Sweet Cumin Chicken and Sweet Potato Tagine

We love a slow cooked, one pot dish that serves a crowd. This tagine can also be cooked in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof sauce pan with a lid. Cooking in a tagine over moderately low heat allows the spices and ingredients to develop into a hearty, intense dish that is our go-to for fall and winter get togethers.

This chicken has Latin American flavors, cooked until tender and falling off the bone, with crispy skin. We love the addition of sweet potatoes for the fall, but feel free to add your favorite vegetables or potatoes.

Prep Time
Cook Time
Total
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ lb. chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
  • 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced into very small cubes
  • 1 red pepper, diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. chile paste (found in your grocer near the tomato paste)
  • ⅔ cup canned tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • 1 avocado, diced into small cubes, to garnish
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • serve with quinoa or cous cous

Let's go

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  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
  2. In a large dutch oven or tagine, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Once sizzling, brown the chicken, skin side down first, for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add in ½ Tbsp. olive oil and then the sweet potatoes. Cook on medium to high heat, browning on all sides, stirring frequently. Remove and set aside.
  4. In the same pan, add in the onions and sauté until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
  5. Add in remaining ingredients, except for the tomato sauce, chicken stock, and garnishes.
  6. Stir and allow to caramelize, as the sugars and the spices react and begin to brown on the bottom of the pan.
  7. Add in the tomato sauce, scraping off all of the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add back in the chicken, skin side up.
  8. Pour in chicken stock until the chicken is covered up to its crispy skin, but not all the way. Add back in the sweet potatoes around the chicken.
  9. Put a lid on the pot and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
  10. Take off the lid and cook for another 10 minutes.
  11. Once skin looks nice and crispy, take out of oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  12. Serve over cous cous or quinoa, garnished with avocado.

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