This Comforting Moroccan Tagine Is Our Editors' Favorite Cure for the Winter Blues

Traditionally prepared for celebrations and gatherings, this lamb and prune tagine is beloved throughout Morocco. It showcases a balance of savory and sweet flavors by combining tender lamb with succulent prunes and a blend of aromatic spices for a deeply comforting stew. While this classic dish is often reserved for special occasions in Morocco, my lamb and prune tagine recipe requires minimal effort, and is a great way to bring Moroccan flavors to the table any night of the week.

What Is a Tagine?

The word “tagine” in Morocco refers to both an earthenware pot with a conical lid as well as the dish prepared within the pot—a meal that has become one of the most emblematic of all Moroccan dishes. Hundreds of years ago, North African nomads used tagines as a portable ovens, enabling them to cook any time while on the move. 

The base of a traditional tagine is wide and shallow, with a conical lid that sits on the base. Together, the two components constitute a sort of clay oven that is placed on a low flame for cooking. While the food slowly cooks, steam rises into the cone, condenses, then drips back down into the dish, keeping the ingredients constantly basted, which produces moist and tender results. This cooking process and the resulting meal are very similar to stew and braises.

Today, good tagines come in many different styles. There are the traditional clay tagines, but there are also cast iron tagines commonly sold at cookware stores that match the form of the original if not the material. The material from which a tagine is made makes a a big difference in how the ingredients inside cook, which makes it difficult to write a recipe that works across all formats. For example, a dish’s cooking time can vary a lot depending on the type of tagine used: A proper old-fashioned clay tagine will result in a significantly longer cooking time, while a cast-iron pot in the shape of a tagine will take just a touch longer than a regular pot. This could also explain why nowadays even many in Morocco prepare their tagines in other cooking vessels, including casseroles, Dutch ovens, or even pressure cookers.

I’ve written my recipe below for a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. If you are using a more traditional clay or cast iron tagine, the cooking times will have to be extended to ensure the meat is properly cooked.

How to Ensure a Perfectly Cooked Lamb and Prune Tagine

While this lamb tagine does require several hours to simmer until tender, its preparation is fairly straightforward: Onions are slowly cooked until velvety and translucent with ground ginger, ground turmeric, and ground coriander—a blend of aromatic spices used in much of Moroccan cuisine. Then chunks of lamb, stock, and a bundle of cilantro are added and slowly simmered until the lamb is spoon tender and enveloped in a rich sauce. 

While browning meat at the start of a braise is common in French and American-style stews and braises, in traditional Moroccan tagine preparation the meat is typically not seared—I’ve kept true to the Moroccan technique and skip browning the meat here. However, if desired, you can brown the lamb in olive oil before sautéeing the onions.

I’d argue that the most important ingredient in this recipe is time. Making a great tagine means giving the spices enough time to slowly steep and meld, which enriches their flavor. The longer a tagine cooks, the more complex it will taste once finished.

While the lamb needs several hours to cook, the prunes are best simmered for only a few minutes. They’re mixed with honey and spices, and simmered in stock or broth until plump, then spooned over the lamb right before serving. Cooking the prunes separately ensures they retain their shape. The prunes are spooned over the lamb, which creates a beautiful presentation and guarantees that each spoonful will have the distinct texture of the lamb and prunes.

In Morocco, tagines like this are typically served with bread, which is perfect for scooping up the flavorful sauce. However, this dish can also be enjoyed with couscous or even rice, which also work beautifully to soak up the rich sauce.

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For the Lamb:

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

• 2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound; 455 g), diced

• 3 medium cloves garlic (15 g total), minced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt use half by volume

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 1/2 pounds (1.13 Kg) boneless lamb neck or lamb stew meat (leg or shoulder or a combination), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces

•  1 small bunch cilantro, stems and leave separated, stems tied into a bundle with kitchen twine and leaves reserved for garnish

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) homemade chicken stock or homemade vegetable stock or store-bought chicken broth or vegetable broth

For the Caramelized Prunes:

• 1 1/2 cups soft pitted prunes (10.5 ounces; 300 g)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) homemade chicken stock or homemade vegetable stock or store-bought chicken broth or vegetable broth

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey

• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Serving:

• Reserved cilantro leaves from above

• Loaf of crusty bread, couscous, or cooked rice

• Toasted sesame seeds

1. For the Lamb: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium-low until shimmering. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Add garlic, turmeric, ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

3. Add lamb pieces and stir to combine with onions and spices, then add stock or broth and cilantro bunch. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer and stirring every 30 minutes to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of pot, until meat is tender and separates easily when pressed with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Sauce may thicken slightly during cooking, but pan should not be dry; if necessary, add more stock or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until there is at least half an inch of sauce in pan. Season with salt to taste.

4. For the Caramelized Prunes: Once meat is cooked, in a medium saucepan, add prunes, vegetable stock, honey, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Gently simmer until sauce thickens slightly into a dark syrup, about 7 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

5. To Serve: Discard cilantro bouquet from the lamb. Transfer lamb tagine to a serving bowl then arrange prunes with their syrup over lamb. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro leaves. Serve with your choice of bread, couscous, or rice. 

Special Equipment

Kitchen twine, large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, medium saucepan

Notes

In traditional Moroccan tagine preparation, browning the meat is not typically done. However, if desired, you can brown the meat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil at the beginning of the recipe. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

The cooked lamb tagine and the prunes with syrup can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers for up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop on medium heat, adding water if needed to prevent scorching. Add garnishes just before serving.