Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine – a delicious, hearty stew with Moroccan spices, perfect for a cozy meal on a cool day, plus your house will smell of the amazing warm scents of cinnamon and cumin as it simmers away in your slow cooker.
A tagine is a Moroccan dish slow-cooked with meat, fruit and vegetables and is named after the type of clay pot in which it is traditionally cooked. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite versions which combines cubes of beef, sweet potatoes and dried apricots and is made in the slow cooker.
During my 20s, before I had kids, I did a lot of travelling, both for work and for fun. I’ve been all over the world, but one place I haven’t been is Morocco. Luckily for me, there used to be this amazing Moroccan restaurant, called Chez Es Saada, in New York City, which is where I lived for most of my 20s. My husband and I went there often.
Eating at Chez Es Saada was an experience, it was subterranean, colorfully decorated and they even had belly dancers, and definitely made me feel like I could be in Morocco. I had the most wonderful tagine there and this Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine captures the flavors that I remember.
Chez Es Saada also had this wonderful cocktail made with blood orange juice. We loved it so much that my husband recreated it for us at home, this is his recipe for Blood Orange Juice Cocktails, they are a wonderful accompaniment to this Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine.
This Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine is a hit with all three of my kids. My son loves the way it smells. When he comes home from school, and this is simmering away in the slow cooker, he always exclaims how wonderful the house smells.
I’m always happy when he says something smells good, because I’ve learned that when my kids like the way something smells, they are much more willing to eat it, and that certainly holds true with this tagine, my son is always thrilled to have it for dinner.
Do you have a favorite Moroccan dish? Please let me know in the comments below!
Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine - a delicious, hearty stew with Moroccan spices, perfect for a cozy meal on a cool day, plus your house will smell of the amazing warm scents of cinnamon and cumin as it simmers away in your slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 3-4 cups)
- ½ cup dried apricots, quartered
- ½ cup diced onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
- hot cooked couscous (optional, substitute rice for a gluten free option)
- sliced green onions for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Pat beef cubes dry with a paper towel, to remove any excess moisture.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef, stirring often for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from skillet and place in 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add in sweet potatoes, dried apricots, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon and diced tomatoes.
- Pour beef broth over mixture in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH heat for 3 ½ - 4 hours or on LOW heat for 7-8 hours or until meat and potatoes are tender.
- Serve over top couscous and sprinkle with green onions if desired.
Notes
If short on time, you can skip browning the meat in step 2, simply place meat directly in the slow cooker, it will still be delicious.
adapted from bhg.com
This recipe is featured at:
Merry Monday
Just tried this amazing recipe. We both loved it. I was worried about the cumin and cinnamon mix but since we love both spices I gave it a shot. So glad I did.
Hi Bonnie, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, it is one of my family’s favorites!
This looks so very delicious. Sweet potato makes any recipe stand out. this is perfect for winter nights
Healing Tomato recently posted…5 Tips For Baking The Perfect Sweet Potato
How pretty does this dish look? Wow, great photos, delicious slow cooker meal – what a winner!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over recently posted…Fall Harvest Salad #MeatlessMonday
We love slow cooked meals and this looks hearty and flavorful! Can’t wait to put this one on the menu!
Sandra recently posted…Pork Rice Balls & Pass The Pork Blogger Tour
What a beautiful fall meal! I adore sweet potatoes!
linda spiker recently posted…Bacon Siracha Chicken Skewers and Coconut Rice
Your stew looks so bright and delicious. I would never have thought about adding apricots ..sounds interesting.
I love using the slow cooker! It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools! It just makes everything so tender!
one of my husbands and my first dates was to a great morrocan place in Minneapolis – complete with cushions on the floor and belly dancers – SO fun. I cannot wait to try and recreate the flavors at home – hopefully my kids are feeling adventurous!!
heather @french press recently posted…pumpkin apple smoothie bowl
I would love to go to Morocco! If for no other reason to over indulge in the delicious food!
Marye recently posted…Mexican Spaghetti Skillet Dinner
These flavours sound so comforting and delicious! That is awesome you got a lot of traveling in before children. You can still travel but I try to tell people, if you are an adventurous, get those trips in now because it may be a while for the next one 🙂
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer recently posted…Turkey Meatballs in a Creamy Portobello Mushroom Sauce
Yum! This sounds awesome. Love the flavors in here. Printing this to try someday soon!
Judy@ImBoredLetsGo recently posted…Curried Couscous Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
I do love tagine and this looks very colorful. We are big in to sweet potatoes at the moment as well so ticking all the boxes!
Caroline recently posted…Moussaka
Thank you Caroline! I’m with you, I just love sweet potatoes!
Joy recently posted…Italian Wedding Soup
Joy, this looks and sounds so good. I love sweet potatoes and all those spices are right up my alley 🙂 Visiting from the Weekend Social 🙂
Christy recently posted…Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownie Sundae
Thanks so much Christy!
Joy recently posted…Italian Wedding Soup
This looks so perfect! I wish I could take a bite right now! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being a part of our party. I hope to see you on tonight at 7 pm. It wouldn’t be a party without you!
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
Lou Lou Girls recently posted…DIY Ornament Ideas by Reesa from Momma Lew!
Thanks so much!
Joy recently posted…Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for linking up at the Home Matters Linky!
~Bonnie
Bonnie @ Our Secondhand House recently posted…20 Christmas Activities for Families with Tweens
Thanks Bonnie!
Joy recently posted…Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
I’m with your son on this…I’m sure it smells wonderful with cinnamon and cumin. I like exposing my son to foods from around the world. He thinks it’s fun too. Thanks for sharing with See Ya in the Gumbo this week!
Michelle recently posted…What’s the Haps Wednesday {Decorating the Tree}
Thanks so much Michelle! You are so right, it does smell wonderful 🙂
Joy recently posted…Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
What a great tip! Hello, my name is Misty, from The LadyPrefers2Save at http://theladypreferstosave.com, and I’m one of the new co-hosts for the Merry Monday Linky Party! I wanted to write and let you know that your project will be featured as one of my featured projects this week on the Merry Monday Party, on my blog, as well as will be linked to the Merry Monday Pinterest board, as well. Thanks for linking up at the Merry Monday’s Linky Party this week. Have an awesome week!
Misty Nicole Overstreet-Roberts (The Lady Prefers To Save) recently posted…Dollar General: Last Day of Harvest Seasonal Items & Pre-Black Friday Toy Savings!
Hi, thanks so much! I’m thrilled to be featured at Merry Mondays on your wonderful website!!
Joy recently posted…Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
I just wanted to personally invite your to week #9 of #PureBlogLove Link Party, for Recipes and DIY crafts! I absolutely love your blog, I can’t wait to see what you will share with us! Starts tonight (Thursday-Sunday) !
XoXo
Heidy L. McCallum
Heidy @TheMccallumsShamrockPatch recently posted…#PureBlogLove DIY-Craft and Recipe Link Party #9
Thanks so much Heidy! I will definitely be over at #PureBlogLove!
Joy recently posted…Banana Coconut Bread
Thank you so much for attending week 8 of #PureBlogLove and linking your fantastic blog post, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for our party next week Thursday 8 PM EST- Sundays at midnight. Your post has been added to the #PureBlogLove Pinterest board for all to see 🙂 Have a great day!
Nicole
http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/
Nicole Neverman recently posted…#PureBlogLove Link Party – Week 8
Thanks Nicole! I will definitely be back at #PureBlogLove!
Joy recently posted…Banana Coconut Bread
Love all the freshness of this dish. Thanks for sharing at Foodie Fridays. Hope to see you again this week.
Blessings,
Shari
Pure Grace Farms recently posted…Preserve the Harvest Series: How to Preserve and Store Pumpkin
Thanks Shari, I will definitely be back at Foodie Fridays!
Joy recently posted…Crock Pot Chicken & Corn Chili
My husband would love this! Can I use chicken or pork? I don’t eat beef. Maybe he won’t mind eating the whole thing himself with the beef!!
AnnMarie recently posted…Tips on Starting Your Christmas Cookies Now!
This would definitely work with chicken or pork! You could also go vegetarian and use chickpeas 😉
Joy recently posted…Crock Pot Chicken & Corn Chili
Looks delicious! I don’t think I have ever had Moroccan food, but I love trying foods from other cultures. I have a feeling I would like it! Thanks so much for linking up with us at Foodie Fridays!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life recently posted…Super Sandwiches at #FoodieFridays no 18
Thanks Michelle! Hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Joy recently posted…Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Tagine