5 words. Slow cooker Moroccan lamb stew. Juicy pieces of lamb slow-cooked to tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection, combined with a handful of spices, potatoes and chickpeas.
Just take a minute to take that all in.
This lamb stew is a winter favourite but sometimes a recipe calls out to you when you least expect it.
I get my inspiration for recipe posts from a variety of things: cravings, restaurant menu items, ingredients lurking in my pantry or fridge, requests from my hubby, or simply what is on sale at the grocery store. Today's post is inspired by all of the above. I know that stews are a thing for the winter months, but sometimes you can't control those cravings calling your name. So when you're craving a stew and pre-chopped lamb is on sale at the grocery store, you become a believer in signs and you just can't say no.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Moroccan Lamb Stew
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
A bowl of flavourful and tender, juicy slow cooker Moroccan lamb stew served over a bowl of couscous is the ultimate Middle Eastern comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 and ½ lbs. lamb shoulder chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 and ½ cups chicken stock
- 3 cups tomato sauce (or 680 ml can)
- ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby potatoes, halved
- 1 cup spinach, chopped (optional)
- fresh mint (for garnish)
- 3 cups cooked couscous
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together cumin, coriander, red pepper powder, turmeric, mint, salt and pepper. Add lamb and toss to coat.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add lamb and cook for about 6 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer lamb to slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon. Cook for 5-6 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add chicken stock and tomato sauce. Once the mixture boils, remove from heat and add to slow cooker.
- Add tomatoes, chickpeas and potatoes to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Just before you are ready to serve, add the spinach and stir it in for about 1 minute until wilted.
- Serve with a side of couscous and yogurt and top with fresh mint.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Stew
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Moroccan
June says
Hi , can i serve this over Rice ?
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Absolutely!
Melissa says
We loved this! We tried it for the first time last week and we were very impressed. It was so easy and delicious for days. Our work colleagues were jealous of our lunches all week. We will be cooking this again very soon!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Melissa, that makes me so happy to hear. So happy you liked the recipe!
Madison Miranda says
This recipe is bomb!!! Love how easy it was to prepare and it’s a dish with minimal effort and maximum payoff!!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Madison! Slow cooker recipes are my fav! So so easy.
Linda says
Love this recipe, I use chicken instead of lamb and added a few mushrooms but it's a hit everytime.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much! Wow that sounds delicious with chicken and mushrooms! Will have to try it next time.
Emily says
Made this by basically just dumping all ingredients in and it was amazing - I imagine it would be even better if I followed the directions!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Good to know it will still turn out well by just throwing everything in the pot! Thanks for sharing Emily 🙂
Laura says
This was a hit around our house. It was our first use of our new slow cooker. I omitted the tomatoes by mistake and it was still wonderful. I would bump up the spices a bit next time, because we love spicy food. Otherwise, this one will be in our rotation from now on.