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    Home / Dinner / Beef Tagine with Quince

    Beef Tagine with Quince

    Beef and quince simmered in a saffron and cinnamon sauce, the fruit turning golden and faintly sweet as it cooks.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 45 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Quince tagine is autumn in Morocco, when the fragrant golden fruit appears in the souks and ends up in everything from jams to lamb and beef tagines. The quince is poached with sugar until it turns translucent and rosy, then nestled into a beef tagine scented with saffron and cinnamon. The result is a savory dish with a secret sweet heart.

    Beef and quince in a saffron-sweet sauce

    The beef comes out tender in a golden sauce, and the quince keeps just enough texture to be interesting, its gentle sweetness playing off the warm spices. It is the kind of dish that makes people pause, taste, and go quiet for a moment. Serve it with couscous or bread, and let the quince do the talking.

    Craving more? Explore all Moroccan Kitchen recipes.

    Thinking of a Moroccan dinner night? This dish fits the complete Moroccan dinner night menu.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Brown the beef in the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft.
    2. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, black pepper, and salt and stir for 1 minute.
    3. Add the water, cover, and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beef is tender.
    4. Meanwhile, put the quince in a separate pan with the sugar and 1/2 cup water and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes.
    5. Add the quince to the tagine and cook 15 minutes more, spooning the sauce over the fruit as it cooks.
    6. Stir in the cilantro and serve hot with couscous or bread.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    If quince is not in season, firm pears or apples make a good stand-in, though the perfume will be lighter. Peel the quince well, its fuzzy skin turns bitter as it cooks.

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    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook1 hr 45 min
    Servings6
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    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 →

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