Slow-Cooker Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin

October is three days away and the October-nurse energy has arrived on the floor—efficient, focused, the quality you develop when you know what the next six weeks will bring. I'm in a good period at work: a full team, James steady, a new resident who asks good questions, my long-term patients in a stable pattern. Good periods don't last forever and I'm not trying to hold this one. I'm noting it and working in it.

We went to the pumpkin patch again—Quincy Farm, the same one as last year—and Liam said "same pumpkins!" when we arrived which is not entirely accurate but is spiritually correct. He selected his pumpkin with the authority of someone who has done this before and knows what he wants. He chose a large one. I said we could carry a smaller one easier. He looked at me. I carried the large one.

Nora ate pureed pumpkin for the first time on Saturday and received it with the same full-body approval that Liam gave it at her age: arms waving, mouth opening before the spoon arrived. Liam watched and said "she likes it like me." He is building a record of their similarities. I'm watching him build it. He wants a sister who shares his preferences. The evidence is accumulating in his favor.

Pumpkin soup for the household from the carved pumpkin scraps—I always make it, same as my mother always made it. Waste not. Liam had two bowls. Nora clapped at the smell from the high chair. The Donovan pumpkin soup tradition is now three people deep.

The soup is the tradition, but the tagine is what I reach for when I want the pumpkin to carry a full dinner — something that fills the slow cooker in the morning and greets us in the evening when the October hours are long. Liam had already claimed his two bowls of soup, Nora had already waved her arms at the smell, and I found myself wanting to stretch the pumpkin season just one day further. This is that dish: low effort, deeply warm, the kind of thing you start before a shift and come home to.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 7 hrs | Total Time: 7 hrs 20 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
3 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (or one 15-oz can pure pumpkin puree for a softer result)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Couscous or flatbread, for serving

Instructions

Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear skin-side down for 3–4 minutes until golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to the slow cooker. (You can skip this step if pressed for time, but the sear adds depth.)
Layer the aromatics. Scatter the sliced onion and garlic over and around the chicken in the slow cooker.
Add pumpkin and liquids. Add the pumpkin cubes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, chickpeas, and dried apricots.
Bloom the spices. Stir together the cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the contents of the slow cooker. Stir gently to distribute without dislodging the chicken.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and the pumpkin is soft but still holds its shape.
Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt. Remove chicken and shred the meat from the bones if desired, then return to the pot. Ladle over couscous or serve with flatbread. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin — What Warm Pumpkin Smells Like When Everyone Is Home