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Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Name: Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks; 2 onions, grated; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp black pepper; pinch of saffron threads, crushed; 1 1/2 cups pitted prunes; 2 tbsp honey; 1 cinnamon stick; 1/2 cup blanched almonds; 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted; 2 cups water; salt to taste

Lamb simmered until meltingly tender in a honeyed cinnamon sauce, with sweet prunes and toasted almonds folded in for the classic celebration tagine.

⏱ 20 minPrep time

🔥 2 hrCook time

🍽 6Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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This is the tagine of weddings, Eid mornings, and the sweetest of family celebrations. Lamb cooks for hours with onions, saffron, and cinnamon until it surrenders completely, then honey and prunes are stirred in to make the sauce dark and syrupy. It is the dish Moroccan cooks reach for when they want to show someone they are loved.

Sweet, dark, and falling off the bone

The lamb is impossibly tender, and the prunes melt into the sauce, which coats the meat like a slow, sweet glaze. A shower of toasted almonds and sesame adds crunch just before serving, and the cinnamon lingers in the background rather than shouting. Spoon it over couscous or mop it up with bread, and save a little sauce for last.

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Step by stepInstructions

Brown the lamb in the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat, working in batches, until deep golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Add the grated onions, ginger, turmeric, ground cinnamon, pepper, and saffron to the pot and cook until the onions are soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
Return the lamb with the water and salt. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the lamb is tender.
Meanwhile, soak the prunes in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain.
Stir the honey and cinnamon stick into the pot and nestle the prunes into the sauce. Cover and cook 30 minutes more.
Uncover and simmer 10 minutes to thicken the sauce to a syrupy glaze.
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet until golden. Scatter the almonds and sesame seeds over the tagine and serve.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Soaking the prunes in warm water for 20 minutes keeps them plump and juicy. Taste the sauce before adding all the honey; some prunes are sweeter than others.

Recipe details

Prep20 min

Cook2 hr

Servings6

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Sweet, dark, and falling off the bone

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Sweet, dark, and falling off the bone

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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