Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine With Butternut Squash
This Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash draws inspiration from traditional Moroccan tagines, renowned for their pairing of sweet dried fruits with savory ingredients. The dish showcases a harmonious balance of rich warmth and sweetness contrasted by acidity and spice. While investing 20 minutes in browning the chicken and toasting the spices enhances the overall flavor, you may skip this step if time is limited.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-small butternut squash about 2 to 2½ pounds, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 3-inch by 1-inch wedges
- 8 pitted Medjool dates halved
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick 1 inch
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1½ teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3½ to 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (approximately 8 thighs)
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup minced ginger about a 4-inch piece of peeled ginger
- 6 large garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice from one large lemon, with extra to taste
- Leaves from 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- Couscous or pita for serving (optional)
- Plain yogurt for topping (optional)
- Toasted almonds for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1
- Place the butternut squash and dates into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon stick, sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin, hot smoked paprika, ground ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper, and set aside.
- Step 2
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt. Cook the chicken in batches, placing the skin-side down in the skillet. Allow the skin to brown deeply and become crisp, which should take about 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Once browned, transfer the chicken to the slow cooker, arranging it skin-side up in a single layer on top of the squash.
- Step 3
- Lower the heat on the stovetop to medium. If there is excess fat in the skillet, discard all but a thin layer. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and season with salt. Sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Add the minced ginger and garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the reserved spice mixture, cooking for an additional 30 seconds until well combined. Add the lemon juice and stir to incorporate the browned bits from the pan. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Step 4
- Set the slow cooker to cook on low for at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours, or until the chicken and squash are very tender and the flavors have fully melded. After 6 hours, the slow cooker can be switched to the "warm" setting, and the dish can remain in this mode for up to 2 more hours without the chicken drying out. Before serving, discard the cinnamon stick and adjust the seasoning with more lemon juice and salt as desired. Fold in the chopped parsley and sliced scallions. Serve with couscous or pita, and top with yogurt and toasted almonds, if desired.