Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout
Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout is a rich and flavourful Moroccan casserole with chunks of tender, spiced lamb. It’s easy to make in the slow cooker and a great recipe to have in your repertoire.

Why make Slow Cooker Lamb Ras El Hanout?
If you love the warming spices cinnamon, ginger, cumin and coriander, then you’ll enjoy this tasty dish. It’s a dish that is fragrant spicy rather than hot spicy and this combination works really well with lamb.
There’s very little preparation required simply put the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it cook long and slow until the meat is tender and infused with spice.
What ingredients do I need to make Lamb Ras el Hanout?
Most of the ingredients are ones that you will be familiar with and may already have in your larder or fridge. Here is what you will need:
- lamb
- Ras el Hanout spice mix
- vegetable oil
- onion
- garlic
- honey
- tomatoes
- lamb stock
- fresh thyme leaves
- salt and freshly ground pepper
A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.
What kind of lamb should I use?
I use shoulder of lamb for this recipe. It is a less expensive cut that is ideal for slow cooking, you could also use leg of lamb or you can sometimes get pre-cut lamb for stewing. Try to get a cut of lamb that is no too fatty, as the fat renders down during the slow cooking and can make your dish oily.
What is Ras El Hanout?
Ras El Hanout is a common Moroccan spice mix. The name is Arabic for “head of the shop” and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer. Ras el hanout is used in many savoury dishes, sometimes rubbed on meat, used as a marinade or stirred into rice.
You can buy Ras El Hanout in most supermarkets that stock a range of spices.
I don’t have Ras el Hanout spice mix, what can I substitute?
Ras El Hanout contains a mixture of spices but each mix may be slightly different. Here are some of the spices that can be included:
Cloves, Mace, Star Anise, Cayenne Pepper, All Spice, Cardamon, Black pepper, Sugar, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Nutmeg, Paprika, Salt, Turmeric.
You can find many recipes online to help you make your own spice blend including this one from Feasting at Home.
Why should I add honey to a savoury casserole?
It’s traditional to add something sweet to a savoury Moroccan dish. It can be dates, dried apricots or in this case honey. The sweetness really works with the rich lamb and the acidity of the tomatoes. It won’t be sweet like a dessert but it will enhance the sweetness of the lamb.
What kind of tomatoes should I use?
I use good quality canned chopped tomatoes, but you can use canned whole tomatoes or really ripe fresh tomatoes. I grow plum tomatoes in my greenhouse and freeze them for soups and stews. They are good for this recipe as they have more flesh than juice and lots of flavour.
Can I use dried thyme instead of fresh?
If you don’t have fresh thyme then, of course, you can use dried thyme. You don’t need as much dried herb as fresh because the flavour is concentrated by the drying process. For this recipe use one teaspoon of dried thyme instead of the two teaspoons of fresh thyme.
What kind of Slow Cooker can I use to make Slow Cooker Lamb Ras El Hanout?
I have a slow cooker with a metal pot that can go on the stove (Sear and Stew) but I also have a slow cooker with a crockery pot. You can make this recipe in either of these. You can also use the slow cooker option on a multi-cooker.
Can I make Lamb Ras El Hanout in the oven?
Yes, you can cook the spiced lamb in the oven. Double the quantity of lamb stock as it will evaporate more in the oven, and cook at 140C /300 F for 2 1/2 hours.
Can I make this recipe in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot)?
Use the ingredients from the recipe and follow the instructions in your pressure cooker instruction booklet for a beef or lamb stew. This should give you the best results.
Can I make Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout ahead of time?
Like all slow cooked stews Lamb Ras el Hanout will actually improve by being made the day before you want to eat it. The flavours of the spices will deepen and merge with the other ingredients.
When the lamb is cooked, let it cool a little, then spoon it into a lidded container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot before serving.
Can I freeze Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout?
This dish is ideal for freezing. Let the Lamb Ras el Hanout cool a little, spoon it into a freezerproof container. You can divide it up into portions if that suits, sometimes it’s good to be able to choose the number of portions you want to defrost and reheat.
Put the container in the fridge until it is fully cooled then freeze. You can keep the spicy lamb stew in the freezer for up to 6 months without any deterioration in quality.
Defrost overnight in the fridge or use the defrost setting on your microwave. Reheat until piping hot and serve as suggested below.
Vegetarian
This recipe contains meat and is not suitable for vegetarians.
Gluten Free
There are no wheat products in this recipe, however please check any packaged items, including the spice mix to ensure that it is suitable for your dietary requirements.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout?
I like to serve Lamb Ras el Hanout with couscous as it’s perfect to soak up all the delcious spicy juices. You can make plain couscous or try my Easy Roast Pepper and Tomato Couscous for an extra pop of flavour.
It’s an ideal dish for both a casual family meal or include it in a themed dinner with a Moroccan menu.
More Slow Cooker Lamb Recipes

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Slow Cooker Lamb Ras el Hanout
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 pounds) lamb shoulder or other braising cut
- 2 teaspoon Ras El Hanout
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 400 grams (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
- 150 millilitres (⅔ cups) lamb stock
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Cut 1 kg (2 lb) lamb into chunks and place into the slow cooker.
- Add 2 teaspoons of Ras el Hanout, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons honey, a 400 gram (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes, 150 ml (⅔ cup) lamb stock and 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme.
- Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, then mix all the ingredients together.
- Put the lid on your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Serve with couscous
I adore slow-cooked lamb and I adore ras el hanout, so this dish could have been made with me in mind! And a perfect entry too for the latest #TheSpiceTrail challenge. Thanks so much for linking up 🙂
You are welcome Vanesther, it's one of my favourites too.
I love Ras El Hanout it works really well with paneer , an Indian cheese.
Such a lovely sounding recipe! I really do like the spice blends from our House of Spice, so I bet this dish tastes fantastic! It's been awhile since I've slow cooked anything, but I have, and I've linked up! 🙂
Janice, beautiful shot making me want to dig right in.
love ras al hanout and lamb – a classic combination.This looks delicious. I never think it's too hot to use the slow cooker in my opinion – one of my favourite cooking methods.