My slow cooker Moroccan chicken comes out juicy, tender, and full of flavor every single time. It's like chicken tagine made in the crock pot instead of a tagine. Let me show you how easy it is to make this hearty, North African-inspired meal for your family with just a little bit of effort.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my simple crock-pot pineapple salsa chicken, too!
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Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"Omg this recipe was to die for! The spices paired with the harissa paste and garlic was just so flavorful! We loved it."
-Britney
❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Crockpot Convenience - The tagine is a clay or ceramic cooking vessel of North African origin. It seals in moisture, resulting in super tender food, and we're utilizing the crock pot/slow cooker for similar results. After just a lil bit of easy prep, this becomes a set-it-and-forget-it meal that will make your mouth water come dinnertime!
Deeply Satisfying Flavor - This chicken is richly spiced with cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and more for a combination of warm and earthy flavors. You'll also taste bright, tangy, spicy, and savory notes infused into every bite.
👉🏾 Incorporating Moroccan herbs, spices, and flavors into different dishes really takes them to another level. Check out my inspired lamb and sweet potato chili, juicy grilled chicken kabobs, the best braised harissa meatballs, and roasted sheet pan chicken dinner next!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Chicken, of course! I prefer thighs, but whatever you use, bone-in chicken with the skin will give you the most authentic and succulent results.
Preserved Citrus adds brightness and cuts through the richness of this dish in a way that fresh citrus cannot. I've made this recipe with both homemade preserved grapefruit and store-bought preserved lemon, and both work well!
Russet Potatoes hold up well through the low-and-slow cook time without becoming mushy. I like to leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer.
Harissa is a fiery, smoky chili paste or powder that's commonly used in North African cooking. There are different heat levels available, so don't feel intimidated if spicy food is not your thing!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Cut of Chicken - You can make this recipe with thighs as written, or swap in leg quarters, drumsticks, breasts, or mixed pieces. With a large enough cooking vessel, you can even do a whole chicken!
Vegetables - Feel free to substitute the potatoes with carrots, parsnips, or other sturdy root vegetables--or add them for a mix.
Other Additions - Green olives, dried apricots, and dates (raisins or prunes can work, too) are common additions to traditional Moroccan tagine recipes, and they'll add briney or sweet layers to the flavor profile.
How to Make a Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine Style Meal
- Step One: Rinse the preserved lemons, then separate their peels. (Photo 1)
- Step Two: Slice the lemon peels and onion. Cut the potatoes into wedges, and crush the garlic cloves. (Photo 2)
Pro Tip #1
We only need the lemon skin for this recipe, but you don't have to discard the pulp! You can add it to salad dressings, sauces, or marinades.
- Step Three: Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it in a hot skillet with the onions and garlic. (Photos 3 and 4)
Pro Tip #2
Getting a golden sear on the chicken skin helps lock in moisture for later.
- Step Four: Mix up the spices, then add them to the slow cooker with the chicken and potatoes. (Photos 5 and 6)
- Step Five: Add the lemon and harissa, then toss everything until evenly coated. (Photo 7)
- Step Six: Cover and cook. (Photo 8)
Pro Tip #2
I like to add the chicken, spices, potatoes, lemon, and harissa to the crockpot in two batches so that each piece gets evenly covered in seasonings.
Frequently Asked Questions
To store, let the chicken come to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Keeps for up to four days.
How to Serve
Temperature: These easy slow cooker Moroccan chicken thighs are best served hot. You can reheat in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
Garnishes: I highly recommend sprinkling freshly chopped mint over top to complete the flavor profile. It adds freshness that balances out the dish!
Pairings: Try a side of homemade yellow rice, roasted carrots with hummus, or chopped cucumber salad with feta. Each of these options will complement the Moroccan chicken recipe well.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Moroccan Spiced Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 large skillet or Dutch oven or saucepan
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil of your choice
- 2 ½ pounds chicken thighs
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 preserved lemons
- 8 Russet potatoes quartered
- ½ white onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 6 tablespoons harissa paste
- 3 cups chicken broth or one chicken bouillon cube dissolved in three cups of water
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Add olive oil to skillet over medium-high heat. While it warms, season chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper and set aside.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 ½ pounds chicken thighs, sea salt, black pepper
- Rinse the preserved lemons, then remove the peels and slice them thinly. Cut the potatoes into wedges, slice the onion into half-inch strips, and crush the garlic.2 preserved lemons, 8 Russet potatoes, ½ white onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Sear the Chicken: Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook until the onions start to become translucent and the mixture is fragrant (about two minutes). Add chicken to pan and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side), then remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, mix parsley, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric together in a bowl.2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- Assemble and Slow Cook the Meal: In the crock of your slow cooker, layer half of the seared chicken with half of the garlic and onions, half of the mixed spices, half of the harissa, half of the potatoes, then half of the preserved lemon peels. Toss everything until the chicken is evenly coated, then repeat with the remaining ingredients.6 tablespoons harissa paste
- Gently pour chicken broth into the crock, then cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 hours, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Farenheit.3 cups chicken broth
- Finish and Serve: Remove mint leaves from their stems, discard the stems, and roughly chop the leaves. Sprinkle over top of cooked chicken and potatoes to serve.4 sprigs fresh mint
Notes
Nutrition
Karen C. says
This recipe tasted really authentic and came out great! I added some baby carrots to it for extra veggies & color.
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks for your feedback, Karen! I'm so glad you enjoyed this chicken dish and could make it your own.
TT says
And if so, how much? 😊
Katherine says
How many people dies the recipe feed
Jazzmine Woodard says
Hi Katherine! This recipe feeds about eight, assuming each person has one thigh. Hope this is helpful.
TT says
Can I use harissa powder instead?
Jazzmine Woodard says
Hi, TT! Yes, you can use harissa powder instead. Harissa paste usually consists of the powder hydrated with oil and or water in a 2:1 ratio so I recommend using about 4 tablespoons powder plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil as a replacement for the 6 tablespoons of paste in this recipe. I'll update the recipe card notes, too. Hope this helps!
A says
Hi- so you put potatoes in the slow cooker and then suggest serving it with extra potatoes? Or the same potatoes?
Thanks
Jazz says
Hi, Andrea. It's the same potatoes.
Andrea says
Any alterations if I only have drumsticks?
Thx
Jazz says
Hi, Andrea! The recipe will be very similar with drumsticks except I recommend checking for doneness 30 minutes-1 hour earlier as they may cook sooner.
Britney Brown-Chamberlain says
Omg this recipe was to die for! The spices paired with the harissa paste and garlic was just so flavorful! We loved it
Jessica says
I love using my slow cooker and was searching for a new recipe to try and came across this. OMG so good! So flavorful and surprisingly easy to make. This will be in the regular rotation.
Kathy says
Can you use bone in thighs? How long to cook?
Thanks!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Hi, Kathy! Yes, this recipe calls for bone-in thighs, so the cook time is as listed in the recipe card--no changes needed. If you want to use boneless thighs instead, you can cook them for either 3-4 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Hope this helps.
Crystal DaCruz says
This was my first time making a Moroccan dish and your instructions were so easy to follow. The chicken was delicious and my family loved it!
Tamara says
I absolutely loved the flavors in this recipe. It was easy to follow and turned out absolutely delicious.
Robin says
I'm always looking for new ways to prepare chicken and this recipe is a definite winner!
Stephanie says
It's tough getting creative with chicken recipes for my husband since I don't eat meat, but this dish was a hit! He loved it! He said it was so juicy and flavorful. I love throwing everything in the slow cooler, it makes it so easy.
Erique says
This slow cooker Moroccan-spiced chicken recipe is absolutely delicious and so flavorful. My family loved it and I can't wait to make it again.
Kate says
This is by far the best slow cooker chicken recipe I have ever made! The flavor combination is out of this world and my chicken came out so juicy! Thank you!