Unlocking Tagine Pot Recipes: A Beginner's Guide To Deliciousness

Tagine is a popular North African stew that gets its name from the clay pot it's cooked in. It is usually cooked slowly in an oven or on a stovetop, though traditionally it would be cooked over coals or an open flame. The unique shape of the tagine pot allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back onto the ingredients, keeping them moist.

Tagine recipes typically feature a blend of sweet and savoury flavours, with meat or vegetables seasoned with a variety of spices and slow-cooked in a rich, tomato-based broth. Common ingredients include chicken, lamb, seafood, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic.

How to prepare and cook with a tagine pot

A tagine is a slow-cooked stew that takes its name from the clay pot it's cooked in. It is a popular North African dish that combines sweet and savoury flavours. The pot's unique, conical lid allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back onto the ingredients, keeping them moist.

Preparing Your Tagine Pot

If your tagine pot is new, you will need to cure it before using it for the first time. Soak the pot in water for 24 hours, then dry it off and rub olive oil on the inside of the dish and lid. Place the tagine in a cold oven, set the temperature to 225°F for 2 hours, then turn off the heat and let the oven cool. Always wash your tagine by hand and do not soak it in soapy water.

Cooking with a Tagine Pot

The order in which you add your ingredients isn't too important when cooking with a tagine pot. The unique lid keeps all the ingredients moist, and everything cooks together. If using a cast iron or stoneware pot on the stovetop, be careful not to set the heat too high as you may damage the pot. Use a diffuser between the pot and the burner for protection. Do not place a cold tagine in a hot oven, and always allow your tagine to cool naturally after cooking.

Tagine Recipes

Tagine recipes typically include meat, vegetables, aromatics, oils, spices, and water. Common ingredients include chicken, lamb, beef, olives, garlic, onion, lemon, and various spices. Here are some popular tagine recipes to get you started:

• Moroccan Chicken Tagine
• Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
• Moroccan Fish Tagine
• Shrimp and Vegetable Tagine with Preserved Lemon
• Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots

Tagine recipes with chicken

Chicken Tagine Recipes

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

This recipe is for a traditional Moroccan chicken tagine, which is a blend of sweet and savoury flavours. The dish is cooked slowly, either in the oven or on a stovetop. The ingredients include chicken, garlic, onion, olives, lemon, and spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups chicken broth
• 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick coins
• ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Method:

First, combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces, skin side down, until deep golden, then flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and, once cool, remove and discard the skin.

Add the onion to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add the spices and flour and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, honey, lemon zest, and salt, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken back in, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the olives, lemon zest, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

This rich and fragrant chicken stew is inspired by the flavours of Morocco. The chicken is marinated in a combination of garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper, then browned and cooked with onions, cinnamon, olives, and preserved lemons.

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions, sliced thin
• 8 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 8 cracked green olives, pitted and halved
• 1 large or 3 small preserved lemons
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

Mix the garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste, then rub the chicken with this mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Heat oil in a heavy skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onions, cooking until lightly browned. Transfer to a tagine or leave in the skillet and add a cinnamon stick.

Place the chicken on top of the onions and scatter with the olives. Quarter the lemons, remove the pulp, and cut the skin into strips, scattering these over the chicken. Mix chicken stock and lemon juice and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Scatter parsley on top and serve.

North African Chicken Tagine

This is a simple, freezable, one-pot chicken tagine recipe, ideal for feeding a hungry crowd.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs
• Couscous

Method:

No specific method is given for this recipe, but it is likely to be similar to the other chicken tagine recipes.

Chicken Tagine with Lemons, Olives & Pomegranate

This is another one-pot chicken tagine recipe, which uses a gentle but heady Moroccan spice mix to evoke the flavours of summer and autumn.

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Lemons
• Olives
• Pomegranate
• Couscous

Method:

No specific method is given for this recipe, but it is likely to be similar to the other chicken tagine recipes.

Tagine recipes with lamb

Lamb Tagine with Dates & Sweet Potatoes

This is a wonderful dish that gets better with time. It is a fragrant, fruity, and warming Middle Eastern tagine, best served with couscous and herbs.

Ingredients:

• Lamb
• Dates
• Sweet potatoes
• Other ingredients to taste

Steps:

• Cut and prepare the ingredients.
• Marinate the lamb in a Moroccan spice blend for 8 hours or overnight.
• Brown the lamb in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
• Add onions, carrots, garlic, and spices, and cook until tender.
• Return the lamb to the pot, adding lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey.
• Simmer until the meat is tender (around 1.5-2 hours).
• Serve with couscous and enjoy!

One-Pan Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas

This is a great dish to make ahead of time, as the flavours develop over a day or two. It's a delicious and easy lamb tagine that's perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:

• Lamb
• Chickpeas
• Onions
• Spices (such as coriander, cumin, cinnamon)
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Chicken or lamb stock
• Other ingredients to taste

Steps:

• Marinate the lamb in a spice blend.
• Brown the lamb in a large pot.
• Add onions and spices, cooking until soft.
• Return the lamb to the pot with chicken or lamb stock and any desired additional ingredients.
• Simmer until the lamb is tender.
• Serve with couscous or rice and enjoy!

Lamb, Squash & Apricot Tagine

This is a Moroccan classic, a slow-cooked casserole flavoured with coriander and ras-el-hanout spices. It's a fragrant and fruity dish that's perfect for a family meal.

Ingredients:

• Lamb
• Butternut squash
• Apricots
• Coriander
• Ras-el-hanout spices
• Other ingredients to taste

Steps:

• Cut and prepare the ingredients.
• Marinate the lamb in the spice blend.
• Brown the lamb in a large pot.
• Add onions, garlic, and spices, cooking until tender.
• Return the lamb to the pot with chicken or lamb stock and any additional ingredients.
• Simmer until the lamb is tender.
• Serve with couscous or rice and enjoy!

Moroccan Meatball Tagine with Lemon & Olives

This is a wonderfully aromatic North African lamb casserole with a citrus tang. It's a great dish for dinner parties, full of flavour and perfect for a crowd.

Ingredients:

• Lamb mince
• Lemon
• Olives
• Spices (such as cinnamon, cumin, paprika)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Tomato paste
• Chicken or lamb stock
• Other ingredients to taste

Steps:

• Form the lamb mince into small meatballs.
• Brown the meatballs in a large pot.
• Add onions, garlic, and spices, cooking until soft.
• Return the meatballs to the pot with chicken or lamb stock and any additional ingredients.
• Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve with couscous or rice and enjoy!

Tagine recipes with vegetables

Tagine is a Moroccan stew that is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot with a cone-shaped lid. The unique shape of the tagine pot allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back into the stew and keeps the food moist. While a tagine pot is ideal, you can also use a Dutch oven or a heavy skillet to achieve similar results. Here are four delicious vegetable tagine recipes to try:

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

This recipe combines potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic, which are slowly simmered in a tomato-based broth flavoured with lemon and a variety of spices. Chopped apricots add a subtle sweetness to the stew. Here is a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions:

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Chopped dried apricots
• Tangy tomatoes
• Splash of lemon juice
• Spices (such as harissa, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric)

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add onions and increase heat to medium-high. Sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and all the chopped veggies. Season with salt and spices.
• Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring regularly.
• Add tomatoes, apricots, and broth. Season again with a small dash of salt.
• Cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until veggies are tender.
• Stir in chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.
• Finally, add lemon juice and fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Vegetable Tagine with Almond and Chickpea Couscous

This recipe is a take on a traditional Moroccan dish, featuring a variety of vegetables and served with a side of almond and chickpea couscous. Here is a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions:

Ingredients:

• Lamb or vegetarian alternative
• Sweet juicy apricots
• Tender butternut squash
• Coriander
• Ras-el-hanout spices
• Chickpeas
• Almonds
• Chickpea couscous

Roasted Cauliflower Tagine

This vegetarian tagine features roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, tomatoes, and olives cooked in a thick tomato sauce. It is spiced with either ras el hanout or harissa and served with couscous, yogurt, and parsley. Here is a list of ingredients:

Ingredients:

• Roasted cauliflower
• Chickpeas
• Tomatoes
• Olives
• Ras el hanout or harissa spice blend
• Couscous
• Yogurt
• Parsley

Moroccan Vegan Vegetable Tagine

This vegan tagine is packed with Moroccan spices and a variety of veggies, including butternut squash, bell peppers, carrots, and chickpeas. It is served over couscous or with pita bread. Here is a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions:

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Freshly grated ginger
• Ras el hanout spice blend
• Butternut squash, diced
• Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Vegetable broth
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Dried apricots, chopped
• Lemon juice and zest
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro
• Couscous or pita bread

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add bell pepper, garlic, and carrots. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften.
• Add garlic, ginger, and ras el hanout. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add butternut squash, chickpeas, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried apricots. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until veggies are tender. Make sure to occasionally uncover the pot and give it a stir.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, zest, and olives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve over couscous or with pita bread and top with fresh cilantro.

Tagine recipes with fish and seafood

Tagines are a popular North African cooking method and style of dish. The word "tagine" refers to both the clay pot in which the dish is cooked and served, and the food cooked inside it. Tagine pots have a distinctive conical lid, which allows steam to circulate during cooking, keeping the food moist.

Tagine recipes traditionally feature a blend of sweet and savoury flavours, and are slow-cooked. They usually include a variety of spices and a tomato-based broth.

Moroccan Fish Tagine with Chermoula and Vegetables

This recipe involves marinating the fish in a zesty herb and spice mixture called chermoula. The fish is then layered with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and green peppers in the tagine pot for slow braising.

Ingredients:

• 35 oz. firm thick fish, cut into pieces (such as sea bass, sea bream, or conger eel)
• 1 batch chermoula
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 or 2 carrots, cut into 1/4" sticks
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 bell peppers (any colour), thinly sliced, seeds removed
• Fresh lemon slices, for garnish
• 1/2 cup red or green olives (optional)
• 1 preserved lemon, quartered (optional)
• 1 or 2 fresh chilli peppers, for garnish (optional)

For the chermoula:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups fresh cilantro (about 1 large bunch), finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped or pressed
• 1 teaspoon ginger (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled (optional)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

Instructions:

• Make the chermoula by combining all ingredients in a bowl and stirring. If the mixture is too thick, add more oil, lemon juice, or water.
• Reserve half of the chermoula and refrigerate. Use the other half to coat the fish, and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Add olive oil to the base of a large tagine or deep skillet, and add the sliced onion.
• Arrange the sliced carrots and potatoes over the onion, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, ginger, and turmeric.
• Add the sliced tomatoes, then distribute the reserved chermoula over the vegetables.
• Add the fish and its marinade, then garnish with sliced peppers, chilli peppers, and lemon slices. Add the olives.
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to the tagine, cover, and place over medium-low to medium heat.
• Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the fish and vegetables are cooked, and the liquids have reduced to a thick sauce.

Seafood Tagine with Almond Couscous

This recipe uses a frozen mixture of fish and shellfish, served over a zesty almond couscous.

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 350g bag frozen seafood selection
• Coriander, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 25g toasted flaked almonds
• 1 lemon, plus the other 1/2 to serve
• Oil, for cooking
• Harissa
• Chopped tomatoes

For the couscous:

• Couscous
• Boiling water
• Lemon zest and juice
• Almonds
• Coriander
• Seasoning

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large pan and cook the onion and red pepper for about 5 minutes until softened.
• Stir in the garlic, harissa, and chopped tomatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened.
• Add the frozen seafood and cook through, about 10 minutes more.
• Put the couscous in a serving bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, then cover with cling film. Leave to soak while the tagine cooks.
• Stir in most of the coriander, the almonds, lemon zest and juice, and seasoning.
• Serve the tagine with the couscous and cut the remaining lemon half into wedges to squeeze over. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander.

Fragrant Fish Tagine

This recipe uses tilapia fillets, potatoes, and peppers, and is flavoured with chermoula, a spice mix including cumin, paprika, and coriander.

Ingredients:

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 8 skinless tilapia fillets, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 x cans chopped tomatoes
• 175g pimento-stuffed olives, quartered, deseeded and sliced
• 500g bag baby new potatoes
• 2 peppers, sliced
• Oil, for cooking
• 1 onion, chopped
• Garlic, to taste
• Cumin, to taste
• Paprika, to taste
• Coriander, to taste
• Basmati rice, to serve
• Saffron, to taste (optional)

For the chermoula:

• Oil
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Coriander
• Salt

Instructions:

• Make the chermoula by combining oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, three-quarters of the coriander, and salt in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
• Spoon half the chermoula over the fish fillets and turn to coat. Set aside to marinate.
• Heat oil and fry the onions and garlic until softened and starting to colour, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add the cumin and paprika and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, stock,

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