Why This Recipe Works

Set-it-and-forget-it: Your slow cooker does 90 % of the work while you binge your favorite show or chase toddlers.
Layered spice profile: Blooming the spices in olive oil before they hit the crock means deeper, truer flavor without any bitterness.
Balanced sweetness: Apricots and sweet potatoes give natural sugars, while lemon zest and a kiss of honey keep everything in perfect equilibrium.
Budget-friendly: Chicken thighs stay juicy after long cooking and cost a fraction of breast meat.
One-pot nutrients: Protein, complex carbs, and beta-carotene in every bowl, plus the sauce doubles as gravy for couscous or rice.
Freezer hero: Make a double batch; leftovers reheat like a dream for up to three months.

Ingredients You'll Need

Great tagine starts with great building blocks. Look for chicken thighs that are rosy, not gray, and still sporting a little skin-on fat; that’s insurance against dryness. Sweet potatoes should feel heavy for their size with taut, unblemished skins—skip any that have sprouted tiny eyes. When it comes to dried apricots, reach for the unsulphured, deep-orange variety; they’re meatier and less cloying than the fluorescent ones in the snack aisle. Ras el hanout, the North African spice blend, is worth seeking out at specialty stores, but I’ve included a quick hack if your pantry is bare. Finally, a strip of organic lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler, perfumes the entire dish without the harsh bitterness of pith.

Feel free to swap boneless skin-on thighs if you prefer, but leave the skin on—it renders and blankets the sauce in silky richness. Sweet potatoes can be replaced with carrots or butternut squash, though you’ll lose that gorgeous orange hue. Vegan? Use two cans of chickpeas and veggie stock; the cook time stays the same. And if apricots aren’t your jam, golden raisins or chopped dates work beautifully.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato Tagine with Apricots

Sear for flavor foundationPat chicken dry, season with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and 1 tsp cumin. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Brown chicken, skin-side down, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker—don’t crowd; work in batches. Those browned bits equal free flavor.

Bloom the spicesReduce heat to medium. In the same skillet add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, diced onion, and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes until translucent. Sprinkle in ras el hanout, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne; stir 30 seconds until fragrant—this wakes up the essential oils.

Deglaze and combinePour ½ cup chicken stock into the skillet, scraping every last brown speck. Transfer spiced onion mixture to slow cooker over chicken. Add remaining stock, honey, lemon zest, and bay leaf. Keep apricots and sweet potatoes on standby—they go in later to prevent mushiness.

Expert Tips

Temperature check

If you own a probe thermometer, chicken is done when thickest pieces hit 175 °F—perfect shreddable texture without drying.

Prevent watery sauce

Sweet potatoes release starch as they cook; if you prefer a thinner broth, wait to add them until the final 90 minutes.

Make your own ras el hanout

Mix 1 tsp each cumin, coriander, paprika, ½ tsp each cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, ¼ tsp cayenne, pinch cloves. Store 3 months.

Overnight flavor boost

Refrigerate the cooked tagine 24 hours; the spices mingle and the sauce thickens into velvet. Reheat gently with a splash of stock.

Freeze in portions

Ladle cooled tagine into silicone muffin trays, freeze, then pop out and store in zip bags—easy single-serve weeknight rescue.

Double the apricots

For special occasions, stir in an extra handful of chopped apricots during the last 30 minutes; they plump into jammy jewels.

Variations to Try

Storage Tips

Refrigerator: Cool completely, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate up to 4 days. The flavors actually improve on day two, so this is an excellent Sunday meal-prep candidate.

Freezer: Portion into freezer-safe bags, press out excess air, label, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently with ¼ cup stock or water to loosen.

Make-ahead assembly: Combine everything except sweet potatoes and apricots in the insert the night before. Store insert (covered) in the fridge. In the morning, set on the counter while the slow cooker heats 15 minutes, add potatoes and apricots, then cook as directed.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can, but breasts dry out faster. If you must, use bone-in skin-on breasts and check internal temp at 4 hours on LOW; pull as soon as they hit 165 °F. The sauce helps, but thighs are far more forgiving.

Switch to the LOW setting and check tenderness 1 hour earlier. If your model lacks a LOW option, place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to absorb condensation and reduce bubbling.

Honey balances the acidic tomatoes and tart apricots, but you can sub maple syrup or omit for a savory version. Add an extra 2 Tbsp diced tomatoes for moisture if you skip it.

Yes—total HIGH time is 3–4 hours. Add sweet potatoes and apricots after 1 hour. The texture will be slightly less silky, but still delicious.

Fluffy couscous is classic, but saffron rice, quinoa, or warm pita all work. Add a simple cucumber-mint salad to cut the richness.

Absolutely, as long as your slow cooker is 7-quart or larger. Keep the same cook times; just stir very gently once halfway to ensure even heating.