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Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Luxurious Middle Eastern spices and slow cooking make this Moroccan Lamb Tagine a tender and flavorful stew. You’ll practice marinating meat with aromatic spices, searing in batches, and layering in vegetables like roasted butternut squash and carrots.

Serves 1 | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours
Chef's Notes

Lamb is often a meat people shy away from because of its strong flavor. But do try this recipe! Both the spices and the cooking of the meat make this lamb dish extra tender and subtle. It’s easy to make and perfect to serve for dinner parties.

Make this stew the day before to allow the flavors to soak right into the meat.
Serve this with Traditional Moroccan Couscous, which is excellent for soaking up all of the delicious sauce.

Preparing & Marinating the Lamb

Remove the fat and the silver skin from the lamb shoulder. Dice into about 1 1/2" inch cubes. Put the diced lamb into a large bowl and add all of the spices. Using a food processor or hand grater, grate the onions. Add to the meat and thoroughly mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or even overnight.

Step 1: Preparing & Marinating the Lamb
  • 3 lb diced lamb shoulder
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 3 medium onions

Cooking the Meat

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.

In a large, Dutch oven, sear the lamb in batches over medium-high heat. You may have to do this in two or three batches. Once all of the meat has been browned, crush and add the garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, ground cardamom seeds, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon stick and the dried orange peel. Add the chicken stock and all of the reserved lamb and bring just to a boil.

Cover the pot and place into the oven. Let the stew cook for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is fork tender. The meat will pull apart easily when it is done. Check it after about 45 minutes and stir. Then move on to the squash, while the lamb finishes cooking.

Step 2: Cooking the Meat
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom seeds
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp dried chili powder
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 4 pieces dried or fresh orange peel
  • 3 cups chicken stock

Roasting the Squash

Peel the squash, cut it in half, scoop out and discard the seeds. Dice the squash into roughly 1" inch cubes.

Place the squash into a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat.

Pour the squash onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. The squash is ready when a knife easily slides into the center.

Step 3: Roasting the Squash
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Finishing the Tagine

Once the lamb is ready, dice the onions, carrots and prunes and fold into the tagine. Bake, covered in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the carrots are fully cooked through. Fold in the roasted squash and serve with Moroccan couscous.

Step 4: Finishing the Tagine
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 cup prunes

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