Moroccan Lamb Tagine Ramen
Lamb tagine is one of those dishes that smells so good while it's cooking that your neighbors will start asking questions through the walls. It's a Moroccan stew where lamb gets braised low and slow with warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, and ginger until it's fall-apart tender, and then you add dried apricots and honey for this sweet-savory thing that somehow works perfectly. Traditional tagines are cooked in a conical clay pot that traps steam and makes everything ridiculously tender, but a Dutch oven does the job just fine if you're not trying to be authentic. Serving it over ramen noodles instead of couscous is the kind of fusion that makes purists nervous, but the noodles soak up all that spiced broth beautifully, and honestly, it's your kitchen. Make this when you want something that feels exotic and special without requiring a plane ticket to Marrakech.
Spice blooms in the heat—lamb falls soft beneath the fork—desert winds blow warm.
Let Me Tell You...
I ate lamb tagine for the first time at a Moroccan restaurant where they brought it to the table in an actual tagine pot, and when they lifted the cone-shaped lid, steam billowed out like special effects.
The lamb was so tender it didn't need a knife, and the sauce was this perfect balance of savory and sweet with apricots and honey mixed in.
I ate the whole thing over couscous, which is traditional, but all I could think about was how good it would be with noodles that could really soak up that sauce.
It's an extra step, but it adds depth and keeps the meat from getting mushy.
I started making tagine at home after buying a cheap clay tagine pot at a kitchen store, thinking I'd use it all the time.
I used it exactly twice before realizing my Dutch oven worked better and didn't take up half my cabinet.
I'd cut lamb shoulder into chunks, brown them in the pot, and then build the sauce with onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander.
The spices would bloom in the oil and make the whole kitchen smell like a spice market, and I'd add tomatoes, stock, and a little honey to balance everything out.
You need fat and connective tissue for braising, or it'll turn dry.
The trick with tagine is letting it braise low and slow until the lamb is tender enough to pull apart with a spoon.
I'd throw in dried apricots and chickpeas toward the end so they'd soften and soak up the sauce without turning to mush.
One night, I decided to serve it over ramen noodles instead of couscous, mostly because I didn't have couscous and didn't feel like going to the store.
I cooked the noodles, ladled the lamb and sauce over them, and topped the whole thing with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro.
Any earlier and they'll dissolve into the sauce.
The first bite was incredible.
The lamb was rich and tender with that perfect sweet-savory balance, the apricots added bursts of sweetness, and the ramen noodles soaked up the spiced broth until they were glossy and flavorful.
The almonds gave it crunch, and the cilantro added freshness that cut through the richness.
It tasted like something you'd eat in a Moroccan courtyard with lanterns hanging overhead, except I was eating it on my couch in sweatpants, which is its own kind of luxury.
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
- 1.5 lbs lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups lamb or beef broth
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation
- Season the lamb chunks generously with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices and release their aromas.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, lamb or beef broth, and honey. Stir to combine. Return the browned lamb to the pot along with any accumulated juices.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender and starting to fall apart.
- Add the dried apricots and chickpeas. Continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes to let the sauce thicken and the apricots soften. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
- While the tagine finishes, cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Divide the cooked ramen noodles between two serving bowls. Ladle the lamb tagine with plenty of sauce, apricots, and chickpeas over the noodles.
- Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.