This Lamb Tagine recipe is, without a doubt, one of my most favourite comfort food dishes ever. Even on a greyest of days, it fills the kitchen with colour and warming aromas. Tender, tasty lamb and the unmistakable rich flavours of ras el hanout – a fragrant North African spice mix – means this features on my weekly menus often. It also freezes really well and I LOVE those days when I can pull a batch out to defrost for dinner. If you serve it with couscous, it’s basically fast food!
Why you’ll love this Lamb Tagine recipe
⭐️ Ideal to batch cook and freeze ⭐️ It’s easy but impressive ⭐️ Packed with vegetables, just serve with couscous for a complete meal I’ve included some of the tips I learned in Morocco all those years ago here, along with my own shortcuts to make this recipe as accessible as possible. A ‘tagine’ is actually the pot that this recipe is traditionally cooked in – a funnel-shaped clay pot – but while the ingredients and flavours are in keeping with a tagine, we’re just using a regular pan for this recipe.
What is Ras El Hanout?
We’re using a ready-made Moroccan spice blend called Ras el Hanout in this recipe, which is easily found in most supermarkets. Ras el Hanout is made of some or all of: cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and dry turmeric [source]. It’s one of my favourite shortcuts for cooking Moroccan style food as it allows you to add so much flavour very quickly.
Lamb Tagine Ingredients
Lamb – I like to use lamb leg steaks cut up to keep it lean, but lamb shoulder cubes will give a softer texture. Any cut that is suitable for slow cooking works well here. This recipe is for 6 servings, so we’re using 900g, but you can adjust the number of servings within the recipe below. Onion, garlic and ginger – You can either use fresh of these or the type in a jar or frozen. All are fine. Ras el hanout – Use a good quality spice mix as it makes all the difference. I like the Bart brand if you can find it. Butternut squash – I like to use frozen because it comes already peeled and chopped, so saves so much time. You can also use fresh if you prefer though. Chickpeas – Use the tinned kind and make sure you drain and rinse them first. To serve – Sprinkle over flaked almonds and fresh, chopped mint. These make a big difference!
In the freezer Lamb Tagine is the perfect batch cook recipe, so feel free to cook double and freeze half. Once it has cooled, portion it up and freeze. Defrost and reheat as above. The sauce will thicken even more on reheating, just add a splash of water if you would like more sauce. Pop the chickpeas in about an hour before the end.
How to cook Lamb Tagine in the oven
Preheat your oven to 180C. Follow all of the steps as outlined in the recipe, but rather than simmering on the hob, cook the tagine in the oven for around 2 hours or until the meat is very soft.
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Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
