Lamb Tagine with Apricots + Video | Silk Road Recipes (2024)

Lamb tagine with apricots and dates is a tender, aromatic, hearty African meal. Take a virtual trip to Morocco by making this easy recipe!

Hungry for more comfort food? Check out my recipes for butter chicken and chana masala! They’ll keep you warm all season long.

What is a tagine?

For those who aren’t familiar, a tagine is an African cooking pot that’s typically made out of clay or ceramic. It has a round, shallow base and a cone shaped, vented top. Tagines have been used for centuries as the perfect dish to use for slow cooking!

Lamb Tagine with Apricots

Ingredient Notes + Substitutions

• Olive Oil – Use a rich extra virgin olive oil to maximize the flavor.

• Almond Slivers
  To blanch almonds, simply place them in boiling water for 1 minute. Don’t boil too long, or they’ll become soft! After boiling, drain and rinse immediately with cold water.

• Red Onions
  I use red onion because of its potent, bitter flavor. However, if you’re in a pinch, yellow onions are an adequate substitute.

• Ginger Paste
  Store bought is fine, but making your own is so easy! Just peel about 1 pound of ginger and blend it with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Voila, you now have homemade ginger paste!

• Coriander Seeds
  These seeds should be crushed. Whole coriander seeds will ruin the texture of the dish.

• Lamb
  Shoulder or leg meat work best. As long as it’s 2 pounds of boneless meat and cut into cubes, it will work for this recipe.

• Dates
  Remove the seeds! Just like the coriander, date seeds will ruin the texture of the meal.

• Ras el Hanout
  This blend is optional, but highly recommended. The flavor this seasoning brings to the dish as a whole is simply mouthwatering.

Recipe Video + Instructions

To see exactly how to make the lamb tagine with apricots and dates, you can watch the video located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Instructions

1. Sauté the ingredients. Start by heating up the butter and oil in the tagine. Then, stir in the almonds until they’re golden. Once golden, add the diced onions and garlic, stirring frequently.

   Aftew a few minutes, add the ginger paste, saffron threads, cinnamon sticks and coriander seeds. Next, add the cubed pieces of lamb and stir everything together and continue to sauté for approximately 4 minutes.

2. Add water. Pour enough water into the tagine to cover the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat and letting it simmer until the meat is tender. This should take about 1 hour.
   
3. Add the aromatics. After letting the meat simmer for an hour, add the dates, apricots and orange peel. Stir everything together in the tagine and simmer for another 20 minutes. Enjoy the mouthwatering smells filling your kitchen!
   
4. Stir in the honey. This step is my favorite, because you get to watch your dish become fully realized! After stirring in the honey, simmer for about 10 more minutes. After that, your sauce should be syrupy and ready to go. If you decide to add ras el hanout, toss it in with the honey.
   
5. Serve! This dish is delicious with a garnish of chopped fresh cilantro. Serve the meal with a side of couscous and pita bread. Enjoy!

Lamb tagine will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.