Ready in just 30 minutes, this simple lamb meatball tagine is the perfect midweek dinner. Served with couscous, it’s a great way to spice up your weeknights.
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What is tagine? This warming Moroccan stew gets its name from the vessel in which it’s been traditionally cooked for about 10 centuries. The tagine itself consists of a wide shallow dish with a conical lid made from ceramic or unglazed clay. During cooking, steam rises into the cone, condenses then runs back down the sides into the dish.
The other feature of tagines is the blend of spices added to the dish. Tagine spices include paprika, coriander, cassia, cardamom, turmeric, chilli and allspice. Together with the sweet elements of the dish – in this case, dried apricots – it combines to create a true taste, and aroma, of Morocco.
The good news is you don’t need a special tagine pot to make this recipe. A Dutch oven or a large heavy-based saucepan works perfectly well. Just make sure the lid fits tightly because you don’t want the steam to escape. You also don’t need a lot of spices in the cabinet; you can buy Moroccan spices premixed.
For our tagine recipe, we’ve used lamb sausages turned into meatballs. You could also use pieces of cubed lamb or beef. One of the most popular forms of tagine is cooked using chicken pieces – choose bone-in, skin-on chicken for the tastiest results.
The sweetness from dried apricots is integral to the finished tagine, but you could also use cut-up dates. As an alternative to couscous, serve your tagine with rice or flatbread for dipping in the delicious sauce.
If you love the spices of this tagine, try the family-favourite chicken and chickpea tray bake or stuffed pumpkin with Moroccan-spiced lamb. Although tagines are a Moroccan dish, they’re also often served in France. Ready to try a French one-pot dish? Try this French onion beef casserole topped with garlic-butter potatoes.
Energy: 2554kJ/611 Cals (29%)
Protein: 28g (56%)
Fat: 37g (53%)
Sat fat: 13g (54%)
Carb: 36g (12%)
Sugar: 29g (32%)
Fibre: 10g (33%)
Sodium: 1155mg (58%)