Lamb Tagine, the stew, classically incorporates savory and sweet ingredients to make a complex dish with a richly spiced flavor. You will see an array of seasonings in this stew that sets it apart from anything you’ve probably tried, like cinnamon and cardamom. It is a comforting, cozy meal that pairs perfectly with plain couscous or rice.
This is a dish I first enjoyed at a friend’s house that I visited a few years ago in LA. It was delicious, and I knew I had to recreate it when I returned home. I have been perfecting it for years and cannot wait for you guys to try it!
This post is brought to you by AMERICAN LAMB BOARD. Thank you for supporting Fufu’s Kitchen in continuing to share delicious recipes. All opinions are my own.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox.
What is Tagine?
“Tagine” refers to a North African cooking pot with a conical lid and the traditionally cooked aromatic stew. While you can use a traditional tagine cooking pot, a regular non-stick or Dutch oven pot will do the trick too! The lamb and vegetables cook until they are fork-tender, making the smell in your kitchen transport you to Morocco. Tagine can be made with different proteins like fish, chicken, beef, and in this case; lamb. The flavor profile is slightly different depending on the protein used.
The best cut of lamb for Lamb Tagine
The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. I typically go to my local Halal butcher to purchase boneless American lamb shoulder cut into 2-3 inch cubes. This cut of meat requires a slow and steady cooking time to achieve a super flavorful and tender outcome. You can also do bone-in, but eating boneless lamb in this stew is much more enjoyable.
Did you know that the American Lamb is naturally nourishing? On average, a 3-ounce serving of American Lamb will give you half of your daily protein needs and, 160 calories. It is super nutritious, too, being an excellent source of protein, zinc, iron, vitamin B12, and more.
And if you didn’t know, when you purchase American lamb, you directly benefit local farmers and ranchers dedicated to caring for the land and animals. American lamb is produced in every state in the U.S., so fresh, local lamb is available year-round. Choosing American Lamb will yield you a high-quality and nutrient-rich protein. All kosher and halal-certified meat in the U.S. is American. If you want to learn more about the benefits, grazing methods, and where to find American Lamb near you, visit their website.
Spices Used in Lamb Tagine
This is a spice-forward meal; the spices set lamb tagine apart. It is a savory stew with hints of sweetness from the ground cinnamon and cinnamon stick infused in the dish.
It may seem like a lot, but about ten spices go into making this flavorful lamb tagine. Typically, you can disregard a few if you have the seasoning Ras El-Hanout in your pantry, but since it isn’t common, I share how to make your spice blend for this stew instead.
Spices used for this Lamb Tagine Recipe: Turmeric, Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Ground Cumin, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Allspice, Ground Ginger, Ground Clove, Ground Coriander
You can find all of these spices readily available at mainstream supermarkets. I like adding cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to the stew for maximum flavor.
How to make Lamb Tagine
To make lamb tagine is pretty straightforward- it may sound a bit intimidating, but it is quite simple, and the result is delicious.
First and most important is to season the lamb preferably for at least an hour allowing it to marinate.
Then, you must sear the meat in a hot pot to achieve a nice color and crust.
Add the red onion, and allow juices from the meat and onion to reduce before adding the prunes, potatoes, and carrots.
Add vegetable stock and allow to simmer for 2 hours before garnishing with cilantro and mint.
You will be left with the most delicious stew and super tender pieces of lamb. Authentically, tagine is served with couscous, but you can also serve it with rice. Enjoy!
Other Stew Recipes on my blog worth trying:
The Best Beef Stew, Zahra Bi’Laban (Cauliflower & Lamb Yogurt Stew), Turkey Chili
Please Leave a Review & Rating
I cannot wait for you to try this easy, authentic Moroccan Lamb Tagine recipe! If you try my recipes, please leave a star rating and/ or review in the comment section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below as well. You can share your remakes with me on my Instagram!
Lamb Tagine
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless American Lamb Shoulder, cut into small to medium cubes
Lamb Marinade
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp All Spice
- 1/2 tbsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Cumin
- 1/2 tbsp Coriander
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 5 Cardamom Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
Other Ingredients
- 1 Large Red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup Natural Delights Medjool Dates about 10 pieces, Dried prunes work great here too
- 2 Large potatoes, peeled, and cut into 2 inch cubes
- 2 Carrots, chopped
- 6 cups Veggie Stock
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped or you can do either or.
Instructions
- Wash each piece of lamb thoroughly under cold water.
- Add the lamb to a pot over high heat and season with all the spices under marinade ingredients. Sear the meat for 5 minutes on each side until it has a brown crust. To achieve this the pot must be hot. Cover with a lid for 10 after browning is achieved. This will allow juices to form.
- Add the red onion and garlic to the mix and cover for about 20 minutes. At this point, more juices will be forming.
- Then add the dried prunes or dates and let that simmer for 5 minutes.
- Lastly, add the potatoes and carrots. Cover the veggies and meat with your stock of choice. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods at this point. Cover and let this simmer on medium heat for at least 2 hours.
- Check back on it then and see if the meat is tender. If not, cook for another 10-15 minutes until it is.
- Last thing, garnish with the chopped mint and cilantro for freshness. Enjoy over plain couscous, rice, or bread.
This recipe was a HIT with my family.. there was nothing leftover! So flavorful and delicious and the meat was sooo tender it literally melted away like butter. I served it with couscous on the side and it was the perfect meal for a winter evening.
“First and most important is to marinate the lamb for at least a few hours or, ideally, overnight”.
Do you marinate the lamb in the dry spices or something else? . l am a little confused how to do this part.
Hi Melanie,
I actually just went ahead and updated the recipe and blogpost. I made the tagine last week without marinating it for hours or overnight and it came out just as delicious. So, all you need to do is season it and get cooking! I hope that clarifies things for you.
Incredibly flavorful!!! My entire famiky enjoyed this meal. Thank you!!
This recipe is so easy but tastes luxurious. The meat was so flavourful and was falling off the fork. I combined it with simple spiced couscous and it was a fantastic meal that pleased the whole family
Fufu is a great example of how a basic ingredient can become a meaningful traditional dish. Different regions have their own methods, and that diversity is what makes African cuisine so fascinating.
The balance of the mild smooth fufu with the intense bold spices of the soup looks incredible and you can almost feel the aromatic heat coming through the screen
Well first time cooking Tangine from scratch and wow. Powerful intense flavour that sits on the senses with warmth.
I am so happy you liked it, Chris! It is very aromatic!