Lamb Tagine

Lamb Tagine is a Moroccan stew made with lamb, dried apricots, butternut squash and warm spices. The lamb cooks slowly until it falls apart, and the apricots make it sweet enough to balance the cinnamon and ginger.

You don’t need a tagine pot, because a Dutch oven or a slow cooker does the same job. The butternut squash makes it a full meal, so there’s nothing else to cook.

Lamb tagine is a perfect dish to make ahead, especially when people are coming; it tastes better on the second day. It freezes well for three months, so I usually double the recipe.

What is Tagine (Tajine)?

A tagine is a shallow clay pot with a cone-shaped lid. The lid traps the steam and drips it back into the food, so the meat cooks slowly and stays moist.

The same word is the name of the dish you cook in it. We use a güveç pot the same way in Turkey, and the pot gives its name to what comes out of it.

Tagines are slow-cooked stews made with lamb, chicken or beef. Most have vegetables in them, and many have dried fruit and warm spices.

You can make one in a Dutch oven, a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. You may need to change the cooking time and the amount of liquid.

Why This Recipe Works

• The lamb cooks slowly until it falls apart with a spoon.

• Like my Turkish Okra Stew - Bamya, this tastes better after a day or two, so it is a great dish to make ahead.

• Apricots make it sweet, which balances the cinnamon and ginger.

• You do not need a tagine pot. A Dutch oven or a slow cooker works.

• Butternut squash turns it into a full meal, so there is nothing else to cook.

• Half of it goes in the freezer, where it keeps for three months.

• Everything cooks in one pot.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Lamb - Shoulder is my favorite cut for this. Neck, shank and shin all work, and you want about 20 percent fat on them. Lean lamb comes out dry and the sauce is thinner. I use the same shoulder for Tave Kosi - Elbasan Tava and Sac Kavurma - Turkish Lamb Sauté.

• Dried apricots - They make the dish sweet. Dates, prunes or raisins work in the same way.

• Butternut squash - Pick one that feels heavy for its size, with beige skin and no green patches or soft spots. Diced squash from a bag saves the peeling. Pumpkin also is a good choice.

• Stock - I use Chicken Bone Broth, though Homemade Beef Stock or Basic Homemade Vegetable Stock work. Stock cubes are fine, and go easy on the salt if you use them.

• Spices - Cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and cloves. Add chili if you want heat.

• Flaked almonds - I toast them and scatter them over at the end. Pistachios or chestnuts do the same job.

How to Make Lamb Tagine?

Brown the Lamb and Onions

Heat a Dutch oven or a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat. Add the diced lamb and brown it on all sides, in batches if the pan is crowded.

Add the onions and cook them for a few minutes until they soften. Stir in the garlic and cook it for a minute, stirring so it does not burn.

Add the Spices and Stock

Stir in the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander, salt, cinnamon stick, paprika and cloves, and cook them for a few seconds.

Add the canned tomatoes and stir until everything is combined.

Pour in the stock, stir, put the lid on and bring it to a boil.

Slow Cook the Tagine

From here you can lower the heat and simmer it on the stove, or put it in the oven at 160° C - 320° F for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, add the squash, apricots, lemon juice, honey and chopped coriander.

Stir it together and cook for another 60 minutes, until the lamb is fork tender.

Take out the cinnamon stick. Serve it with fresh coriander and toasted flaked almonds over the top.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Use lamb with about 20 percent fat. Shoulder, neck, shank or shin are the cuts to look for.

• Brown the lamb properly before anything else goes in. Get the pan hot first and do it in batches.

• The lamb gives off enough fat to cook the onions, so you should not need extra oil.

• A Dutch oven, a slow cooker or any casserole with a tight lid stands in for a tagine pot.

• Add the squash and apricots at the 45 minute mark, not at the start.

• Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan for two to three minutes before you scatter them over.

• Taste before you add salt. Stock cubes and ready-made stock are salty already.

• If the sauce looks thin at the end, take the lid off and let it bubble for ten minutes.

• Take the cinnamon stick out before you serve it.

• It is better on the second day, so make it ahead if you can.

Variations

• Ras el hanout is a ready-made Moroccan spice mix. Use two teaspoons instead of the ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika and cloves. Keep the cinnamon stick in.

• Add a pinch of saffron with the stock.

• Caramelize the apricots in a spoonful of honey over medium heat for five minutes, then add them to the pot.

• Add a couple of quartered preserved lemons along with the apricots.

• Use beef instead of lamb. Choose a braising cut like chuck or shin, and adjust the cooking time.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Lamb tagine keeps for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge, and the flavor gets better after a day or two. Reheat it gently on low heat, with a splash of stock or water if it has thickened.

You can make the whole dish up to three days ahead, and that's what I do when people are coming over.

It freezes for up to three months, so I often cook double and freeze half. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.

What to Serve With Lamb Tagine?

Lamb tagine is traditionally served over couscous. You can also serve with Bulgur Rice Pilaf, Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli or Turkish Rice instead.

Flatbread is good with it, for the sauce. Try Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi, Pakistani Roghni Naan, Garlic Naan - Indian Flatbread, Guyanese Oil Roti or Sourdough Focaccia.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious slow-cooked Lamb Tagine dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

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