Delicious Tagine Recipes For Your Next Culinary Adventure

Tagine is a North African dish, common in the region known as the Maghreb, which includes Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The word tagine refers to both the clay pot in which the dish is cooked and the food cooked inside it. The dish is usually a blend of sweet and savoury flavours, with meat, vegetables, or a combination of the two. The clay pot has a conical lid, which allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back onto the food, keeping it moist. Tagines are typically cooked slowly, either in an oven or on a stovetop, and can be made with a variety of ingredients, including chicken, lamb, vegetables, and fruit.

Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of well-trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout, divided (a North African spice blend)
• 3 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved
• 2 1/2 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash (about 3/4-inch pieces)
• 1 tablespoon of wildflower or orange blossom honey
• 1/2 cup of dried apricots
• 1/3 cup of pitted Castelvetrano olives, torn
• 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of small mint leaves
• Cooked couscous, for serving

Method:

• In a medium bowl, toss the lamb with 1 1/2 tablespoons of ras el hanout and 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt until evenly coated. Let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or you can cover and chill for up to 2 days.
• Grate one half of the onion and squeeze out the excess liquid using a clean dish towel or cheesecloth.
• In the base of your 2-quart tagine, combine the lamb and grated onion. Cover and cook on a gas stovetop or a diffuser over an electric range at very low heat. Cook until the lamb is cooked through but not yet tender, and juices are released, which should take about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Thinly slice the remaining onion half and add it to the tagine. Stir well and continue cooking on the stovetop until the lamb is tender, which will take about another hour.
• Preheat your oven to 300°F, placing the oven rack in the upper third. In a medium bowl, toss the butternut squash with honey, the remaining 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Add the butternut squash mixture and apricots to the tagine, ensuring that the apricots are submerged in the pan juices. Stir well.
• Transfer the uncovered tagine to the upper third of your preheated oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake until the squash is tender, which will take about 30 minutes.
• Remove the tagine from the oven and sprinkle with olives, pine nuts, and cilantro. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve this delicious tagine with couscous on the side.

Tips:

• Before using a clay tagine for the first time, remember to season it with oil. Soak it in water for at least 2 hours, pat it dry, rub oil inside, and place it in a 300°F oven for 2 hours. Let it cool, and then rub oil inside again before using it.
• This recipe can also be cooked in a regular pan or a casserole dish if you don't have a tagine.
• If you want to add more vegetables, feel free to include chickpeas and butternut squash, as suggested in a similar recipe.

Chicken Tagine with Herbs and Harissa Olives

Ingredients:

• 1 4-pound chicken, liver trimmed and chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups parsley leaves
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 preserved lemon, rind only, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 1 tablespoon harissa paste
• Crusty bread, for serving

Method:

• In a small saucepan, cover the mint with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 15 minutes. Then, strain the tea into a small bowl and let it cool.
• In a large pot, rub the mint tea all over the chicken. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, butter, coriander, turmeric, ginger, saffron and enough water to cover the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer gently until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Strain the chicken cooking broth into a bowl and reserve the solids. In the pot, combine the solids with 8 cups of the broth. Add the chicken liver and the preserved lemon and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until thickened to a loose, sauce-like consistency, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°. Rub the chicken all over with the oil. Roast for about 30 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• In a bowl, toss the olives with the harissa until evenly coated. Serve the chicken with the sauce, harissa olives and crusty bread.

Tips:

• For extra flavour, marinate the chicken in a combination of garlic, saffron, ground ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric and black pepper for 3 to 4 hours before cooking.
• You can also add in chickpeas, carrots, dried apricots, and other vegetables of your choice.
• If you want to make it vegan, simply leave out the chicken and add in more vegetables or chickpeas.

Vegetable Tagine with Apricots

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pinch of saffron, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 12 dried apricots, pitted and cut in half
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• 2 Tablespoons of agave syrup (or honey)
• 1 small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of vegetable stock
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) of chickpeas, drained
• 6 Tablespoons of slivered almonds, slightly toasted
• 1.1 lb (500g) of mixed carrots (orange, purple, white), peeled and roughly chopped
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in your tagine pot over medium heat.
• Add the onions and sauté until soft, which should take about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, saffron, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon, and sauté for another minute.
• Stir in the apricots, lemon juice, agave syrup (or honey), and half of the cilantro.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
• Add the chickpeas and toasted almonds, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped carrots and potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they are fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting on all sides.
• Serve the vegetable tagine with the roasted vegetables on the side. Top with extra chopped cilantro, if desired.

Enjoy your delicious and healthy meal!

Moroccan Chicken Meatball Tagine

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped, plus 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 slices of bread, crusts removed
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons butter or oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Method

• Put the onion in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
• Tear bread into pieces, add to the onion, along with the egg, and process briefly.
• Add the chicken, cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of salt and process to a thick paste, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally.
• With moistened hands, shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place them on a tray. Cover and refrigerate until required.
• To make the herb and lemon sauce, heat the butter or oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook over low heat until softened and golden.
• Add the paprika, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Add the meatballs to the pan, shaking so that they settle into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add most of the parsley and lemon juice and season further if necessary. Return to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a tagine or bowl, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve hot with fresh bread.

Tagine with Meatballs and Eggs

Ingredients

• Ground beef or lamb
• Garlic
• Onion
• Spices (paprika, cumin, cinnamon, hot paprika, salt, pepper)
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Olive oil or ghee
• Tomatoes
• Eggs

Method

• Combine ground meat with garlic, onion, spices, parsley, and cilantro.
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs.
• Heat oil or ghee in the tagine or skillet.
• Add sliced onion and cook until soft.
• Add meatballs and cook until browned.
• Pour in diced or grated tomatoes and spices to create a sauce.
• Simmer the sauce until it thickens, then add the meatballs and continue simmering.
• Crack eggs into the sauce and sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
• Cover and cook until the eggs are set.
• Serve with crusty bread.

Frequently asked questions