Moroccan · Tagines
Chicken Tagine with Onion Confit (Djaj Mqalli)
A Fassi classic built almost entirely from patience: mountains of onions cooked down over low heat until they melt into a soft, golden confit that coats braised chicken in place of a heavier tomato sauce. Saffron and ginger keep the dish glowing amber rather than sweet, distinguishing it from its raisin-laden cousin, tfaya.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg chicken, jointed or whole
- 1 kg onions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- Generous pinch of saffron, bloomed, and 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 50 g butter and 3 tbsp olive oil
- Small bunch coriander, tied, salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Start the onions
Warm the butter and oil in a wide tagine, add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 2
Season and add chicken
Stir in the garlic, ginger and saffron water, then nestle the chicken into the onions.
- 3
Braise
Add the herb bundle and about 200 ml water, cover, and simmer gently 40–45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is very tender and the onions have collapsed into a thick, golden sauce.
- 4
Reduce
Uncover for the last 10 minutes and let the sauce thicken further, basting the chicken as it reduces.
- 5
Finish
Stir in the lemon juice, discard the herb bundle, and adjust the seasoning.
- 6
Serve
Serve the chicken smothered in the onion sauce with bread.
Chef's tips
- Cook the onions low and slow at the start — rushing them leaves the sauce thin and raw-tasting instead of sweet and jammy.
- This tagine has no tomato; the golden colour comes entirely from saffron and slow-cooked onion.
- Djaj mqalli is the base recipe that, with raisins and honey added, becomes the sweeter tfaya-style tagine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mqalli and tfaya?
Mqalli is the savoury version — chicken braised in saffron, ginger and slow-cooked onions with no sweetness. Tfaya adds raisins, honey and cinnamon for a sweeter, festive finish.
Why so many onions?
The onions themselves become the sauce as they melt down over the long braise, so a generous quantity is needed to build enough body and sweetness.