When the sun drops fast and the air turns crisp, nothing draws a camp in closer than a Dutch oven quietly burbling over a bed of steady coals. Campfire Moroccan Chicken Tagine is the kind of dinner that makes you linger by the fire a little longer—warm spices blooming in the lid-lifted steam, chicken turning fork-tender, and a sauce that smells like cumin, cinnamon, and woodsmoke all at once.
This is camp cooking at its most satisfying: one pot, a slow simmer, and a meal that feels layered without being fussy. Apricots melt into the broth for gentle sweetness, chickpeas add heft after a long hike, and briny olives snap everything into focus. The trick at the campsite is managing heat—nestle the Dutch oven into a calm coal ring and resist the urge to crank it; tagine likes patience more than flames.
Serve it straight from the pot with warm flatbread or couscous if you’ve got it, letting everyone scoop up sauce and bits of fruit from the edges. And when the last light fades, the leftovers reheat beautifully the next night, tasting even deeper after a rest in the cooler.
Campfire Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Equipment
- 12" Dutch oven
- Long-handled spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup dried apricots quartered
- 1 cup green olives pitted
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a campfire and burn down to medium coals. Heat Dutch oven over the fire and add olive oil.
- Brown chicken thighs on both sides in batches, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Add onion and garlic to the pot. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, and salt. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Return chicken to the pot. Add chickpeas, apricots, olives, tomatoes with juices, and broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer gently over low heat (move coals as needed) for 40–45 minutes, until chicken is tender and flavors meld.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with lots of chopped cilantro and serve with crusty bread or couscous.