Lamb and Olive Tagine
Lamb braised with preserved lemon and green olives.
Ingredients
- 1000 g Lamb shoulder
- 2 Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 Preserved lemon
- 100 g Castelvetrano olives
- 1 tbsp Ras el hanout
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Saffron (optional)
- 4 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Cube the lamb shoulder into roughly 4 cm pieces.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Brown the lamb in batches without crowding, about 7 minutes total. Lift to a plate.
- While the lamb browns, slice the onion and garlic.
- Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and soften 3 minutes, then stir in the ras el hanout and saffron and bloom about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return the lamb to the pot. Add water to barely cover and the salt. Cover and braise gently until the lamb is tender, about 70 minutes.
- While the lamb braises, rinse the preserved lemon and slice it thin (discard any seeds).
- While the lamb braises, chop the cilantro leaves.
- Stir in the preserved lemon and olives. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to meld and let the sauce reduce slightly.
- Scatter the cilantro over the top and serve with couscous.
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About Lamb and Olive Tagine
Lamb and olive tagine is the savory counterpart to the fruit-sweetened Moroccan tagines, built instead around the bright, briny partnership of preserved lemon and green olives. It draws on the same North African braising tradition — lamb shoulder cooked low and slow with onion, garlic, and ras el hanout — but the flavor runs tangy and salty rather than sweet. Saffron lends its floral color and aroma, preserved lemon brings a fermented, citrusy funk, and Castelvetrano olives add a buttery, mild brininess. Cilantro stirred in at the end keeps everything fresh.
The care in this version shows in the browning: the lamb is seared in batches without crowding the pot, which lets each piece develop a real crust instead of steaming in its own juices — that crust is where much of the deep flavor comes from. The spices are then bloomed in the fat to wake them up before the meat goes back in to braise gently for over an hour until tender. Rinsing the preserved lemon tempers its saltiness so it seasons rather than overwhelms. Low in carbs and keto-friendly, it's a dish for a leisurely dinner, served with bread or over cauliflower rice to catch the vivid, briny sauce.
Lamb and Olive Tagine: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Lamb and Olive Tagine?
A serving has about 587 calories — 29g protein, 7.1g carbs, 49.1g fat, 2.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 29g of protein, roughly 20% of its calories.
Is Lamb and Olive Tagine gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Lamb and Olive Tagine has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Lamb and Olive Tagine take to make?
About 110 minutes start to finish, but only around 34 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Lamb and Olive Tagine?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out saffron, cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Lamb and Olive Tagine make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.