Beef and Onion Tagine: Authentic Moroccan Recipe
Last Updated on 14th July 2025 by Jessie
Okay, as an Australian woman who poached tips and tricks from Moroccan friends and online articles to develop this recipe, I can’t entirely validate its ‘authenticity’. But this beef and onion tagine is a dish that my friend and I perfected in our Tamraght apartment, and it’s a bit of a showstopper.
It consists of tender, slow-cooked beef nestled amongst a rich, melty raisin and onion sauce – bnina bzeffff. Cooking this dish will give you a newfound sense of appreciation for the wonder and power of the humble tagine. And if you don’t already own one, you will be frantically ensuring there’s space left in your suitcase to bring one home from your Moroccan adventure.
If you’re staying in Tamraght, this beef and onion tagine also serves as the perfect opportunity to get to know all the grocery haunts of the local community. You can source the beef from the local butcher, challenge yourself to guess the spices by scent from your favourite mini-market, and hit up the weekly open-air souk for your vegetables.
Check out this post for a local’s guide to shopping in Tamraght.
Beef and Onion Tagine Recipe
This beef and onion tagine is a family-sized feast, perfect for sharing – as all tagines should be. It serves between 4-6 people as a main dish, with plenty of khobz and a Moroccan salad if you fancy.
COOKING TIME: 2.5 – 3 hours, plus marinating.
Ingredients
- Swig of olive oil
- 2 brown onions; sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic; diced
- Small knob of garlic; diced
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1kg beef chuck or shoulder; roughly cut into large chunks (around 5cm)
- Small knob of butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 cup of raisins (can be swapped for dates)
- Handful of sliced almonds
Method
- AHEAD OF TIME: Pat the beef dry, then mix the ground spices together and rub half of them evenly over the meat. Reserving the other half for later. Cover and allow the meat to marinate in the fridge overnight, or at least an hour or two if it’s more of a spur of the moment feast. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Heat a tagine (or casserole dish) on the stove with a swig of olive oil. Add the chunks of beef, turning regularly for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add a drizzle more olive oil if needed, then add the sliced onions and allow them to fry for a moment before adding the garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and sautée for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and browned.
- Return the beef to the tagine along with the remaining spices and another pinch of salt. Spoon the onions over the meat so that it’s somewhat covered. The onions should have melted down and created quite a bit of liquid. If not, add a cup of water.
- Cover with the lid and allow to cook on a medium-low heat for 1.5 hours, or until the meat is tender. Check the liquid levels occasionally, adding more water if needed. But note that releasing the steam will prolong the cooking time, so avoid removing the lid too often.
- TIP: If the sauce is bubbling over, place a metal spoon between the lid and base of the tagine, to create a small gap for air to escape.
- Add the honey and butter, and sprinkle over the raisins and almonds. Replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. The raisins should soften and the sauce should reduce to a thick, syrup-like consistency.
Serve immediately with fresh bread, on a low table with floor cushions, no cutlery, and good hungry company. How’s that for authenticity?
For the perfect companion, check out this recipe for Moroccan salad.
More Recipes to Try:
Berber Omelette
Moroccan Salad
Moroccan Mint Tea
Kefta Tagine
Harira Soup with Lamb
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