Beef Tagine (Dutch Oven)

The beef tagine in a skillet next to bowls of sesame seeds and almonds.

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Travel to North Africa with this fragrant beef tagine. Let your oven do the heavy lifting for you as the beef slow-cooks in an aromatic and spiced broth.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Total Time4 30

Course: Dinner, Entree

Cuisine: Moroccan

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 427.1kcal

Author: Mary Fawzy

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cubed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ras el hanout
4 medium carrots (about 10 ounces), cut in thumb-sized chunks
1 pound whole baby potatoes
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups water, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
Fresh cilantro leaves

Prune-Apricot Compote

1 cup dried, pitted prunes (about 5 ounces)
1 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Whole roasted almonds (optional)

Instructions

Get ready. Arrange the wire racks in your oven to accommodate a Dutch oven (with a lid on) in the center. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add saffron threads to a tablespoon or two of warm water and set aside.
Brown the beef. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Once it shimmers, add the meat in a single layer (you will likely need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot), and season it liberally with Kosher salt and black pepper. Turn the meat until lightly browned on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate as they are done and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the pot and lower the heat to medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until slightly browned and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger and ras el hanout. Sauté for about a minute, then return the meat and its accumulated juices to the pot and stir to coat with the aromatics and spices.
Build the braising liquid. Add in the carrots, potatoes, chickpeas and the water into the pot, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release the fond. Add the saffron with its water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and stir to combine everything. The meat and vegetables should be fully submerged with only small bits poking out of the water. Add a little more, if necessary.
Slow cook the tagine. Put the lid on and place the pot in the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 4 hours. Halfway through cooking, open the lid, give it a stir, and spoon out about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid to use in the fruit compote topping.
Make the fruit compote. In a saucepan mix the pitted prunes, apricots, reserved braising liquid, water, and honey. Turn the heat up to medium heat and let simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit has softened and the liquid has thickened slightly. Set aside.
Finish and serve. Remove the pot from the oven. The meat is ready when it’s nice and tender, easily breaking apart when you push it with a spoon. To serve, drizzle some of the fruit compote liquid over the top of the finished tagine, and lay out the prunes and apricots evenly on the surface. For decoration, sprinkle sesame seeds over each prune and place a whole roasted almond over each apricot. Scatter any remaining sesame seeds all around the tagine. Top with fresh cilantro leaves and serve.

Notes

Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
How to store beef tagine: This tagine gets even better the next day, so it’s a good idea to make it ahead and refrigerate overnight. Keep the fruit compote separate until it’s time to serve. It can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
How to reheat beef tagine: Reheat it in the oven, covered, at 350°F for about 30 minutes. I recommend adding a little water before you reheat it because the chickpeas tend to absorb some of the sauce.

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