This fruity Moroccan lamb tagine is easy to make in your Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop. Serve with couscous, rice or mashed potatoes for a hearty and delicious meal.
Recipe in collaboration with ‘Lamb – Try It Love It’
I have been making versions of this lamb tagine for many years and it has remained a firm comfort food favourite.
This tagine combines warming spices like cumin, turmeric and paprika with perfectly tender diced lamb and a little sweetness from dried apricots.
It is delicious and yet so mild that I used to serve a version of it to my children when there were still toddlers.
What is a tagine?
A tagine (or tajine) is a clay cooking pot that lends dishes cooked in it its name. A tagine has a circular base and a dome-shaped cover that sits over the base.
Tagine dishes are slow-cooked stews made with meat, fish or vegetables, usually combining savoury and sweet elements, often with dried fruit and nuts.
You can cook tagines in a dutch oven, a slow cooker or the pressure cooker with equally good results, the only difference is the length of cooking time and amount of liquid needed.
Crockpots and pressure cookers require less liquid as they don’t allow for any evaporation. If you are cooking on the stove you will need more stock, adding extra if the pot is getting too dry.
Why use lamb
Lamb is the perfect meat for a tagine as it has a natural sweetness that pairs well with the spices in the dish. I used diced lamb shoulder – you want a cut with a little bit of fat which will become wonderfully tender during cooking.
Lamb is, bizzarelly, declining in popularity and yet it is versatile, healthy and delicious. The EU-funded Lamb Try it, Love it campaign aims to introduce a new generation of cooks to the convenience and unique flavours of lamb.
This easy lamb stew is an excellent way to introduce lamb into your cooking repertoire and I guarantee it will become a true favourite.
What are the ingredients in a lamb tagine
- Diced lamb, preferably lamb shoulder
- Chickpeas
- Chopped tomatoes and tomato paste
- Dried fruit such as apricots, dates or raisins
- Onions and garlic
- Spices such as ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and paprika
- Fresh ginger
- Lemon juice
- I like adding a little honey to accentuate the sweetness
- Vegetable or chicken stock, using a good stock cube or bouillon powder
- Chopped nuts like almonds or pistachios
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) or mint to garnish
- You could add vegetables to make this dish go further. Add 300g (10oz) chopped sweet potato or butternut squash in during step 4.
How to make Instant Pot lamb tagine
Step 1. Heat light olive oil in your pressure cooker and brown the lamb for a few minutes, in batches if necessary. Set aside. If you are short of time you can skip browning the lamb and instead add it in with remaining ingredients on Step 3.
Step 2. If there’s any browned bits at the bottom of the pot, deglaze with a splash of stock or water. Add the chopped onion and cook for five minutes, stirring, until softened.
Step 3. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir to release the wonderful aromas.
Step 4. Return the lamb to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice, tomato paste, apricots and honey. Stir to combine.
Step 5. Add the chopped tin tomatoes, chickpeas and hot stock.
Step 6. Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Allow for 10 minutes natural pressure release then manually release the remaining steam.
Step 7. Taste and season if necessary. Garnish with the coriander and chopped pistachios. Serve with couscous or rice.
How to make lamb tagine on the stove
Note you will need more stock to make this recipe on the stove – two cups (500ml) instead of one.
Step 1. Heat the oil in a large lidded casserole dish (Dutch oven). Fry the onions, stirring, for about five minutes until softened.
Step 2. Now add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir to release the wonderful aromas.
Step 3. Add the lamb to the pot and stir to combine, cooking for 5 minutes.
Step 4. Stir in the lemon juice, tomato paste, apricots and honey.
Step 5. Add the chopped tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and hot chicken stock.
Step 6. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 1h -1h 15 mins until the lamb is tender and stew has thickened. If the pan gets too dry, add a little hot water or stock.
Slow cooker lamb tagine
Follow steps 1-4 then put all the ingredients in your crockpot. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock and cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 6.
What to serve with lamb tagine
- Couscous or giant couscous are perfect for serving with this stew, absorbing the rich sauce.
- Basmati rice or mashed potatoes are also good options (though not as traditional).
- A little natural or Greek yoghurt
- Flatbreads to mop up the delicious sauce.
Can you freeze lamb tagine?
You can certainly freeze lamb tagine, before you add any garnishes such as herbs and nuts. Remove the cinnamon stick and freeze in portions for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge and heat until piping hot before serving.
HAVE YOU MADE MY MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE?
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NEED MORE LAMB RECIPE INSPO?
- Leftover turkey Korma with golden rice
- Pressure Cooker Lamb Dhansak curry
- Spicy Lamb Keema Pizza
- Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
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Moroccan lamb tagine
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light olive oil to fry
- 1.3 kg | 3 pounds diced lamb
- 2 red onions , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger , grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 100 g | 3 ½ oz dried apricots , finely diced
- 2 tbsp honey (optional)
- ½ lemon , juice only
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g | 14oz tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 g | 14oz tinned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 250 ml | 1 cup hot chicken stock (from stock cube)
- 3 tbsp chopped pistachios to garnish
- Handful coriander (cilantro) to garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot method
- Heat the oil in your pressure cooker and brown the lamb for a few minutes, in batches if necessary. Set aside. If you are short of time you can skip browning the lamb and instead add it in with remaining ingredients on Step 3.
- If there’s any browned bits at the bottom of the pot, deglaze with a splash of stock or water. Add the chopped onion and cook for five minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir to release the wonderful aromas.
- Return the lamb to the pot and stir to combine.
- Add the lemon juice, tomato paste, apricots and honey. Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped tin tomatoes, chickpeas and stock.
- Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Allow for 10 minutes natural pressure release then manually release the remaining steam.
- Remove the cinnamon stick. Taste and season if necessary. Garnish with the coriander and chopped pistachios. Serve with couscous or rice.
Stovetop method
- Heat the oil in a large lidded casserole dish. Fry the onions for five minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir to release the wonderful aromas.
- Add the lamb to the pot and stir to combine, cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, tomato paste, apricots and honey. Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped tin tomatoes, chickpeas and 2 cups (500ml) stock - note this is twice the amount from pressure cooker method.
- Bring to a boil then reduce a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 1h -1h 15 mins until the lamb is tender and stew has thickened.
- Remove the cinnamon stick. Taste and season if necessary. Garnish with the coriander and chopped pistachios. Serve with couscous or rice.
Slow cooker method
- Follow steps 1-4 then put all the ingredients in your crockpot. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Info
Monique says
Hi there. I followed your direction for the instapot version – it was really tasty, but ended up a lot less thick/more watery than your pictures. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Monique – its a tough balance between too watery and getting a BURN alert. You could add 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 1 tbsp water and heat through on Sauté for 2-3 minutes after the recipe is cooked and you have opened the IP. Or you could try adding some chopped and peeled butternut squash in which will cook down and thicken the sauce.