Tunisian Tajine (Tajine Maadnous) with Eggs and Chicken
Similar to an Italian frittata or Spanish tortilla, Tunisian tajine is an easy & delicious egg omelette filled with chicken, parsley, and spices.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 185kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced (see note for vegetarian option)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 large potato peeled and diced
- 1 cup water
- 1 small bunch parsley (about 1.5 cups, chopped, loosely packed) - see note
- 8 large eggs
- 6 oz cheese (see note)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Spice Blend
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper if you want some heat
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp caraway
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the spices together (grinding any whole spices if necessary) and set them aside.
- In a large frying pan or pot over medium heat, saute the onions in about 1 tbsp of olive oil until tender.
- Toss chicken with 1/2 of the spice mix. Add this to the pan and brown.
- Add the potatoes and the water to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir chopped parsley into the cooked mixture and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C), and grease a medium (2 quart/liter) baking pan with the remaining olive oil.
- Thoroughly whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then mix in the cheese. Stir in the chicken, potato, and parsley mixture, along with the remaining spice mixture. Stir until well-combined, then pour into the oiled baking dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until set in the center. Allow to cool, and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with some harissa, if you like.
Notes
Vegetarian Variation - While tajine is almost always made with meat of some kind, you can substitute more vegetables if you like. I would try broccoli or cauliflower, as they hold up well during cooking and take on the flavour of the spices quite nicely.
Parsley - Parsley is a defining flavour in this recipe, which is why there's quite a lot of it being used. If you're not a huge fan of parsley, or you want to tone down its impact on the dish a bit, try using about half as much. Note also that flat leaf (Italian) parsley tends to have a stronger and more distinctive flavour than curly parsley.
Cheese - I used a 50:50 combination of mozzarella and emmental cheese, but you can use any relatively similar cheese(s) that you like. Cream cheeses are also commonly used. Note that 6 oz (175 g) works out to about 2 cups shredded, loosely packed.
Variations and Other Add-Ins - Ground lamb can be substituted for chicken. Some variations like to add in chopped hard-boiled eggs, black olives, a few tablespoons of tomato paste, and/or harissa paste for some heat. If you have pre-cooked potatoes, you can add those instead of cooking them with the chicken, though you may find the finished dish has a somewhat different texture. If you have a particular ras-el-hanout spice blend you really like, you can consider using it in place of most (or even all) of the spice blend I've provided, minus the salt.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 728IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg