Not the quickest easy meal but so tasty, this easy lamb tagine is perfect for a healthy family meal. It's also a great meal for batch cooking. Why not double the quantities and make some freezer meals with it too?
When I was a child I wouldn't eat red meat. I didn't like it, although I would eat mince and burgers. As a young adult I always thought I didn't like it and avoided eating it.
When I was in my late twenties I started to become more interested in food and cooking. I wanted to cook a wider variety of dishes and it was a bit limiting to only cook with chicken. It wasn't long before I began to love beef.
I then started to eat pork too. I wouldn't choose it as a roast as it's a bit boring, but I love it slow cooked with lots of spices. Well, you can make most things taste good with a few spices.
It has taken me a bit longer to like lamb though. I don't think it will ever become my favourite meat and it's probably the meat I cook with the least. I do love it in curries though and with fresh herbs, lemon and of course some spices it can be really delicious.
A few days ago I had some fresh mint left over and I wanted to use it in something before it wilted. For some reason I thought of lamb. Now, roast lamb with mint sauce is still not something I feel like making or eating at home, although I wouldn't mind eating it if I was out.
The second thing that I thought of was a tagine. I've made chicken tagines and vegetarian tagines before but I don't think I've ever made a lamb one. Well not until now and so that's how this meal came about.
This simple lamb tagine turned out to be a lamb dish I would happily eat and make again. We tend to have large portions but there was still some left over for lunch the next day, which is always nice.
As with lots of dishes, the fresh mint and the lemon really make it tasty. You could add some of the lemon juice while the tagine is cooking but we prefer it all freshly squeezed on at the end. It's up to you.
Can you adapt this easy lamb tagine?
Feel free to vary add different vegetables to this dish. Aubergines, sweet potatoes and peppers also go really well in a tagine and would be great in this one.
You can also add some extra spices if you like. Sometimes I add a little cinnamon too. If I'm feeling like I want a hotter spicier tagine I also add a chopped chilli pepper. I also sometimes like to dice up a preserved lemon and add that as well.
What can you serve with a tagine?
This lamb tagine is a great one pot meal as it contains carbs, protein and vegetables. However, if you want to make it go further or add extra sides then it is delicious with flatbreads.
I also love to serve yogurt with tagines. Sometimes plain natural yogurt or sometimes with diced cucumber, herbs and spices. If you love hot sauces then a little harissa on the side is great too! I have a real love affair with harissa as you can probably tell if you've seen my harissa chicken tray bake, my harissa chicken salad or my harissa carrot salad!
More recipes you might like
Why not try my slow cooked lamb with apricots and almonds?
Recipe
Easy Lamb Tagine
Ingredients
- 400 g lamb cubed
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 lemon
- 2 carrot cut into quarters lengthwise
- 400 g tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 onion cut into wedges
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 6 dried apricots
- 300 ml stock lamb or vegetable
- 180 g couscous
- 3 tablespoon mint chopped
Instructions
- Heat some olive oil in a pan and brown the lamb.
- Add the spices and stir to coat the lamb. Grate in some of the lemon zest. Add the carrot, chickpeas, onion, garlic and apricots and then pour in the stock.
- Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Add a little extra water if it looks like it is going dry.
- Add the couscous to the pan. Cover again. After 10 minutes the couscous should be cooked.
- Serve sprinkled with the fresh mint and with the wedges of lemon to squeeze over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin this easy lamb tagine for later!
This post was first published in 2014 but has been updated.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Yum! I am a hue fan of tagines - lamb ones in particular. This one sounds fab! Eb x
Corina Blum
Thanks Eb! I could eat tagines a lot more than I do too. x
Tanza Erlambang
I eat rice almost every day. Your recipe look delicious.
have a great day
Corina Blum
Thanks so much Tanza! I'm so pleased you like this as it was a really tasty recipe - my husband loved it!
Chef Mireille
What a gorgeous tagine and lamb is one of my favorite proteins. This dinner is definitely one I would repeat oven. Can I invite myself over - 🙂
Corina Blum
Of course! I'm always happy to share a good recipe like this!
Lizet Flores de Bowen
I haven't had many lamb dishes. But mostly because is not very common meat around here. I love dishes where you have leftovers. I'll be looking for some lamb next time I go shopping.
Corina Blum
It's a shame lamb is hard to get where you live - I hope you find some soon. I do think it's a great meat to cook with some spices!
Brian Jones
I love the sound of this, lamb is a rarity here and I managed to score some last week. Such a shame that I did not see this before, lamb lends itself so well to Middle Eastern and North African flavours, definitely saving this for later!
Corina Blum
Such a shame lamb's not so easy to get where you live Brian! I'm sure you managed to make something equally tasty with it though!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
There is a restaurant in town that makes Tagine and I was wondering how to replicate it! This looks like a super yummy version. Can't wait to try.
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you like it Julie! I love the flavours in this kind of cooking and yes, it's easy to make at home.
Patty
Mmmm Love all the flavors in this couscous tajine, moroccan cuisine is so flavorful, can't wait to try your recipe!
Corina Blum
Tagine is such a great dish isn't it? I'm so pleased you like this recipe.
Jacqui Bellefontaine
I find my tastes still changing and there are now lots of food that I didn't use to eat that I now appreciate and am making up for lost time. I used to not be keen on roast pork but since having a cottage in Suffolk and access to a good butcher I have discovered there is more to pork. Not sure why supermarket pork is quite so tasteless. If you can get rare breed pork then the flavour is up another notch.
. Lamb is one of my favourite meats so love the look of this dish. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Corina Blum
I'm also not so keen on roast pork but probably because I didn't like it as a child and my husband doesn't like it so it's just not something I ever choose to cook at home. WE do both love bbq pork though! And I'd love to try rare breed pork.
ediblethings
Mmm, I love a good tagine, the herbs and spices used are rather excellent with lamb, I think.
Do you have a tagine, or did you do this in a casserole dish?
Corina
I just did it in a casserole dish. I'd love to have an actual tagine but if I had everything I wanted I would need a gigantic kitchen!
Karen Burns Booth
A FABULOUS entry into Cooking with Herbs thanks and I love this recipe, so very seasonal as well as tasty! Karen
Joanne
Lamb is definitely a bit of an acquired taste. I love the other flavors you've paired it with though!
Alison
This looks lovely and must have been full of flavour
Corina
Thank you for visiting. It was really delicious.
Culinary Flavors
I am not very fond of lamb although Greek kitchen is full of lamb dishes. I love the spices, veggies and fruits you put in it! Must have been very aromatic!
Corina
It was really tasty. I love dried apricots in dishes like this but my husband doesn't so I had to make sure they were all on my plate!