If you want to come home to the most amazing aroma from your kitchen, this is the recipe to cook! Slow cooker Lamb Tagine is packed full of fruit, vegetables and spices which all fuse together to create a dish which looks as good as it smells!
What is a tagine?
The word “tagine” actually has two meanings.
Firstly, it refers to the traditional North African earthenware dish. It consists of two pieces – a shallow and wide bowl, and a funnelled top. They’re typically made of clay or ceramic, both glazed and unglazed.
Secondly, tagine refers to the slow cooked dish you see here. It’s not always cooked with lamb – sometimes even poultry or fish, but will usually contain fruit and vegetables.
The ingredients are slowly simmered over a consistent temperature in a little liquid. The tall lid on the dish acts as a means to trap the steam and keep the stew moist. Very similar to cooking in a slow cooker!
There are a large selection of ingredients which can be included, the most popular being sweet and sour combinations which are an amazing blend of fruit, meat and spice (cinnamon and cumin are the signature).
This slow cooker Lamb Tagine recipe is a brilliant example and as well as tasting delicious, is full of colour.
It creates quite an impact when you serve it!
What cut of meat should I use for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine?
It’s best to use lamb neck when slow cooking things like tagines and stews. It’s really flavourful, and contains plenty of fat to break down and keep the meat moist.
As an alternative, look for offcuts which have a bit of marbling through them, or even lamb shoulder. Bear in mind that shoulder requires a little extra cooking time to ensure you get tender juicy meat!
What can I serve with a tagine?
Rice or cous cous work well served with a tagine, and is usually what we choose. You could also opt for bread and traditional north African side salads if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous!
Can I freeze leftover Lamb Tagine?
Yes, absolutely – freeze once cooled, then it’ll keep in the freezer for three months. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge and then heat until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
How to make Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine
Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb neck
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 2 carrots quartered lengthways and chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 400 g chopped tomatoes 1 tin
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 200 g dried apricots
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 400 g chickpeas 1 tin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- fresh coriander
Instructions
- Chop the lamb into 3cm (1¼ inch) chunks, removing any excess fat.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then brown the lamb on all sides and transfer to the slow cooker. In the same pan, add the onions and carrots and fry for a few minutes until the carrots are starting to brown, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add all of the dried spices, salt, pepper, chopped tomatoes, stock, apricots, fresh ginger, garlic, chickpeas and cinnamon stick to the slow cooker, then stir well.
- Cook for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander to serve.
Trevor
Tuesday 25th of May 2021
I like this recipe and enjoyed it very much. The amount of stock to include is spot on, unlike a lot of recipes for stews, curries etc. My wife wasn’t keen on the chickpeas, so I now make it using the same quantity of Sweet potatoes instead.
Bec
Wednesday 26th of May 2021
Thanks for the review and glad to hear you enjoyed it! The flavours will still be really tasty even without the chickpeas:-)
Denise
Saturday 15th of May 2021
Hi What size of slow cooker is required ?
Thanks
Bec
Saturday 15th of May 2021
This was cooked in a 3.5L slow cooker, 5L would also be fine for this quantity of ingredients.
Sarah
Monday 10th of May 2021
Do I need the cinnamon stick or can I add the ground stuff?
Bec
Tuesday 11th of May 2021
Hi, you can use ground cinnamon. The sticks are great for gently infusing flavour over time, so use only about 1/2 TSP of ground to get a similar effect. Hope you enjoy!
Ange
Monday 10th of May 2021
I'm planning to make this but I'm not the biggest fan of apricots...would prunes work instead? Thanks
Bec
Monday 10th of May 2021
Hi, yes prunes will be a lovely alternative. Hope you enjoy!
Kate Culshaw
Tuesday 13th of April 2021
Could I replace apricots with preserved lemons?