1
Make rub
Mix butter, cumin, paprika, garlic, coriander if using, salt, and pepper into a thick paste.
Mauritania | Main dish
Mechoui
Mauritanian-style mechoui, slow-roasted lamb rubbed with butter, cumin, garlic, and paprika until tender enough to pull apart.
Country
Mauritania
Region
West Africa
Time
360 min
Serves
10
Level
hard
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Mechoui is celebration lamb. The magic is not a crowded spice drawer; it is patience, generous seasoning, and a final blast of heat for the edges.
What the dish tastes like
Mauritanian-style mechoui, slow-roasted lamb rubbed with butter, cumin, garlic, and paprika until tender enough to pull apart.
When to cook it
Best for Weddings and religious celebrations, with a hard cooking level and about 360 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Flatbread, couscous, salad, roasted onions, or mint tea
Follow the collection
Sunday Specials is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Sunday Specials
Regional lane
Mauritania national table. A verified Mauritania dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
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.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Mechoui
Flatbread, couscous, salad, roasted onions, or mint tea
Best route from here
Mauritania national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
5 steps
360 min total
hard
2
Season lamb
Score the lamb and rub the paste deeply into the cuts and over the surface. Rest at room temperature briefly or chill for a longer marinade.
Marinate lamb
120:00
3
Slow roast
Roast covered at 150C until the lamb is very tender, basting occasionally with pan juices.
Slow roast
180:00
4
Crisp outside
Uncover, raise the oven to 220C, and roast until the surface browns and crackles at the edges.
Crisp lamb
20:00
5
Rest and serve
Rest the lamb before carving or tearing. Serve with bread, couscous, salad, and lemon if using.
Rest lamb
15:00
Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.