Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine With Apricots

5 from 4 votes

This succulent and incredibly flavourful Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine is a combination of lamb, apricots, butternut squash, and exotic spices.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 45

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North African

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings: people

Calories: 412kcal

Place a Dutch oven or an oven-proof large pan on medium-high heat.
When the pan is hot, add the diced lamb and sauté them until browned on all sides. Do it in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, until slightly softened, and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for a minute stirring continuously to avoid it burning.
Stir in the ground ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander powder, salt, cinnamon stick, paprika, and cloves, and cook for a few seconds.
Add the tinned tomatoes, and give them a good stir until all are combined.
Pour in the stock, stir well, put a lid on and bring it to a boil.
At this stage, you could either lower the heat and carry on simmering the stew on the stove or place it in a preheated oven to 160° C (320° F) for 45 minutes.
45 minutes later, add the squash, apricots, lemon juice, honey, and chopped coriander leaves. Stir until all combined and cook for another 60 minutes until the lamb is fork tender.
Garnish and serve your tagine with fresh coriander leaves and flaked almonds.

This dish is originally cooked in a tagine dish. However, a Dutch oven, a slow cooker, or a casserole with a tight lid will substitute it perfectly.

Use a cut of lamb with at least %20 fat content. Lean meat will have a big impact on both the texture of the meat and the sauce. So stick with the shoulder, neck, shank, or shin for the best results.

Sear the lamb before adding the other ingredients as it has a huge impact on the flavor. Make sure your Dutch oven/pan is heated thoroughly before adding your lamb pieces.

Lamb has enough fat for you to sauté your onions, you shouldn't need to add any extra oil to the dish.
You can either cook lamb tagine on the stovetop simmering on low heat or cook it in a preheated oven to 160° C (320° F).
You can prepare this dish up to three days in advance and reheat it on low heat just before serving it. The flavor will intensify as the tagine sits in the fridge.