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.
Stuart Horsfall
Monday 22nd of February 2021
I made this for a Sunday lunch, and served it with rice and homemade flat bread and Mango chutney it was superb. I also have a Dutch Oven and will be doing this again over a open fire outside.
Dave
Monday 22nd of February 2021
Oh wow, it would be amazing over an open fire. How do we get an invite? Really pleased you enjoyed it!
Grant
Tuesday 16th of February 2021
Absolutely delicious! I ate every bite with a smile on my face. Great recipe!
Dave
Saturday 20th of February 2021
Thanks Grant, glad you enjoyed it!
Annie
Sunday 24th of January 2021
Wow - have tried several other lamb tagine recipes but this was our favourite by miles - super easy and super tasty. I’m going to try a fakeaway curry next weekend.
Chris H
Sunday 24th of January 2021
I made this and it was unbelievable. Really tasty and fragrant. Perfect to come home to on a cold winters day. The timings in the video are the wrong way round so be careful.
Mikey
Monday 11th of January 2021
Before I get to making this meal - and it sounds delicious - what sort of paprika do you recommend using? I have sweet, smoked, and hot paprika in tow. My intuition tells me that sweet is the way to go, but I have been wrong before.
Bec
Wednesday 13th of January 2021
Absolutely, you want sweet paprika for this. Hope you enjoy it!