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Lamb and apricot tagine in a cast iron pot with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro on a wooden board

Lamb and Apricot Tagine with Almonds

A slow-braised Moroccan-style lamb tagine with dried apricots, ras el hanout, saffron, and toasted almonds. Comes together in about 2 hours with mostly hands-off cooking.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lamb and sear
  • 1.2 kg bone-in lamb shoulder pieces cut into large chunks, patted dry
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Aromatics and spices
  • 1 large brown onion finely sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tsp ras el hanout
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 pinch saffron threads steeped in 2 tbsp warm water
Braising liquid and fruit
  • 400 g canned crushed tomatoes 1 standard can
  • 300 ml chicken or lamb stock
  • 120 g dried apricots unsulfured, halved
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Finish and garnish
  • 60 g blanched whole almonds toasted in dry skillet
  • small handful fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • small handful flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

Method
 

Sear the lamb
  1. Pat lamb pieces dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and black pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  3. Sear lamb in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep brown on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base
  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced onion to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add ras el hanout, cinnamon, and cumin. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until the spices are toasted and aromatic.
Braise
  1. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  2. Add the saffron water and honey. Stir to incorporate.
  3. Return the seared lamb to the pot, nestling pieces into the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat for 1 hour, or transfer to an oven preheated to 160 C / 320 F and braise for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour, add the halved dried apricots and lemon juice. Replace the lid and continue cooking for 30 more minutes until lamb is tender and pulls apart easily.
Finish and serve
  1. While the tagine rests off heat for 10 minutes, toast blanched almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing often, until golden.
  2. Taste the sauce and adjust salt if needed.
  3. Ladle tagine into bowls over couscous or alongside flatbread. Scatter toasted almonds, cilantro, and parsley over each portion.

Notes

For deeper flavor, marinate the raw lamb in ras el hanout, olive oil, and minced garlic for up to 12 hours in the fridge before searing. This step is optional but adds a noticeable layer of spice to the finished meat.