Moroccan Goat Tagine Recipe

Moroccan Goat Tagine is a slow-cooked goat stew simmered with onions, garlic, warm spices, and a touch of sweetness from dried fruit. Goat pieces are gently braised until tender in a sauce flavored with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and preserved lemon, then finished with olives and fresh herbs. The result is a rich, aromatic main course that pairs perfectly with fluffy couscous or warm flatbread.

Moroccan Goat Tagine Recipe

Slow-braised goat cooked Moroccan-style with warm spices, dried fruit, preserved lemon, and olives in a rich, aromatic sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Marinate Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Moroccan

Calories: 520

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For Marinating The Goat

• 2½ lb goat meat bone-in chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

For The Tagine

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup dried apricots halved
• ¼ cup pitted green olives
• ¼ preserved lemon rind finely chopped
• 1 tbsp honey or sugar optional for extra sweetness
• ½ tsp salt or to taste

For Garnish And Serving

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Cooked couscous or flatbread

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Large heavy pot or tagine with lid
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

Marinate The Goat

1. Place the goat pieces into a large mixing bowl on the counter and pat them dry with paper towels using your hands.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and grated ginger to the bowl and mix everything thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the meat is well coated.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for 120 minutes so the goat absorbs the spices and starts to tenderize.

Start The Aromatic Base

1. Set a large heavy pot or tagine on the stove over medium heat and pour in the olive oil with a measuring spoon.
2. When the oil looks hot and shimmery, add the sliced onion to the pot and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 8 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly golden.
3. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring with the spoon, until fragrant but not browned.

Brown The Goat And Build The Sauce

1. Add the marinated goat pieces from the bowl into the pot in a single layer as much as possible and stir with the wooden spoon so each piece touches the bottom.
2. Cook the goat for 10 minutes on medium heat, turning pieces occasionally with the spoon until they are lightly browned on the outside.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, using the spoon to coat the onions and goat so the paste darkens slightly and smells roasted.
4. Pour in the broth with a measuring cup, then add dried apricots, olives, chopped preserved lemon rind, honey or sugar if using, and salt, and stir everything together with the spoon.

Slow Cook The Tagine

1. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot or tagine with its lid.
2. Let the goat cook for 120 minutes, keeping the heat low and stirring gently with the wooden spoon every 20 minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
3. After the cooking time, check a piece of goat by lifting it out with a spoon and pressing it with a fork on the cutting board; it should pull apart easily and feel very tender.

Finish And Serve

1. If the sauce seems too thin, remove the lid and simmer the tagine on low heat, stirring with the wooden spoon, until the liquid reduces to a thick, glossy sauce that coats the meat.
2. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt or lemon juice using a measuring spoon if needed.
3. Turn off the heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro and parsley over the top, and serve the Moroccan Goat Tagine hot with couscous or flatbread on the side.

Notes

• Bone-in goat works best here because the bones release collagen and flavor, helping the sauce thicken naturally and giving the tagine a richer mouthfeel.
• Preserved lemon adds a unique salty-citrus note; if you do not have it, use a small amount of finely grated lemon zest and a pinch of extra salt instead.
• Keep the simmer gentle rather than boiling hard; slow, steady heat lets the goat soften without drying out and prevents the sauce from catching on the bottom.
• If using a traditional clay tagine on a stovetop, place a heat diffuser under it and keep the flame low to avoid cracking the base and scorching the stew.
• Dried apricots give sweetness and a soft texture; you can swap in prunes, dates, or a mix if you want a deeper, darker sweet flavor.
• Make the dish ahead if you can; the spices and aromatics meld in the fridge, and reheated tagine often tastes even better the next day with the sauce thicker and more intense.