Name: Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 lbs lamb shoulder, cubed; 1 large onion, grated; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp ras el hanout; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ginger; Pinch of saffron; 1 cup dried apricots; 1/2 cup almonds, toasted; 2 tbsp honey; 1 preserved lemon, chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; Fresh cilantro; Couscous for serving

Slow-braised lamb with apricots, almonds, and ras el hanout. Sweet, savory, and perfumed.

The Cultural Story

The tagine is both the dish and the conical clay pot it cooks in. The cone shape traps steam and returns it to the food, creating an incredibly tender braise without much liquid. Ras el hanout — meaning "head of the shop" — is a spice blend that can contain 30+ ingredients, representing the best a spice merchant has to offer. In Moroccan homes, the tagine sits on a small charcoal burner for hours, filling the house with impossible aromas.

Ingredients

2 lbs lamb shoulder, cubed
1 large onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ras el hanout
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
Pinch of saffron
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
2 tbsp honey
1 preserved lemon, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh cilantro
Couscous for serving

Instructions

1Season lamb with ras el hanout, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, salt, and pepper. Let sit 30 minutes.
2In a tagine or heavy Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Brown lamb in batches — do not crowd the pot.
3Add grated onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4Return all lamb to pot. Add enough water to come halfway up the meat. Cover and simmer on lowest heat for 2 hours.
5Add dried apricots, honey, and preserved lemon. Continue cooking for 30 more minutes until lamb is falling apart.
6Top with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro. Serve directly from the tagine with fluffy couscous. The bottom of the pot has the best sauce — make sure everyone gets some.

Community Reviews (1)

Aisha T. ★★★★★

My grandmother made this exact dish for Eid every year. Seeing it here with the proper cultural context means a lot. One small thing: we always serve it with pickled turnips on the side.

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