The flavors of the spices meld wonderfully through the long, slow cooking.
I know I’m going to catch some heat for saying this, but I feel it’s important to say it before we proceed. I didn’t like Casablanca. I fully understand its importance to film history and I can understand why people love it, but I just couldn’t get into it.
Still, whatever bad taste left by the film is quickly washed away by the heavenly spices Moroccan foods bring into the kitchen. With that in mind, I present to you my favorite Moroccan lamb tagine slow cooker recipe.
A tagine is one of those kitchen terms that refers to both the finished dish and the pot the food in which the food is cooked. The pot consists of a shallow base with a tall, cone-shaped lid that encourages moisture to condense and run back down onto the food, making it perfect for long and slow braises. Below I have included a picture of a traditional tagine pot for your reference.
A tagine is the perfect dish or stews and braised dishes.
While I would love to a tagine to my collection of pots and pans for the coolness factor (you can buy one on Amazon here), I just don’t have enough room in my kitchen to accommodate one, and I imagine that many of you are in the same boat. Does that mean that the joys of Moroccan lamb tagine with apricots are forever out of our reach? Of course not, because even though we don’t have a tagine, we have the next best thing: a slow cooker.
- 2 Pounds Boneless Lamb Shoulder, Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
- 2 Onions, Cut In Half and Sliced Into Half-Moons
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
- 1 Cup Dried Apricots, Halved
- ½ Cup Dark Raisins
- 2 Medium Carrots, Cut Into ½ Inch Coins
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Tsp Olive Oil
- 1 15 oz Can Tomatoes, Diced
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tsp Cumin, Ground
- 1½ Tsp Paprika, Ground
- ½ Tsp Turmeric, Ground
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon, Ground
- ½ Tsp Coriander, Ground
- ¼ Tsp Cardamom, Ground
- ½ Tsp Ginger, Ground
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- Heat skillet over medium-high and add the oil.
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper.
- Brown the lamb on all sides. Do not crowd the pan.
- Remove lamb to slow cooker and add onions to the hot pan. Cook the onions, tossing occasionally, until golden brown.
- Remove onions to slow cooker.
- Add one cup of beef broth to the skillet, then scrape off all the stuck-on brown bits and stir until everything is dislodged. Add this to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low heat for eight to ten hours, or on high for four to five hours.
- Serve with your starch of choice. Traditionally, it would be served with couscous, but I like it with quinoa.
Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine Nutrition Facts
This easy lamb tagine recipe will feed six hungry people. When calculating the calories, I did not include any couscous, quinoa, or anything not explicitly listed in this recipe. For those of you counting your calories, be sure to take this into account.
*puts on his fedora* Dear readers, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful dinner.
Question of the day: What dish transports you to another place and time every time you eat it? Maybe it’s the perfect bowl of pho that takes you to Vietnam, a curry that evokes the London cityscape, or the briny taste of tuna sashimi that always makes you think of Osaka. Whatever it is, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
