Tagine is a traditional Moroccan stew named for the vessel it cooks in. It typically consists of meat, veggies, and fragrant spices. If you don’t own a tagine, you can recreate the same rich, satisfying results using a Dutch oven or our new favorite method — a sheet pan!
Enter Hot Sheet: Sweet and Savory Sheet Pan Recipes for Every Day and Celebrations by Olga Massov and Senaë Lemoine. Released in March 2024, the cookbook’s title speaks for itself, offering up easy-but-flavorful sheet pan dinner recipes, plus breakfasts, sides, and even desserts.
To celebrate the book’s release, the authors graciously shared the recipe for their Sheet Pan Chicken “Faux-gine” with olives, dates, and preserved lemons — fragrant, delicious, and gorgeous enough for dinner parties but easy enough for a weeknight supper. Read on for the full recipe, plus notes on making “faux-gine” from one of the authors!
In the book, co-author Olga Massov explains the benefits of her sheet pan adaption and her favorite way to serve it up:
“Tagine purists, look away! Not only is this not made in a traditional tagine pot, but it’s a sheet pan adaptation. Still, I wanted to capture all the flavors of a tagine but (!) with crispy skin to boot. I riffed on a recipe I adapted from San Francisco chef Mourad Lahlou, but added garlic powder (for a mellow garlic flavor that won’t burn in the oven) and a touch of mayonnaise — like I said, purists, avert your gaze — to create an emulsion for coating the chicken and for helping the skin get really browned and crispy.
I mixed in lots of thinly sliced onions and quartered carrots, the latter of which stay crisp-tender (no mushy carrots here). And because I’m a sucker for sweet-and-salty combinations, I tossed in a handful of dates and olives, and let the former caramelize, delivering candy-like bites of sweetness. At home, I make it with lemony, herby orzo to sop up the delicious pan juices, but you’re welcome to serve it however you like.”
Enjoy!
Sheet Pan Chicken "Faux-gine" with Olives, Dates, and Preserved Lemon
Ingredients
Chicken Faux-gine
- 1 tsp saffron threads optional
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 8 large
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced about 12 ounces
- 3-4 medium carrots, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced, seeded, and chopped
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced, or 6 to 8 dried apricots, coarsely chopped about 3½ ounces
- ½ cup mixed olives about 10 olives
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter or vegan butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp chopped or whole leaves fresh flat-leaf parsley optional
- 2 tbsp chopped or whole leaves fresh mint optional
Lemony Orzo (For serving, optional)
- 1 lb box orzo
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- A handful of chopped fresh tender herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, or a combination
Instructions
Sheet Pan Chicken Faux-gine
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F.
- If using saffron, in a small bowl, combine the saffron with an ice cube and let it melt; this will bloom the saffron.
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the oil, the mayonnaise, coriander, ginger, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, the white pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. Add the chicken to the bowl and rub the pieces all over with the mixture, including under the skin. Transfer the chicken to a half-sheet pan, placing them skin side up and ensuring the pieces aren’t touching one another.
- Using the same bowl, toss the onion and carrots with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken, and scatter the chopped lemon over everything. If using saffron, drizzle with the saffron water.
- Roast for 25 minutes.
- Remove the hot sheet from the oven, scatter the dates (or apricots) and olives all over the pan and dot the mixture with the butter. Return to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes more, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer the contents of the sheet pan to a large platter. Garnish with the parsley and mint, if desired, and serve immediately, with the orzo on the side.
Lemony Orzo (For serving, optional)
- Cook the orzo according to package instructions.
- Drain, then return to the pot and drizzle with the oil, stirring to combine. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, a generous few grinds of black pepper, and the fresh tender herbs. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Recipe reprinted with permission from Hot Sheet: Sweet and Savory Sheet Pan Recipes for Every Day and Celebrations (Harvest, An Imprint of William Morrow). Photography by Johnny Miller.
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