Lamb Tagine {Easy Moroccan Style Stew}

This fragrant Lamb Tagine is a simple version of the classic Moroccan dish. If you’re looking for a delicious midweek lamb recipe, this gently spiced casserole is a delicious option – it’s perfect for batch cooking too.

A pot of Moroccan Lamb Tagine on a table, with couscous to the side and plates around, ready to serve.

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

A close up of cooked ingredients in a pot, made up of lamb, butternut squash, chickpeas and almonds.

Sarah’s Notes

I first travelled to Morocco in 2009, when I did a cookery course with a lovely lady in the Riad (a small Moroccan hotel or guesthouse) we stayed in. She didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Arabic, but despite the language barrier, I learned so much and I still use her handwritten notes often now!

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.

What is a tagine?

A tagine is a traditional North African pot made from clay or ceramic, recognisable by its cone-shaped lid.

This design helps steam to circulate while the food cooks slowly, keeping everything tender and packed with flavour.

You can still achieve delicious tender meat by cooking it in a casserole dish though, which is what we’re doing in this recipe (because most of us don’t have a tagine the back of the cupboard.)

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

The raw ingredients for making a Lamb Tagine laid out on a white surface.

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.
Cornflour (cornstarch in the US) – If you think your sauce needs to be a little thicker, make a slurry (add a little sauce to a small amount of flour, mix into a smooth paste and then add back into the main dish.)
To serve – Sprinkle over flaked almonds and fresh, chopped mint. These make a big difference!

How to make Lamb Tagine

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat half of the oil over a medium heat and brown the meat in batches, moving aside when browned.

2. Add the remaining oil, the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and ras el hanout. Cook as per the recipe below.

3. Add back in the meat and stock, put a lid on and continue cooking over a low heat.

4. Add the butternut squash and chickpeas, and cook as per the recipe. Serve sprinkled with almonds and mint.

Substitutions

Beef – You can use these ingredients and method for beef instead of lamb if you prefer. Use beef stock instead of lamb.

Leftovers

In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.

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.

How to cook Lamb Tagine in the slow cooker

Fry your lamb on the hob to brown (unless you have a slow cooker you can sear in), then add all of your ingredients, except the chickpeas, and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 6-8 depending on which suits your timings best.

Pop the chickpeas in about an hour before the end.

How to cook Lamb Tagine in the oven

Preheat your oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/Gas Mark 6/350F. 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.

FAQs

Why doesn’t this recipe have apricots?

Dried fruit such as apricots and dates are often included in tagine recipes.

I’ve used butternut squash here so that the recipe includes a portion (or more) of vegetables instead.

Feel free to add direct apricots in when you add the chickpeas.

What’s the best type of pan to use for this recipe?

I use a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid for this dish, so anything like a casserole dish would work.

I did a review of pans that are suitable for family one pot recipes, so take a look through these options here to see if any suit.

If you do have a traditional tagine pot, of course you can use that.

What should I serve with tagine?

Traditionally it’s served over a bed of couscous. I’m also a big fan of this as it’s so easy.

You could also serve with flatbreads.

More Lamb Recipes…

Slow Cooker Curries

This recipe was first published here on August 21st, 2019 and was fully updated with a new and improved recipe on December 16th, 2025, including step-by-step videos.

Lamb Tagine