Lamb tagine with olives, mushrooms and potatoes is a delicious Moroccan style one-pot wonder that is full of exotic flavors. It is easy to make and perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
What is a Tagine?
Tagine, a traditional Moroccan dish, is both a cooking pot and the name of the stew prepared in it. The unique earthenware pot, called a Tagine, is an ingenuous device created by the Berbers.
The Tagine pot has a circular rimmed base and a dome-shaped cover, that allows for slow cooking of stews to perfection. Meat and vegetables absorb the flavors of the spices and herbs, as the Tagine pot is designed to braise, steam, and bake the dish simultaneously. The pot is perfect for achieving a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture when slow-cooking meats, such as this beef tagine.
Also, the cover's design ensures that condensation returns to the bottom, allowing the meat to cook in its own juices with minimal water, resulting in a succulent and flavorful dish. To use a Tagine pot properly, it is essential to follow specific rules for care and use.
However, for the recipe, here I have used a cast iron dutch oven, which works pretty well to give great results for this stew, like we also did with this Fish Tagine.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
The thought of Moroccan lamb tagine brings back incredibly beautiful memories of Morocco and its mouthwatering cuisine. Thankfully, decades ago I also had an opportunity to learn to make this tagine and other Moroccan recipes from my neighbor who was a master cook.
Lamb tagine is a classic Moroccan dish that is traditionally prepared in a Tagine pot. The key to achieving a succulent lamb and a silky rich sauce is in the choice of meat cuts and seasoning. The stew is ready when the meat falls off the bone or is fork-tender and easy to break apart.
Tagine recipes typically use lots of vegetables, with the meat serving as more of a background flavor component. In this recipe, I use a combination of meaty mushrooms, olives, potatoes, tomatoes, and preserved lemons to create a delicious and hearty meal. I also make sure to cook the tagine in a way that the vegetables retain their shape while becoming tender inside.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Cremini Mushrooms: You can substitute them with any other type of mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms would be great too.
- Lamb shoulder: Choose from tougher cuts of meat such as shoulder, shanks and ribs. Lamb leg or shoulder with bone works best. Substitute with beef, veal, goat or chicken; adjust the cooking time accordingly. Cooking time for chicken is about an hour and use less water.
- Ras el hanout: A Moroccan spice mix that adds a complex blend of flavors to the dish. It is available online or at specialty stores. Substitute with a mix of ⅓ cinnamon, ⅓ cardamom, ⅓ coriander, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Tomatoes: Substitute with canned tomatoes.
- Tomato paste: Adds richness and thickness to the sauce. Substitute with canned tomato sauce.
- Potatoes: I use yellow potatoes which are all-purpose potatoes so work well for stew. But red potatoes are non starchy and will be perfect too.
- Olives: Marinated or pickled olives work well. Adds a briny and salty flavor to the dish. Use a combination of colors if you like.
- Preserved lemon: Adds a tangy and slightly bitter flavor to the dish. Substitute with fresh lemon zest.
How To Make Lamb Tagine
This is a brief visual overview. Full recipe with measurements is at the end of the post.
- Sauté mushrooms in a Dutch oven with olive oil, season with salt, and set aside.
- Pat lamb pieces dry, season with salt, and brown in the same Dutch oven.
- Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in the same pot, then add the lamb back in along with spices, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Add water, cover, and simmer until meat is almost done.
- Add diced potatoes, roasted mushrooms, olives, preserved lemon, and lemon juice, and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Simmer until meat is well done and potatoes are cooked.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
My Top Tips
Browning the meat before slow-cooking will give it a better texture and richer flavor. Don't skip this step.
Wait to add salt until after the mushrooms have been sautéed, browned, and their juices have evaporated.
The cooking time of the potatoes in your tagine will depend on the size of the dice. If you have smaller diced potatoes, you may want to add them later in the cooking process. However, if the pieces are larger, it's best to add them to the tagine earlier on.
What to Serve With It?
- Couscous: Lamb tagine goes so well with couscous. It has a fluffy texture and absorbs all the flavors so well.
- Flatbreads: Thick flatbreads work best with this hearty stew as they can absorb all the delicious juices. Some great options include barbari, pita or naan. But a baguette can work well too.
- Non Traditional Sides: Try it with rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
- Salads: Try onion salad or carrot salad for a refreshing side dish.
More Lamb Recipes
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Lamb Tagine With Olives and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz sliced mushrooms cremini
- Salt to taste
- 1½ lbs lamb shoulder with bone, cut into 2-inch pieces, or 1 lb boneless lamb shoulder
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated, or ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ras el hanout Moroccan spice mix, see note for substitute
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Water 2 cups or more
- 2 medium potatoes cut into large pieces
- 12 pitted olives green or black
- 1 preserved lemon seeds removed, quartered
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Equipment
Instructions
- Sauté Mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and sauté over high heat. Season with a pinch of salt, and transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- Brown the Lamb: Pat lamb pieces dry with paper towels and season with salt. Set aside. In the same dutch oven, add remaining olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same pot, add the chopped onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add grated garlic, grated ginger, and stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add Spices: Return the meat to the pot. Add all the spices (ras el hanout, paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, and black pepper) and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes: Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer the Meat: Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and let it simmer until the meat is almost done, about 1¾ hours (time may vary). Check occasionally and add water as needed to prevent the sauce from thickening too much and burning.
- Add Vegetables: Add diced potatoes, roasted mushrooms, olives, preserved lemon, and lemon juice. Stir and adjust seasoning as per taste. Cover with a lid and let it simmer until the meat is well done and potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Adjust Consistency: Check the sauce's consistency and evaporate it if it's too thin or add water as needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Top with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with couscous and flatbreads.
Notes
- The Moroccan spice mix (Ras el hanout) can be found at Mediterranean or Middle Eastern specialty stores.
- Ras El Hanout Substitute: Use ⅓ ground cinnamon + ⅓ ground cardamom + ⅓ ground coriander, and a 1 pinch ground nutmeg.
- Meal Pep and Storage: Prep veggies and roast mushrooms in advance. The stew can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and in the freezer for a couple of months. Reheat on stovetop or in oven, adding water if needed.
- Nutrition facts not including any added salt. Spice mixes may have some salt, so adjust accordingly.
- Recipe questions answered and variations below.
Nutrition
Recipe Questions Answered
Place tagine base on a heat diffuser set over a stove. Heat olive oil in the base of a tagine over low-medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons water and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Then add lamb and brown it over medium heat. Add spices, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, potatoes and water. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, until meat is well done and potatoes are cooked, adding hot water if needed.
Roast mushrooms and add to the tagine along with olives, preserved lemon, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 more minutes and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and turn off heat before the sauce reaches desired thickness as the tagine will continue to evaporate the sauce.
Start by sautéing onions, garlic, ginger, and meat on the stove. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker along with all the ingredients, except for mushrooms and potatoes.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours. Then add the potatoes, roasted mushrooms, olives, preserved lemon, lemon juice, and continue cooking for another 2-3 hours until the meat is tender. Before serving, garnish with cilantro.
Yes, you can make lamb tagine in an Instant Pot. Cook the onions, garlic, ginger and meat with oil in sauté mode. Add spices, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, some water and cook under pressure for about 30 minutes. Release the pressure naturally.
Add potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Release pressure naturally and add roasted mushrooms, olives, preserved lemons, lemon juice and simmer using the sauté function.
Variations
This dish is gluten-fee, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and high in protein, making it perfect for those with dietary restrictions.
- Vegan or Vegetarian: Replace meat with beans - chickpeas or white beans. Add vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini or increase the amount of mushrooms. Root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips and carrots are also a great option.
- Other Proteins: You can also try this with a firm fish such as haddock, cod and such.
- Add Dried Fruits: Many moroccan stews include dried fruits to give it a savory-sweet taste. Some options to try are prunes, apricots, or dried cherries.
Is this lamb tagine good for you?
This lamb tagine recipe uses nutritious ingredients such as mushrooms, olives, potatoes and spices. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, potassium, and selenium, and are known to support the immune system.
Olives are nutrient-dense and contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, gut-friendly bacteria, and phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory and disease-preventive properties. Potatoes are a great source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and several important vitamins and minerals.
Further, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the aromatics and spices further enhance the nutrition potential. However, lamb is a source of saturated fat and so consume it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
This post was first published on August 18, 2016 and has been updated with improvements in pictures, tips, FAQs and additional enhancements.
CatI Walker says
Started making this yesterday and will finish this today for dinner. Also used my own home made ras el hanout. I love this spice mix. And can't wait to try this. Love Moroccan Food.
Lisa Bynum says
Ahh, I love lamb. This recipe sounds so delicious!
Roxana Begum says
Thank you Lisa :)
Emily says
I don't usually go for lamb but it sounds delicious in this recipe!
Roxana Begum says
Yes some people find it too gamey in flavor. But I usually evaporate the lamb juices and brown it a little, so improves the flavor.
Diana says
I LOVE Moroccan tagine, and this looks and sounds very delicious! I need to go and buy ras el hanout and make this.
Roxana Begum says
That sounds wonderful :)
April says
I can tell by looking at the ingredients that your lamb tagine is so flavorsome. I've always wanted to make this but I haven't seen any that I want to make but yours look like it will work!
Roxana Begum says
Thanks April. Hope you enjoy making it.
Ginny says
I've never made anything in a tagine but I've certainly eaten many things. Your recipe has the most beautiful mix of spices and herbs. This must taste wonderful.
Roxana Begum says
Thanks Ginny. Its like cooking in the romertopf but on the stove.