Today, I’m offering you a lamb tagine with dried apricots, candied onions, saffron and cashew nuts, inspired by Algerian stews but designed to get a lot of taste without spending two hours in front of the casserole.
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A lamb tagine with apricots between tradition and everyday cuisine
What I like about this recipe is that it preserves what makes a lamb tagine particularly comforting: a generous sauce, lots of onions almost stewed, spices, saffron and that combination of meat and dried fruit that can be found in several Maghreb preparations.
But here, there’s no need to simmer large chunks of lamb for hours. I use sliced leg of lamb, simply seared and then put back in the sauce for a few minutes at the end of cooking. It’s this small change that turns the recipe into a quick tagine, while keeping the spirit of the stewed dish.
Onions are essential. They cook gently until they become almost candied and are really the base of the sauce. The dried apricots rehydrate directly in the broth and provide a natural sweetness, but the result is much less sweet than a traditional lham lahlou. The lemon added at the end rebalances this sweetness.
Cumin, ginger, paprika and turmeric give depth, while saffron brings a more delicate fragrance. Finally, roasted cashews are not a traditional ingredient in Algerian lamb tagine : this is the little twist of this version. Added only when serving, they remain crunchy and contrast with candied onions and melting apricots.
In short: this Lamb Tagine with Apricots is a sweet and savory recipe inspired by Algerian cuisine in which slices of leg of lamb are served with a sauce of candied onions, dried apricots, saffron and spices. The use of slices greatly reduces the cooking time.
Why does lamb occupy an important place in Algerian cuisine?
To understand the presence of lamb in so many traditional Maghreb dishes, one must look beyond the cuisine itself.
Sheep farming is deeply linked to the pastoral and agropastoral territories of North Africa. In Algeria, the highlands and the large steppe areas have long favoured the breeding of small ruminants. TheFAO describes the Maghreb as a region where pastoralism remains of particular importance and estimates the surface area of Algerian steppe rangelands at about 20 million hectares.
Recent work on Algerian sheep farming also highlights its economic importance, but also its historical links with pastoral societies and transhumance practices. Several local breeds have adapted to these environments, including the Ouled Djellal, Rembi and Hamra.
This story partly explains why lamb is so present in Algerian cuisine : couscous, chorbas, dishes in sauce, mechoui, festive preparations or tagines.
Meat also takes on a special dimension during family meals and special occasions. Like many Maghreb cuisines, Algerian cuisine is strongly based on the family transmission of gestures and recipes.
Our lamb tagine is therefore part of this culture of sharing dishes, even if its cooking technique has been deliberately shortened.
Tajine: a dish, a container and a Maghreb cooking technique
The word tagine is interesting because it does not only refer to a recipe.
It is both a Maghreb dish stewed with meat, vegetables, fruit and spices, and the container in which this dish is prepared.
The traditional container consists of a relatively wide base topped with a conical lid. Gentle cooking limits evaporation and allows food to cook in a humid atmosphere with relatively little liquid.
It is difficult, however, to attribute the entire contemporary tagine to a single origin. Earthenware cooking practices and simmered dishes belong to an ancient and widely shared culinary history in North Africa.
Another subtlety: the word does not refer to exactly the same preparation everywhere. In Algeria, there are many dishes in sauce called tagines. In Tunisia, some tagines are on the contrary baked egg preparations.
And you don’t need to own the famous earthenware container to prepare this recipe. A tagine in a casserole dish or a large sauté pan with a lid works perfectly. This tagine without a tagine dish is based more on the cooking principle and the construction of flavors than on the utensil.
Easy lamb tagine with apricots, saffron and candied onions
Serves: 3
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour
Ingredients
- 3 slices of leg of lamb, about 500 to 600 g in total
- 2 large onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 g butter, optional
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ginger
- 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- a nice pinch of saffron threads
- 8 to 10 dried apricots
- 40 to 50 g roasted cashews
- 250 to 300 ml of stock
- fresh cilantro
- 1 lemon
- salt
1. Infuse the saffron
Take about 50 ml of hot stock and add the saffron threads. Let it infuse for about ten minutes. This small step allows you to extract its fragrance before incorporating it into the lamb tagine.
2. Sear the leg of lamb slices
Ideally, take the meat out of the refrigerator about twenty minutes before cooking and salt it lightly.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or casserole dish. Sear the leg of lamb slices for 1 minute 30 to 2 minutes per side to obtain a nice color without trying to cook them completely. Set aside.
3. Prepare the candied onions
Lower the heat, add the second spoonful of oil, as well as the butter if using.
Add the 2 large onions , finely sliced with a pinch of salt, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
They should become extremely tender, lightly browned and almost stewed. If they stick, add a spoonful of water rather than more fat.
This is probably the most important step in this easy lamb tagine : the onions are practically going to become the sauce.
4. Add the tagine spices
Add the chopped or grated garlic, then the cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric and pepper.
Blend for only 30 seconds to 1 minute. Briefly heating the tagine spices will develop their aromas, but cooking too long dry may cause them to become bitter.
5. Simmer the apricots
Cut the large dried apricots in half.
Pour the rest of the broth and the saffron infusion into the casserole. Carefully scrape the bottom to catch the juices from cooking the meat.
Add the apricots and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered.
They will rehydrate while their natural sugar gradually gives this dried apricot tagine a slightly shiny sauce.
6. Finish cooking the lamb tagine
Place the leg slices and their juices back in the casserole. Coat them with the sauce and onions.
Partially cover and continue cooking for only 5 to 8 minutes over low heat, or up to 10 minutes for particularly thick slices.
This is precisely what differentiates this leg of lamb recipe from a classic lamb stew : a relatively tender slice of leg of lamb does not need to cook for an hour.
7. Add the cashews
Toast the cashews in a small, dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add them only when serving so that they retain all their crunch.
8. Balance the sauce
Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
The goal is not to achieve a lemony taste: this acidity simply serves to balance the sweetness of the apricots and onions.
The sauce of the lamb tagine should finally be thick, shiny and generous, but abundant enough to be able to dip bread in it.
Arrange the meat in a large dish, add the apricots and all the sauce, then finish with the cashews and plenty of fresh coriander.
Serve immediately with fresh bread.
My tips for a successful tender and fragrant lamb tagine
Don’t simmer the leg slices for too long. It’s tempting when making a tagine, but this cut doesn’t have the collagen of a collar or shoulder. Excessive cooking can dry it out.
Take your time with onions. The time saved should come from the meat and not from the sauce. Fifteen to twenty minutes of gentle cooking completely transforms the result.
Infuse the saffron. A few threads are enough to prepare a real lamb with saffron if they are given time to diffuse in a hot liquid.
Don’t look for a very sweet tagine. Apricots are enough here. Unlike some lamb tagines with dried fruit, this recipe contains no honey or added sugar.
Save the lemon for last. A small amount immediately gives the lamb tagine more depth.
Finally, you can make the sauce and onions a few hours in advance, but cook the meat just before serving.
Calories and macros of this lamb tagine
The following values are estimates per serving, calculated for three people with about 550 g of leg, 300 g of onions, 80 g of dried apricots, 45 g of cashews and 2 tablespoons of oil, without butter or bread.
- Energy: about 655 kcal
- Protein: approx. 38 g
- Carbohydrates: approx. 32 g
- Fat: about 43 g
- Fibre: approx. 4 g
Leg of lamb provides the bulk of the protein. For reference, USDA nutrition facts indicate about 25.5 g of protein per 100 g of cooked and roasted leg of lamb. Dried apricots provide mostly carbs and fiber, while cashews naturally increase the energy and fat content of the recipe.
These values do not include bread served with lamb tagine and may vary depending on the amount of fat on the leg slices and the exact amount of sauce consumed.
A lamb tagine perfect for the weekend… without spending the afternoon there
This recipe is finally a good compromise between the traditional stew and the cuisine that we really have time to prepare today.
In this lamb tagine , we find lamb, spices, saffron, dried fruit and the generous sauce to be sauced with bread. But the slices of leg of lamb allow you to condense the cooking to obtain a dish that can be prepared in about an hour.
It is therefore not an exact reproduction of a traditional Algerian dish, but a recipe directly inspired by this cuisine and in particular its associations between meat, dried fruits and fragrant sauces.
To discover a much more traditional and frankly sweet version, you can continue with our Algerian hlou tagine with prunes and apricots. You can also discover our chicken tagine with olives and candied lemons or compare with the mrouzia, the sweet and salty Moroccan lamb tagine.
Lamb tagine with apricots, candied onions and saffron
Ingredients
- 3 slices of leg of lamb about 500 to 600 g in total
- 2 large onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 c. tablespoon olive oil
- 10 g butter optional
- 1 c. teaspoon cumin
- 1 c. teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 c. teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ c. teaspoon turmeric
- ½ c. teaspoon black pepper
- 1 nice pinch of saffron threads
- 8 to 10 dried apricots
- 40 to 50 g cashews
- 250 to 300 ml of stock
- fresh cilantro
- 1 lemon
- salt
Preparation
Infuse the saffron
- Take about 50 ml of hot stock and add the saffron threads. Let it infuse for 10 minutes.
- Sear the lamb
- Ideally, take the leg slices out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Season lightly with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or casserole dish. Sear the leg slices for 1 minute 30 to 2 minutes per side. Remove them and set aside.
Candied the onions
- Turn the heat down. Add the second spoonful of olive oil and the butter, if using. Add the finely sliced onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. The onions should become very soft and lightly browned. Add a little water if they start to cling.
Add the spices
- Add the chopped or grated garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric and black pepper. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just enough time to release the aromas.
Make the apricot sauce
- Cut the dried apricots in half if they are large. Pour the rest of the broth as well as the saffron-infused broth into the casserole. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to catch the cooking juices. Add the apricots and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, over medium-low heat.
Finish cooking the lamb
- Place the leg slices back in the sauce with the juices returned to the plate. Coat them well with onions and sauce. Partially cover and continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes over low heat. For very thick slices, allow up to 10 minutes.
Toast the cashews
- Toast the cashews in a small, dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep them whole or coarsely crush them.
Finalize the sauce
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice in order to balance the sweetness of the apricots and onions. The sauce should be thick, shiny, and plentiful enough to enjoy with bread.
Serve
- Arrange the leg slices in a dish with the apricots and all the onion sauce. Sprinkle with toasted cashews and fresh coriander. Serve immediately with fresh bread.
Notes
The onions are the base of the sauce: take the time to melt them well.
Infusion of the saffron in the broth helps to diffuse its fragrance better.
The cashews are added at the last minute to preserve their crunch.
The lemon should not give a lemony taste to the dish; it simply serves to balance the sweetness of the apricots and onions.
You can prepare the sauce in advance and cook the lamb at the last minute.
FAQ: your questions about lamb tagine
Which piece of lamb to choose for a tagine?
For a traditional tagine that has been simmered for a long time, the shoulder, collar or shank are particularly suitable. For a quick tagine, leg slices are interesting because they require much less cooking. In this recipe, 500 to 600 g is enough for three people.
How do you keep lamb tender?
The cooking time should be adapted to the chosen piece. Pieces rich in connective tissue benefit from simmering for a long time, while leg slices should cook much faster. Here, sear them first and then finish cooking for 5 to 8 minutes in the sauce.
Can you make a lamb tagine without a tagine dish?
Yes. A casserole dish, a deep sauté pan or a cast iron casserole dish with a lid is perfectly suitable. The traditional dish favours gentle and moist cooking, but it is absolutely not essential to make this lamb tagine recipe at home.
When to add dried fruit to a tagine?
It depends on the desired result. The dried apricots in this recipe cook for 10 to 12 minutes in the sauce before the meat returns. This gives them time to rehydrate without completely turning into a puree.
What to serve with a lamb tagine with apricots?
The easiest way is a good fresh bread, ideally with enough crumbs to recover the onion sauce. You can serve this lamb tagine with a matlouh or khobz dar. The bread is particularly suitable here since the sauce has been deliberately kept quite abundant.
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