Lamb Tagine is my pick of all tagines! The ras el hanout spice mix is sheer perfection with lamb, and slow cooking works wonders to develop rich flavours in the sauce. Serve over couscous for a stunning Moroccan meal. Your house will smell amazing!
Lamb Tagine
I’ve done chicken and vegetable tagine. Now it’s time to meet my favourite tagine child: LAMB TAGINE!
Arabic spice mixes and lamb are just a match made in heaven, a combination I’ve not shied away from exploring. Proof: Moroccan backstrap, Harira Soup, Shawarma shoulder, Lamb Shawarma chickpea soup, Moroccan lamb meatballs. (And all my Moroccan recipes here)
Not sure why it’s taken me so long to share the mother of all Moroccan lamb dishes – tagine. This is a stunner. Fork-tender meat, richly spiced sauce, studded with sweet apricots and finished with a good handful of toasted almonds. And the smell when it’s cooking! Swoon….
What is a tagine? “Tagine” refers to a cone-shaped cooking vessel from North Africa as well as the stew that is cooked inside. All sorts of foods are cooked in tagines, from vegetables to meat and fish. Warm spices come together with the natural juices that seep from the cooking meat and vegetables to form the sauce that makes tagines so irresistible.
Meats are often slow cooked using stewing cuts of meat to make them beautifully tender, such in as the lamb tagine I’m sharing today. On the other hand, fish tagines are much quicker to cook!
Heads up – the sauce is thick and richly spiced!
The sauce of this Lamb Tagine is reduced until thick which means intense flavour which I think is essential for lamb which is one of the stronger flavoured proteins. Think of all the spices and lamb juices reduced and concentrated – you know it’s going to be good!
Here’s what it looks like before and after the slow cooking:
Ingredients in Lamb Tagine
Here’s what you need to make Lamb Tagine.
Best lamb for tagine
The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It’s a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that’s marbled with fat so it’s beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.
I personally don’t think there’s any other cut of lamb that works as well. Lamb shank meat would be the next best but you’d need to cut the meat off the bone and the shape of the pieces won’t be as uniform, so some will cook faster than others.
Boneless lamb leg would probably be my next pick but it’s leaner than shoulder so it wouldn’t be as juicy.
Other meat cuts – For non-lamb options, beef chuck, boneless beef ribs, pork shoulder and pork scotch fillet (aka collar butt and pork neck) would work well. For chicken, see my Chicken Tagine recipe, and I’ve also got a Vegetable Tagine (it’s so good!).
Ras el hanout Spice mix for lamb tagine
The spice blend for tagine is called ras el hanout and it’s made with common spices you may already have. You can buy blends but I much prefer to make my own to get the right balance of flavours. Here’s what you need:
I also use ras el hanout for chicken and vegetable tagines but the blend is slightly different. For example, because lamb has a stronger flavour than vegetables, the spice blend is stronger.
The nice thing here is that because we’re using a fair few different spices here, it’s not the end of the world if you’re missing one … or even two. I’ve offered a few switch-out options in the recipe notes!
and everything else for the tagine
And here are the other ingredients you need to make lamb tagine:
Garlic, onion and ginger – Aromatic flavour base. Don’t skip the ginger!
Cinnamon sticks – A spice traditionally used in Middle Eastern cooking and makes the flavour so special. You can substituted with a little powder but cinnamon sticks works better. It’s a little more subtle and earthier.
Chicken stock/broth – The braising liquid. Traditionally water is used, but stock makes it tastier! Note: Chicken stock is used rather than lamb stock because the flavour is “cleaner”. Lamb stock is not sold at grocery stores, and there’s a reason for that – because it’s very…well, lamb! We get enough lamb flavour in this sauce from the lamb pieces.
Dried apricots – Some versions of tagine are made with olives, others use dried fruit, others still may use both. I’ve opted for fruit because tagines are one of the few dishes I love that pairs fruit with meat! I also think the orange colour of the apricots looks lovely in the sauce.
However, the recipe includes the olive option too.
Tomato paste – This is what is used to thicken the sauce and add a touch of flavour. We don’t use enough to make it tomatoey, it’s very subtle.
Lemon – Some tagines use preserved lemon (like in my chicken tagine) but for lamb, fresh lemon zest is beautiful. Also – cheaper. 🙂
Slivered almonds and coriander/cilantro – Garnish for serving. A good amount of both works!
How to make Lamb Tagine
Very straight forward – brown the lamb, sauté aromatics, plonk everything in then slow cook for 1 hour 45 minutes until the lamb is fall-apart tender!
Brown lamb – Cut the lamb into large 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes so they don’t become fall-apart tender too quickly. Cooking long and slow = more flavour in the sauce and it needs the time to reduce and thicken!
Toss the lamb in salt and pepper, brown in three batches (don’t crowd the pot else the lamb will stew instead of brown) then remove into a bowl.
Use a large oven-proof pot with a lid, so it can go from the stove to oven. My dutch oven pictured is 24cm / 9.5″ wide.
Sauté aromatics – Cook the garlic and onion first, then the tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spices. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavour of the tomato paste and toast the spices which brings out the flavour.
Braising liquid and lamb – Add the chicken stock, water and lamb, then bring it to a simmer.
First cook 45 minutes – Put the lid on and transfer to a 180°F/350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 45 minutes.
Add apricots then stir them in. We add them in partway through else they get too soft.
Cook another 1 hour – Put the lid on then return the tagine to the oven for a further 1 hour, or until the lamb pieces are fork tender.
Thick and full of flavour – Here’s what the lamb tagine looks like after 1 hour 45 minutes of slow cooking. The sauce has reduced down to a thick consistency, rich with spicing and a beautiful depth of flavour you can only achieve from slow cooking.
Serve over couscous. I just use plain couscous for this tagine because it’s got so much flavour in it, rather than one with fruit and nuts in it.
Why the oven works best
As with any slow cooking recipe I share, I know some people will ask if it can be cooked using the slow cooker or on the stove! Unfortunately for this lamb tagine, the oven works best.
The stove wouldn’t work very well because you’d need to stir frequently to prevent the base from catching as the sauce of this tagine is considerably thicker than say, Beef Stew. But because the lamb pieces gets so tender, it will break apart into the sauce.
The slow cooker also doesn’t work that well because the sauce will not reduce nearly enough in the slow cooker. So the sauce is too thin and will lack flavour. Cooking in the slow cooker also means you don’t get caramelisation on the surface and edges of the tagine like you do in the oven and on the stove which adds flavour to stews.
For some dishes you can get around this by finishing a dish cooked in the slow cooker in the oven, like I do with Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket and Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg. But unfortunately not for stews like this tagine!
That close up photo above does me every time, remembering the richness of the flavour of the sauce and how tender that lamb is. Tender, but not mushy, we’re not making baby food here.
The dried apricot adds beautiful pops of sweetness as well as sweetening the sauce a touch.
And finishing with fresh lemon zest is just sheer perfection. Please don’t skip that! – Nagi x
PS Also don’t skip the good handful of toasted almonds for serving, it’s also the perfect finishing touch!
Watch how to make it
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Lamb tagine
Ingredients
Use one of these lambs (Note 1):
- 1.6 kg/ 3.2lb boneless lamb shoulder, trim the fat, then cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes (1kg/2lb after trimming)
- 1 kg / 2 lb lamb stewing meat or shoulder, already trimmed of fat cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes
Tagine:
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 brown onions , diced (1cm / 0.3″ cubes)
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 1 cup dried apricots , whole (Note 2 for olives option)
- 2 – 3 tsp lemon zest (just use 1 whole lemon, Note 3 for preserved lemon)
Ras el hanout (Note 4):
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (can reduce for less spicy – Note 4)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
For serving:
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds , toasted (Note 5)
- 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 batches couscous (I just use plain, but you can add the fruit and nuts if you want)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°F/350°F (160°C fan). (Note 6 re: other cook methods)
- Spice mix – Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside.
- Brown lamb – Toss lamb with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof dutch oven (with a lid) over high heat. Brown the lamb in 3 batches, turning to colour the pieces all over, about 3 minutes. Remove into a bowl, then repeat with remaining lamb. Set aside.
- Aromatics – Turn heat down to medium high. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spice mix. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Sauce – Add chicken stock and water, stir, then return the lamb into the pot.
- Slow cook 1 hr 45 min – Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Add apricots, put the lid back on and cook for another 1 hour, checking halfway to ensure the sauce hasn't reduced all the way (if you're concerned, add 1/2 cup water).
- Lemon finish – Lamb should be tender – check! Gently stir in lemon zest.
- Serve over plain couscous, sprinkled with almonds and coriander.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Moroccan stunners!
Life of Dozer
Dozer and I spent the weekend in Mudgee, a regional NSW town 3 1/2 hours from Sydney. We went for the local Readers’ Festival and dropped by the local book store (Book Nest Mudgee) as well as doing a lunch talk at a beautiful restaurant on a working farm called Blue Wren.
There was a professional photographer there so I was going to hold off until I could share those – because the venue was so stunning, everyone was frocked up, the food and wine was incredible, it was just perfection, so I want to share nice photos that do it justice! But I can’t resist sharing a few behind the scenes pics…
Having a serious talk with Dozer before the doors opened about not stealing food from the table:
At the end of the lunch, a photo with the incredible Blue Wren Farm team. And Dozer, after 5 hours of photos with lunch guests, was completely done. 😂 What a brat!!!
I went to Morocco for the first time just 6 months ago and have been wanting to make a tagine since then, and this seemed simple enough. When I was in Morocco, my fiance’s family made me a beautiful tagine of lamb, prunes and whole almonds cooked in the sauce. I have to admit, their tagine was better, but I really enjoyed this as a first attempt at making tagine. Next time i might substitute the apricots with prunes and add whole almonds to see how it goes.
While I did serve this with the cous cous, it’s definitely not traditional Moroccan, they eat it with khobz bread, but I didn’t want to attempt to make the bread and I’m not really sure if there is any bread that would be suitable here in Australia. In Morocco, cous cous is only eaten traditionally on Fridays, served plain and topped with a different dish, lots of chunky vegetables, some protein and topped with this sauce cooked with sultanas and onion. My fiance told me the only restaurants serving cous cous on days other than Fridays are the ones catering to tourists.
I definitely do want to serve an authentic tagine eaten in the traditional way with my family at some stage.
Made this with the cous cous recipe and a salad made with lemon dressing from your pearl cous cous salad… twas amazing!! I couldn’t see water in the ingredients (I checked multiple times but instructions said add stock and water but I only added 2 1/2 cups stock as per ingredients). I forgot to check level halfway through last hour of cooking and the tagine definitely would have needed extra liquid as it was slightly crisped on edges when I pulled it out. I think maybe it could have had around 1/2-3/4 cup extra liquid. I added apricots and olives and used a ras el hanout blend from the German spice shop (can’t remember what it’s called!) and it was such a delicious meal!!
The lamb was deliciously tender along with the beautiful sauce! I had some red and yellow pepper which needed using up, so added as well. Definitely one to make again (and again….) ….. loved it!!!
OMG! I made this last night, let it sit and reheated it for tonight dinner! OMG! OMG!! So flavorful! Thank you, pinned on my favorites.
Wow, this recipe packed a punch and was so flavourful. Definitely going rotation for this coming winter. I see I forgot the lemon zest at the end and will certainly add it next time
Absolutely delicious!!! I used the amount of chicken stock written in the recipe, without any extra water, but it didn’t reduce very much so I left it in the oven with the lid off for an extra 15 mins. It thickened a little, but not as much as in the photos. Next time I’ll reduce the amount of stock a little. Thanks Nagi for another awesome recipe 🙂
I would love to make this for a friends gathering this weekend. How much water do we add? It is not listed, only the amount of chicken stock. Help!
Curiously, I had the opposite issue to some cooks, after 1h45mins the sauce wasn’t thick enough at all!! I was using a heavy cast iron Dutch Oven with a well fitting lid and I was wondering how anything would evaporate! Have taken the lid off and am continuing to cook a little longer to thicken up ….
Hi – looks amazing and in process of making it now. When it says add chicken stock and water – how much water as no mention of that in ingredients (unless I have missed it) . Thanks – excited to eat it in 2 hours 🙂
I also noticed it doesn’t say how much water to add. After reading the notes I think it’s ad the water if your using stock cubes maybe?????
Joy: how much water did you end up adding? Any last minute tips from your meal on April 5th?
Hi, I made the Tagine today. I had to scale back on the ingredients as I was only cooking for two. I also missed out the cardamom as I’d run out but added two fresh tomatoes, quartered. It turned out really well! I served it with flat bread and couscous and we both thought it was delicious. 👍
I can’t get this recipe to print!
5 stars
Simply delicious!! Had this for dinner tonight. My husband said it’s better than what he had in Morocco! That might also be because he cooked it… but I believe him 😊. Thank you for sharing, Nagi. Another winner!!
This was one of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted! Can’t wait to make it again.. thanks for the recipe!
This was so delicious. My husband can’t do gluten so we used rice. We could have put it on top of sand and it would still be good.
Nagi….It seems to me that you are using as much as 4 tblspns of Ras el Hanout mixture for about 2 1/4 lbs of lamb. Is this correct? It seems like a lot.
All the best
Don Wilson
Can’t wait to try. Looks like there may be a typo in oven temp – both are listed in F? Or maybe I’m new to cooking.
This is going down as one of my favorite WFH recipes. It doesn’t take much at all to prep (I can do it on my lunch break) before popping it in the oven and then it’s ready to go for dinner. I’m keeping the ras el hanout on hand from now on, pre mixed and ready to go.
This was DELICIOUS!!, Thanks soo much Nagi. This will be a definite addition to my list of go to recipes. Can’t wait to tell friends and family…..
Hi there – I’ve only just discovered your site. I made the lamb tagine for friends last night (must confess I used ready made ras el hanout, mainly because I had a jar of it on my spice rack) and it was really good. So good in fact that both of my guests went in for third helpings 😊 And super easy to make. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes 😊😊