Morocco | Main dish

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Name: Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Morocco, North Africa
Ingredients: 1¼ kg lamb shoulder, cut into large pieces; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 large onions, sliced; 2 tsp ginger; 1 tsp turmeric; ½ tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp saffron threads, soaked; 350 g pitted prunes; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ cup blanched almonds, fried or toasted; 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Moroccan lamb tagine with ginger, saffron, cinnamon, honeyed prunes, toasted almonds, and sesame.

Country

Morocco

Region

North Africa

Time

145 min

Serves

Level

medium

Start cooking Explore Morocco recipes

01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Morocco

4 steps 25 min prep 120 min cook (check method) 145 min total medium

Start the tagine

Brown lamb with oil, onions, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt, and pepper.

brown 15:00

Braise slowly

Add water, cover, and cook gently until the lamb is very tender.

braise 95:00

Glaze the prunes

Simmer prunes with a ladle of sauce, honey, and cinnamon until glossy.

prunes 15:00

Finish and garnish

Reduce the meat sauce, then top with prunes, almonds, sesame, and a little syrup.

finish 08:00

Some cooks use beef instead of lamb, add apricots, or garnish with boiled eggs and sesame.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for weddings, Eid, guest lunches, and special family meals.. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 145 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Khobz, couscous, Moroccan salads, or mint tea.

Regional lane

Tagines and special mains. Slow-cooked, spiced, sweet-savory, and celebratory dishes that anchor the table.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Pantry lane

preserved lemon, green olives, saffron, ras el hanout, semolina

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds recipe from Morocco — Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Khobz, couscous, Moroccan salads, or mint tea.

Best route from here

Tagines and special mains

Collections to keep cooking

Moroccan Salads, Soups, and Breads

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