Moroccan-Spiced Beef Tagine with Herbed Couscous

Aromatic beef tagine featuring tender beef simmered with warm Moroccan spices, sweet potatoes, and dried apricots in a savory tomato sauce, served over light and fluffy herbed couscous.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 1 hr 45 min
• Total: 2 hr 5 min
• Servings: 3
• Cuisine: Moroccan
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $8.88/serving

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• comfort food
• roast
• savory
• spicy
• sweet

Ingredients

• 1.5 pound beef chuck roast (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (large, chopped)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 2 cup beef broth
• 1 sweet potato (large, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 0.5 cup dried apricots (halved)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 1.25 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
• 0.5 lemon (juiced)

Instructions

1. Pat the beef chuck roast cubes dry with paper towels. Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove beef and set aside.
3. Add the chopped yellow onion to the pot and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and grated fresh ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground turmeric to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to bloom the spices.
5. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of beef broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the seared beef to the pot.
6. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, add the cubed sweet potato and halved dried apricots to the tagine. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 30-45 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sweet potatoes are soft.
8. While the tagine finishes cooking, prepare the herbed couscous. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of instant couscous with a pinch of salt. Pour 1 1/4 cups of hot water over the couscous, cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
9. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley and the juice of 1/2 lemon.
10. Serve the Moroccan-spiced beef tagine hot over a bed of herbed couscous.

Notes

For an authentic flavor, you can finish the tagine with a drizzle of honey before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 760
• Protein: 59.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 68.3 g
• Fat: 28.5 g
• Fiber: 11.5 g
• Sodium: 1300 mg
• Saturated Fat: 9.8 g
• Sugar: 21.7 g
• Cholesterol: 165 mg