’ll keep their beautiful black color.  However, I put them in at the beginning and I think they added more flavor to the whole dish.

Mwwaaaah!!!

Be sure to try my other Moroccan-inspired dishes!

• Slow-Cooker Moroccan Turkey and Lentils
• Chicken Marrakesh with Jeweled Couscous
• Moroccan Meatball and Vegetable Ragout
• Mom’s Moroccan Beef Stew

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…And with that, it’s Progressive Eats time!  It’s our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party.  This month features a bunch of recipes for winter squash and one for a perennial favorite of summer squash that’s good to have in your back pocket all year long. Our host this month is Susan who blogs at The Wimpy Vegetarian.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location.  With Progressive Eats, it’s a virtual party.  A theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.  Come along and see all of the delicious squash dishes we’ve put together for you!

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Yield: 4

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash Chickpeas and Olives

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Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Olives is lovely, budget-friendly, low-stress exotic dinner you'll love coming home to or serving to guests!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15-ounce) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, with the skin on the bone
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. Combine coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric, salt, cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet or saute pan. Sprinkle approximately half the spice mixture over the chicken thighs. Stir the remaining spice mixture into the butternut squash/chickpea combination.
4. Place chicken thighs in hot oil then brown well 6-8 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side in the hot, spicy fat for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour any accumulated fat from the skillet into the slow cooker.
6. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.
7. Stir chopped cilantro into butternut squash/chickpea combination.
8. Place butternut squash/chickpea combination on a platter, top with chicken and sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: Assemble the vegetables, chickpeas and olives in the bottom of the slow cooker. Brown the chicken thighs and place on top. Refrigerate until you're ready to cook it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 568Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 841mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 9gSugar: 19gProtein: 38g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

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