A wonderfully fragrant slow cooker lamb tagine, cooked gently for hours to produce tender lamb with Moroccan flavours. Dried apricots and pomegranate seeds as garnish make a very colourful dish full of flavour!
This slow cooker Moroccan lamb is a real favourite here, especially in the colder months when stews are so warming.
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What is a tagine
A tagine is the name for a North African stew with spices made with meat and vegetables which are slow cooked in a earthenware pot with a conical lid, called a tagine.
The pot has given its name to the stew over time.
When I lived in France I was lucky enough to visit some authentic Algerian and Moroccan restaurants specialising in tagines and couscous and my love of the dish started then!
Tagine in a slow cooker
Leaving your tagine to bubble away slowly while you have a day out, go to work, or are busy with your family, lets the flavours develop and deepen.
Making a hearty one-pot dish by slow cooking, whether in a slow cooker or a low oven, is affordable and so convenient.
The results in a slow cooker are very similar to the results you’ll achieve cooking in a traditional tagine dish, since the electric slow cooker is just a more modern way to do slow cooking.
This recipe is from Red Tractor Simply Beef and Lamb, I am sharing it as part of their #LivePeasant campaign.
When you get back from work or your day out, you just need to quickly make up some couscous or rice, garnish and you are ready to serve.
Made with easy to find ingredients, this slow cooker lamb tagine doesn’t require a lot of preparation, and with such impressive results you’ll want to make it again and again.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need for this recipe. Quantities are in the recipe card further down the page.
- lean boneless lamb shoulder or leg
- oil – I use vegetable oil
- onion
- garlic
- tagine paste or tagine spice – I like to use ras el hanout spice, available in most supermarkets
- dried apricots
- fresh coriander
- fresh pomegranate seeds
Step by step
Traditionally made in a tagine or earthenware pot, tagines are also an ideal recipe to cook gently in your slow cooker.
Here are the step by step instructions with photos to help you make this slow cooker lamb tagine perfectly every time.
Step 1. Brown the lamb in a frying pan in a little oil.
Step 2. Add the browned lamb and the rest of the ingredients excluding the pomegranate seeds and coriander) into the slow cooker pot.
Step 3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8 hours.
Step 4. Garnish with some fresh chopped apricot, coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds, and serve.
Side dishes
Traditionally a Moroccan and North African dish, lamb tagine is served with couscous.
Couscous is so easy to prepare since all you need to do is boil some water, pour it over and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Rice works just as well too, and pasta.
You can also serve it over a baked potato (find out how I make slow cooker baked potatoes).
More recipes to try
For more economical beef and lamb recipes, why not check these recipes out:
- Lamb burning love from Fab Food 4 All
- Beef goulash from Kavey Eats
- Slow cooked beef with gnocchi from Foodie Quine
- Lamb and bean one-pot casserole from Fuss Free Flavours
You might also like these slow cooker comfort food recipes ideal for the colder months:
- slow cooker chicken tagine
- slow cooker beef casserole with chorizo
- slow cooker lamb casserole
- family slow cooker recipes
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine
Ingredients
- 675 g (24 oz) lean boneless lamb shoulder or leg (1 ½ lb) cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) oil (2 tbsp)
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped (or 1 x 300 g pack diced onions)
- 2 cloves (2) garlic peeled and crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée
- 170 g (⅔ cups) tagine paste (or 45 ml/3 tbsp tagine spice such as ras al hanout)
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) hot water
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 3-4 dried apricots roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
- 2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds
Equipment
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method:
- Brown the lamb in a pan with a little oil.30 ml oil, 675 g lean boneless lamb shoulder or leg
- Transfer the browned lamb and all ingredients except the pomegranate seeds and coriander into the slow cooker with 300 ml water.1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, 170 g tagine paste, 300 ml hot water, 3-4 dried apricots
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Garnish, season to taste and serve. I like to keep back one of the apricots too, chop into small pieces and include this in the garnish.3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, 2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds, salt and freshly milled black pepper
Hob/Stovetop Method:
- Heat the oil in a large 1.7 L/3 pint ovenproof dish, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the paste or spice and lamb. Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add water (450 ml). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
- 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the apricots. Cover and continue to cook for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Garnish with the coriander and pomegranate seeds and serve with steamed couscous or rice. Season to taste.
Notes
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Simply Beef and Lamb.
Mandy Mazliah says
This looks like a delicious recipe and a perfect slow cooker dinner. Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
hijackedbytwins says
I love lamb but we simply do not have it enough! That really does need to change. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
Look at those colours! This is right up my street. It looks lovely Lucy.
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Jemma, it was so good
Ali Camden-Smith says
This looks gorgeous, I can see you are a fan of adding fresh ingredients on top too for that extra zing! It really makes them look and taste gorgeous with that freshness hit! 🙂
Philip says
Oh fantastic. I adore anything lamby. A great slow cooker recipe is a joy and I cannot wait to make this at the weekend
bakingqueen74 says
Thank you Philip, I need to make this again soon it was so tasty
lovelyappetite says
This looks so good! I can almost taste the tender lamb with the sweet pomegranate. I’m yet to try making Persian/Moroccan food so will have to give this a go!
Kavey says
I love lamb tagline! And mutton too, works very well with the flavours. Delicious combinations