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This authentic Moroccan lamb tagine is slow-cooked to perfection with tender lamb, warm spices, and sweet dried fruit. A comforting and flavorful dish that’s simple to prepare and perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Type of Cuisine:
Medterranean
Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 2.5 hours
How Many Servings?
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1X
2X
3X
Adjust Servings
| 3 lbs lamb shoulder (bone-in or boneless), cut into chunks | |
| 2 teaspoons salt (for dry brining) | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1 large sweet onion (finely chopped) | |
| 4 garlic cloves (minced) | |
| 1 teaspoon ground ginger | |
| 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon | |
| 1 teaspoon sweet paprika | |
| ground cumin | |
| 1 teaspoon turmeric | |
| 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper | |
| 1 tablespoon tomato paste | |
| 1/ 2 teaspoon saffron threads | |
| 1 stick cinnamon | |
| 1 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth | |
| 1/2 cup dried apricots (about 10 pieces) | |
| 1/2 cup prunes (about 8 pieces) |
For Garnish:
| 1/4 cup almonds (blanched and toasted) | |
| Fresh parsley or cilantro (chopped) |
Preparation
1
Dry Brine the Lamb (Flavor Booster):
Start by dry brining the lamb to enhance its tenderness and flavor. Generously season the lamb with 2 teaspoons of salt, ensuring all sides are well coated. Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hour. This process allows the salt to penetrate the meat, resulting in deeper flavor and juicier lamb once cooked.
Start by dry brining the lamb to enhance its tenderness and flavor. Generously season the lamb with 2 teaspoons of salt, ensuring all sides are well coated. Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hour. This process allows the salt to penetrate the meat, resulting in deeper flavor and juicier lamb once cooked.
2
Prepare the Infused Broth (Saffron & Dried Fruit):
To prepare the infused broth, bring 1½ cups of broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, add the saffron (along with its soaking water), apricots, prunes, and a cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes. After simmering, turn off the heat and allow the broth to steep for 15 minutes, letting the flavors meld and the dried fruit soften
To prepare the infused broth, bring 1½ cups of broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, add the saffron (along with its soaking water), apricots, prunes, and a cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes. After simmering, turn off the heat and allow the broth to steep for 15 minutes, letting the flavors meld and the dried fruit soften
3
Brown the Lamb:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. While the oil heats, pat the lamb dry to remove any excess moisture – this ensures a good sear. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb and brown it on all sides for about 6 to 8 minutes, creating a rich, golden crust. After the lamb is browned, carefully transfer it to a traditional tagine for the slow cooking process.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. While the oil heats, pat the lamb dry to remove any excess moisture – this ensures a good sear. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb and brown it on all sides for about 6 to 8 minutes, creating a rich, golden crust. After the lamb is browned, carefully transfer it to a traditional tagine for the slow cooking process.
4
Sauté the Aromatics:
In the same Dutch oven, add the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until it becomes soft and golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Once the onion is ready, stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, and ground cinnamon, allowing the spices to bloom and release their aroma. Next, add 1 teaspoon of tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture becomes caramelized and fragrant. This step builds the rich, flavorful base for the tagine.
In the same Dutch oven, add the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until it becomes soft and golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Once the onion is ready, stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, and ground cinnamon, allowing the spices to bloom and release their aroma. Next, add 1 teaspoon of tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture becomes caramelized and fragrant. This step builds the rich, flavorful base for the tagine.
5
Combine and Transfer to Tagine:
Pour the infused broth with dried fruit into the Dutch oven, combining it with the sautéed onion and spice mixture. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, letting the flavors meld for a few minutes as the broth absorbs the richness of the spices and aromatics. Once the mixture is ready, carefully pour it over the browned lamb in the tagine, ensuring the lamb is partially submerged in the flavorful broth for slow, even cooking.
Pour the infused broth with dried fruit into the Dutch oven, combining it with the sautéed onion and spice mixture. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, letting the flavors meld for a few minutes as the broth absorbs the richness of the spices and aromatics. Once the mixture is ready, carefully pour it over the browned lamb in the tagine, ensuring the lamb is partially submerged in the flavorful broth for slow, even cooking.
6
Slow Cook in the Tagine:
Cover the tagine with its lid and place it in a cold oven. Gradually heat the oven to 300°F (150°C), allowing the tagine to warm up slowly to prevent cracking. Let the lamb cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, giving the flavors time to develop and the meat to become tender. Check the tagine twice during cooking to ensure the broth hasn’t reduced too much. If the liquid level looks low, add ¼ cup of warm water or broth to keep the lamb moist and prevent the sauce from drying out.
Cover the tagine with its lid and place it in a cold oven. Gradually heat the oven to 300°F (150°C), allowing the tagine to warm up slowly to prevent cracking. Let the lamb cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, giving the flavors time to develop and the meat to become tender. Check the tagine twice during cooking to ensure the broth hasn’t reduced too much. If the liquid level looks low, add ¼ cup of warm water or broth to keep the lamb moist and prevent the sauce from drying out.
7
Final Touches:
Once the lamb is tender and falls apart easily, carefully remove the tagine from the oven. Let it sit for a few minutes before uncovering to allow the flavors to settle. Garnish the dish with fresh parsley or cilantro and a sprinkle of toasted almonds for added texture and flavor. Serve the lamb tagine hot alongside warm couscous or crusty bread to soak up the rich, aromatic sauce.
Once the lamb is tender and falls apart easily, carefully remove the tagine from the oven. Let it sit for a few minutes before uncovering to allow the flavors to settle. Garnish the dish with fresh parsley or cilantro and a sprinkle of toasted almonds for added texture and flavor. Serve the lamb tagine hot alongside warm couscous or crusty bread to soak up the rich, aromatic sauce.