Beef Tagine (Moroccan Beef Stew)

This one is extra special to me… Beef Tagine is a labor of love that takes hours to slowly cook and simmer. It’s not your regular stew by any standard.

Brimming with sweet and savory flavors, it’s super fragrant as soon as I start making it. Thanks to all the earthy exotic spices like coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, this stew takes on some amazing flavors from the land called Morocco.

The stew is hearty and wholesome, and after slow cooking for hours, the beef becomes so tender and succulent, it just melts in your mouth. The sauce turns magical, a perfect mix of spices and the sweet notes from dried fruits. If you’re intrigued, I say give it a try, it’s a whole new world of flavors!

I’ve been trying out some amazing stews from around the world. There’s Carbonnade Flamande from Belgium, Kedjenou from the Ivory Coast, Menudo from the Philippines, and Maafe from Senegal. Each one has its own incredible flavor that’s totally different and delicious. It’s been such a fun adventure tasting all these unique dishes from different places.

We always try our favorite tagine meal, be it Chicken Tagine, Meatball Tagine, or Lamb Tagine during our travels whenever we come across any Moroccan restaurant. I always wanted to make some kind of Moroccan stew here for you guys, and decided to give Tagine treatment to beef. So today, when my heart was craving for something comforting, I wanted to go beyond regular beef stew with wine or beer. And then this Beef Tagine happened!!

What is a Tagine?

A tagine is actually two things: it’s the name of the cooking pot and also the stew that you cook in it. The pot itself is cone-shaped and really popular in Morocco and Algeria. I use it mostly to slow cook and braise stews with vegetables and meats. The way it’s designed, the tagine makes the meat so tender, it just melts in your mouth. It’s one of my favorite ways to cook when I want something deeply flavorful and comforting.

The conical lid allows steam to circulate during cooking, which creates condensation that drips back onto the meat, fish or veggies, keeping food moist. They come in earthenware, ceramic and metal varieties.

Tagines can be used on the stovetop or in the oven, though they’re traditionally used over charcoal, slow cooking meats into tender submission. Many times they are used as tableware to serve, adding authentic exotic flair.

I am cooking up a big batch of this Beef Tagine, so instead of using my tagine pot today I cooked my stew in a Dutch oven, which works perfectly for any slow cooking.

What Cut of Beef to Use

I always swear by chuck roast for any kind of stew. No other cut gives that tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience like chuck roast after you’ve braised it for hours. I always try to find a thick cut with good marbling all over. As it cooks slowly, the fat breaks down and adds incredible depth and flavor to the pot. It’s my go-to for a really satisfying stew.

Ingredients Needed

• Beef – chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces.
• Spices – paprika, Spanish paprika (optional, but so good ), cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric. Some of each will be used to season the beef, and some more will go in the stew later.
• Aromatics – garlic, ginger
• Veggies – carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes (we used baby potatoes)
• Garbanzo beans – I love canned Goya brand
• Dried fruits – apricots and raisins, as well as almonds for garnishing
• Flavor enhancers – tomato paste, beef broth, salt, pepper

How to make Moroccan Beef Tagine

You will find exact measurements in the recipe card, I will just quickly run through the whole idea here…

I start by mixing spices with some salt and pepper and coat the beef chunks well. Then, I heat olive oil in a pot and sear the meat for about 10 minutes until it turns brown.

Then onion goes in pot and I sauté it until it’s tender. Then I add ginger and garlic and cook them for a couple of minutes. Next, I stir in some tomato paste and cook it for a few more minutes.

Now, it’s time to add all those exotic spices and give everything a good stir. I mix in the beef broth and canned tomatoes, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it cook for 45 minutes. That’s it for the hard work, now I just have to be patient and wait for it all to come together.

The longer you cook, the more tender the meat will be in end. I like to cook my stew pot at least three to three and a half hours. After 45 minutes, add in the carrots and garbanzo beans. Then, after another half hour, add in apricots and raisins.

Every now and then, stir the pot. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add in extra water (I add an extra 1 cup). I love this stew thick and hearty, but you can adjust the thickness just the way you like it by adjusting the water.

Add in the potatoes in the last 25 to 30 minutes, so they don’t turn out mushy. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. By now, I’ve probably tasted the stew a few times, and each time I’m amazed by all the flavor. It’s ready when the meat is tender enough for my liking. Now, it’s time to serve it up and impress everyone who tries it.

How to serve

My first choice for this North African stew is the way locals mostly enjoy, over a plateful of couscous. The couscous absorbs the yummy goodness so well.

The Indian in me always likes stews over warm and fluffy rice. You can serve it over mashed potatoes too, if that’s your comfort thing. And, of course, some nice crusty bread always goes with stews.

Well, are you ready to cook up these new exotic flavors in your kitchen tonight? All I’m telling you is, we happily polished it all off in just a few days. The first time we tried it was with just raisins and dates, and couldn’t wait to try it with apricots. Absolutely loved the combo of apricots and raisins.

All that labor of love creating this Moroccan pot is so, so worth your time when all those flavors and aromas starts waffling all around your home. Let me know how it turns out, I love hearing from you. Have fun creating these new exotic flavors in your stew pot…

Beef Tagine, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other cozy stews!
Creole Shrimp with Sausage
Southern Braised Chicken
Japanese Beef Curry
Guinness Beef Stew
Pollo Guisado
Dublin Coddle
Brunswick Stew

Beef Tagine (Moroccan Beef Stew)

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

Beef Tagine is a popular stew from Morocco with amazing flavors thanks to the earthy and exotic spices.

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Ingredients

Spice Rub for beef

• 2 to 2.5 pounds chuck roast, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander

Beef Tagine

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tsp Spanish paprika (see note 1)
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1.5 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained
• 12-14 dried apricots
• 6 Tbsp raisins
• 8-9 baby potatoes, cut into halves

Instructions

1. Coat beef chunks with all spice rub ingredients.
2. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium high heat and sear the meat for about 10 minutes, till it browns up all side. For this, leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes before flipping.
3. Add in chopped onions and cook till tender, about 6-7 minutes. Next, add chopped ginger and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add in diced canned tomatoes, beef broth and remaining spices (paprika, Spanish paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander). Combine well. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the temperature to medium low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Add in carrots and garbanzo beans continue cooking, covered, for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in apricots and raisins and cook with the lid on. Every now and then, stir the pot. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add in extra water (I added an extra 1 cup). Cook till meat is tender and melts in your mouth, about another 2 hours, depending on the size of the chunks.
7. Add in potatoes in the last 25 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Notes

1. If you don’t find Spanish paprika in your pantry, just increase the amount of regular paprika.
2. Leftovers and Storing: This stew gets even better as leftovers for a few days, making it perfect for cooking a big pot. I just keep it in my Dutch oven with the lid on, or in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. It's also great for freezing. The stew will last for about 3-4 months in the freezer if it's in an airtight container. When I'm ready to eat it again, I just thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat it up on the stove. Sometimes, I add a little water or beef broth to get the consistency just right.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 469Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 94mgSodium 922mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 7gSugar 13gProtein 35g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.