This is probably my favorite Moroccan recipe. The combination of warm spices, tender beef, and sweet potatoes produces something deeply savory and complex. Traditional tagines use a cone-shaped clay pot that traps steam, but a Dutch oven works just as well. The key is low and slow cooking that lets the spices meld together. For slow carb, skip the dried fruit and serve without couscous.
Quick Summary: A slow-cooked North African stew with beef, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger. Made in a Dutch oven instead of a traditional tagine. Optional dried apricots and prunes add sweetness. Includes chermoula recipe for garnish. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 2 hours 15 min | Serves: 6
Jump to: RECIPE | What is a Tagine | Ingredients | Step by Step | Slow Cooker Version | Chermoula Recipe | FAQ
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Why are Tagines Popular in Morrocan Cooking?
Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of a tagine traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables, and is therefore a practical method of cooking in areas where water supplies are limited.
A tagine is a Berber (primarily Algerian or Moroccan) dish named after the type of earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Tagine vessels are primarily used to slow-cook savory stews and vegetable dishes.
The traditional method of cooking with a tagine is to place the tagine over coals, resulting from large bricks of charcoal, purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.
Ingredients Typical of Moroccan Stews
Spices & Herbs:
Common spices in tagines include: ginger, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, turmeric, chili and/or paprika.
Common herbs include mint and parsley. The herbs and spices are an integral part of Morrocan tagine cooking, as the slow, lengthy cooking allows the spice combinations to fully meld together.
You end up with a sweet and savory warmth that is quite complex and robust.
The spice combination varies region to region, household to household. Some recipes suggest a pre-mixed blend called “Ras el Hanout”, which is usually a blend of the best spices a vendor has in their shop.
The specific Ras el Hanout mixture varies, but it generally includes the spices noted above, along with perhaps some dried galangal, nutmeg, aniseed, or orris root.
You can buy pre-mixed seasoning packets, such as this one that I bought from Amazon.
Fruit & Vegetables
A sweet and sour combination is common in Moroccan dishes and will often include dates, apricots or prunes.
Vegetables often include garbanzo beans and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots or turnips.
Best Stew Meats for Moroccan Cooking (if not Vegetarian)
These Moroccan stews are frequently made without any meat. If you do want to add meat, it is common to include lamb, chicken, pork or beef in these stews. In addition to the recipe below with beef, I love this recipe for Moroccan chicken stew.
Since the recipe below is a Moroccan beef and sweet potato tagine, I used beef, of course.
If you want the best flavor in a beef-forward stew, use a chuck roast that you have trimmed and cubed yourself rather than the stew meat sold in grocery stores.
Meat labeled “beef stew meat” is often bits and pieces of a variety of cuts that can result in different meat textures within the stew.
Avoid chunks of steak because it tends to turn stringy and dry after prolonged cooking.
Optional Additions:
- Add prunes and/or dried apricots to the pot when adding sweet potatoes
- Serve with couscous (this is how it is traditionally served)
- Add harissa sauce as garnish at the end, or place on the table for people to add their own.
- Add some yogurt towards the end of cooking to enhance the creaminess.
How to Make Moroccan Beef and Sweet Potato Stew (Step by Step)
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Adaptation
I made this recipe in a dutch oven where I browned the meat first, removed it and sautéed the onions and spices in the meat fat, and then returned the meat and added the other ingredients to the pot.
You could certainly adapt this recipe to a slow cooker. Just make sure and brown or sear the meat and saute the onions and spices first before adding everything to the crock pot.
The sear of the protein and the caramelization of the onions will add a lot to the flavor profile.
You could also make this tagine in an instant pot. To maintain the flavor of the tagine when using an instant pot, you may want to consider the following tips:
- Make sure there is enough broth (or liquid) in the instant pot
- Don’t over fill the instant pot. If you’re like our family, we like to make big batches of stews, but with an instant pot, the ingredients won’t cook evenly or thoroughly if you over fill the instant pot.
- Add your vegetables after the meat has cooked a little while. If you are using cubed meat, like in this recipe, it’s not as important to add your vegetables in afterwards. However, if you are not cubing the meat or using large chunks of meat, adding the vegetables in after the meat has cooked for a little while will help ensure the meat is tender and the vegetables aren’t soggy.
Adding a Moroccan Chermoula
Moroccan dishes are often served with a garnish or a relish called chermoula or charmoula. It is similar to Latin American chimichurri and it works well as an enhancement to this stew. Here is a classic way of making chermoula:
Basic Chermoula Recipe:
[yield 1/2 cup]
Combine the spices and herbs:
- cilantro (1 Tablespoon),
- parsley (1 Tablespoon),
- a little garlic,
- a little paprika (1/4 teaspoon),
- cumin (2 teaspoons),
- coriander (1 teaspoon),
- cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon), and
- a litle salt and pepper.
Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 5 Tablespoons lemon juice, and whisk it all together.
Similar Recipes You Will Love
Check out these other great recipes:
- Moroccan Chicken Stew: without the Tagine
- North African Shakshouka (baked eggs)
- Pheasant Normandy Stew
FAQ
The base stew with beef, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and spices is borderline. Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are higher in carbs than leafy greens. For strict slow carb, reduce the sweet potato or substitute cauliflower. Skip the dried apricots and prunes entirely.
No. A Dutch oven works perfectly. The tagine’s cone-shaped lid traps steam efficiently, but the covered Dutch oven achieves similar results.
Chuck roast, trimmed and cubed yourself. Avoid pre-cut “stew meat” from the grocery store, which is often mixed cuts that cook unevenly.
A North African spice blend meaning “head of the shop,” referring to a vendor’s best spices. Blends vary but typically include cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, coriander, and sometimes nutmeg or dried rose petals.
A Moroccan herb and spice relish similar to chimichurri. Made with cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, and olive oil. Drizzle over the finished stew.
Yes. Brown the meat and sauté the onions and spices first for better flavor, then transfer everything to the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Moroccan Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ Lbs stewing meat chuck roast trimmed and cubed
- 1 tsp cardamom ground
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp ginger ground
- ½ to 1 tsp powdered chile pepper I used powdered harissa
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz Diced tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth or vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 2 medium sweet potatoes Peeled and cut into 1-2" chunks
- 15 oz canned garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 4 oz. dried apricots diced (optional – not on slow carb diet)
- ¾ cups prunes pitted and chopped (optional – not on slow carb diet)
- garnishes: chopped scallions Can also include toasted almonds or zested orange peel as garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add meat and sear or brown, tossing occasionally to get sear on all sides (about 5 minutes). While meat is browning, grind and measure out the spices (cardamom through pepper mix) and place in small bowl.2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 Lbs stewing meat, 1 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 to 1 tsp powdered chile pepper
- Remove meat to platter when finished browning and add onions to the pot. Saute the onions over medium heat 3-5 minutes until translucent and then add garlic for 1 minute (don’t burn garlic). Add ground spices and stir into the onion-garlic mix. Saute spice-onion mix for 1-2 minutes.1 large yellow onion, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the meat back into the pot, along with the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Turn the pot to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.28 oz Diced tomatoes, 3 cups beef broth
- Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and simmer for another 1/2 hour or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. (if using prunes and/or apricots, add them at this point)2 medium sweet potatoes, 4 oz. dried apricots, 3/4 cups prunes
- Add garbanzo beans, salt and pepper and simmer for another 15 minutes.15 oz canned garbanzo beans, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- To serve: garnish with scallions, orange zest or toasted almondsgarnishes: chopped scallions
Notes
- cilantro (1 Tablespoon),
- parsley (1 Tablespoon),
- a little garlic,
- a little paprika (1/4 teaspoon),
- cumin (2 teaspoons),
- coriander (1 teaspoon),
- cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon)
- and a title salt and pepper.
I searched for a savory and sweet beef stew to pair with a Bual Madeira. It was amazing!!
delicious!! I will definitely make this again, and soon! thank you for a very tasty full of flavor recipe that’s not a ton of work to make.
I’m so glad you found it to be good without a ton of work….that is my aim. I truly appreciate the comment and the 5-star rating…it helps bring other people to the site so I can continue working. Thanks!