Slow-cooked Moroccan Beef Stew with Dates
This Moroccan beef stew with dates produces fork-tender meat that falls off the bones. The contrasting flavors from the sweet dates and hot, spicy paprika create a flavorful gravy that is absolutely delicious over steamed rice or couscous.
During my travels, one of my favorite foods to enjoy is Middle Eastern food, especially Moroccan food. There is so much to leave about the Middle Eastern foods from simple chickpea hummus but also amazing kebabs and grills.
When I met Ziv, I had an excuse to cook and try my favorite foods all the time. Being born in Israel, hummus, falafels, and grills were home to him, so no matter where we lived, we had to have some of that often.
About this recipe
The recipe for this stew doesn’t get any easier. Dates add a subtle sweetness to the beef, and hot paprika adds a hint of spice. When combined, these sweet and spicy flavors create an amazing burst of complex flavors.
For years, I’ve cooked this over the stovetop, but now that I have a slow cooker, I often use it to make this beef. The advantage of a slow cooker is that you can leave it unattended. The disadvantage is that it does not allow the liquid to evaporate, giving you more gravy, which works better when served with rice and couscous.
Whether I use a slow cooker or not, I still prefer to sear the meat on the stovetop so I don’t miss out on all the flavor from that caramelization. After all, it’s all about building layers of flavor.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef—I like to use chuck roast, brisket, or round, which are good for slow cooking and stews. I never buy already-cut beef labeled beef for stew. These are offcuts from different parts that often produce very different textures in the stew.
- Date – I use Medjool dates. These are soft and almost disappear when cooked. They are not much, but the flavor they add to the beef is huge.
- Hot Paprika—Make it a nice hot, smoky paprika. The contrasting flavors of sweet dates with this hot, smoky paprika are the real essence of this dish. You think it will be spicy, but in reality, it’s not.
- Ginger—In Moroccan cooking, ground ginger is used. However, you can use 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger.
- Spices – Cinnamon, cumin, and paprika are commonly used in Moroccan cooking and can be found in any supermarket.
Step-by-step instructions
- Trim off excess fat from the meat. Using a sharp chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board, cut the beef into large bite-size cubes and set aside.
- Season with salt and pepper, and toss in the flour – coat well.
Pro tip – The flour gives these that toasted brown look and will help thicken the sauce later. - In a pan or Dutch oven pot over medium heat, sear the beef on all sides.
Pro tip – Cook for two minutes on one side before turning over. Then, cook for two minutes on the other side as well. - Once the beef is browned, add the chopped onions, garlic, and ginger and saute for a minute.
- Then, add the tomato paste, spices (paprika, cinnamon, and cumin) – broth, and bay leaves.
- Season again with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the chopped dates all over, making sure they do not clump together. Combine well.
Stovetop
- Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for one hour or two until the meat is fork-tender. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water if necessary to prevent it from sticking at the bottom.
Pro tip – Depending on the cut of meat you use, it will take between 1 and 2 hours. For example, brisket takes me almost 2 hours, stew meat makes just 1 1/2 hour or less. - When cooked to fork-tender, adjust the gravy by adding a bit more water, depending on how you will serve it.
Pro tip – If you serve it with chapati, naan, or roti, keep it thick. And if you serve with rice, add a little water to make a gravy.
Slow-cooker
- Alternatively, transfer to a slow cooker or crockpot and cook until the meat is fork-tender.
Pro tip – You can cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Personally, I like cooking on low so the meat is moist, juicy, and fork-tender.
Instant couscous
- Place the couscous in a bowl and stir in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the boiling water.
- Cover and let rest for 5 mins, then fluff with a fork. Add in the herbs and chopped dates.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
If stored properly, this stew will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Chuck roast, round steak, blade steak, topside, silverside, and shin stake are best for slow cooking. They take a while to become tender, but they can endure slow cooking, stewing, and roasting and absorb flavors very well.
You can use chicken thighs instead of beef, but the cooking time will be much shorter as the chicken cooks faster. On the stovetop, it will take about an hour or more on low heat, while in the slow cooker, you can cook it on high for 3 hours.
Steamed rice or couscous is very popularly served with Moroccan food. But you can also try a side of potatoes, like mashed potatoes. And, rice pilafs and pilaus are perfect with slow-cooked meats such as quick vegetable-pilaf or fragrant rice with fruit and nuts. If you are looking for a low-carb alternative, try cauliflower rice.
Almost any vegetable works great on the side. Try
quick garlic sesame asparagus or garlic Parmesan asparagus, Swiss chard patties, sesame green beans, oven-baked butternut squash, oven-baked carrot sticks.
I have a few recipes that you may enjoy, like
Moroccan Chicken Skewers, or Moroccan Beef Kebabs. I also make a very delicious Moroccan Chraime, which is fish in spicy tomato sauce and Moroccan Stuffed Squash.
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Recipe Card
Moroccan Beef Stew with Dates
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Beef chuck roast or similar
- 1 cup (150 g) Dates chopped
- ½ cup Onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil olive or canola
- 1 tbsp Ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated)
- 1 tbsp Garlic grated
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 cups (470 ml) Chicken or beef both
- 1 ½ tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tsp Hot paprika (or use half sweet paprika)
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
For the Couscous
- 1 cup (200 g) Couscous
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) Boiling water
- ½ cup Herbs chopped parsley or cilantro
- 2 Dates finely chopped
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Trim off excess fat from the meat. Using a sharp chef's knife and sturdy cutting board cut the beef into large bite-size cubes and set aside.
- Season with salt, pepper, and toss in the flour – coat well.Tip – The flour gives these that toasted brown look and will help thicken the sauce later.
- In a pan or Dutch oven pot over medium heat sear the beef on all sides. Tip – Cook 2 minutes on one side before you turn over. Then cook 2 minutes on the other side as well.
- Once the beef is browned – add in the chopped onions, garlic, and ginger – saute a minute.
- Then, add the tomato paste, spices (paprika, cinnamon and cumin) – broth, and bay leaves.
- Season again with salt and pepper and sprinkle the chopped dates all over making sure they do not clump in one place. Combine well.
Stovetop
- Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for one hour or two until the meat is fork-tender. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water if necessary to prevent it from sticking at the bottom.Tip – Depending on the cut of meat you use, it will take between 1 to 2 hours. For example, brisket takes me almost 2 hours, stew meat makes just 1 1/2 hour or less
- When cook to fork-tender, adjust gravy by adding a bit more water depending on how you going to serve it.Tip – If you serve it with chapati, naan, or roti – keep it thick. If you serve with rice, add a little water to make a gravy.
Slow-cooker
- Alternatively, transfer to a slow cooker or crockpot, and cook until the meat is fork-tenderTip– You can cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or for 3 to 4 hours on high. Personally, I like cooking on low so the meat is moist, juicy and fork-tender
Instant couscous
- Place couscous in a bowl, stir in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the boiling water.
- Cover and let rest for 5 mins then fluff with a fork. Add in the herbs and chopped dates
- Enjoy!
My family really enjoyed this, my 3 year old included. A great recipe!
Thankyou Kristin
Am I missing something? I can’t see in your cooking instructions when to add the paprika, cummin and cinnamon?
Sorry, Dan. I had the word spices but now I’ve made it clearer. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Will have to try mutton masala – he’ll probably love that too ?
This recipe is my son’s absolute favourite – I make it every so often to spoil him 🙂 We love it 🙂 I make quite a few of your recipes and enjoy them all – personal favourite is the coconut cake. Going to try the eggless strawberry cupcakes next – just saw them on facebook. Thanks for sharing your recipes
Thank you, Pene. So happy to hear this is your son’s favorite. My Rhea loves this very much. Mutton masala is her favorite though. Glad you are enjoying my recipes. Thank you for coming back to write these feedback.
Hadn’t thought of using mutton for a change – must try it, thanks ?
I would like to make this dish for a group of 40. From your helpful instructions, I know to use 13.2 lbs of beef and 13 TBS of flour . However, there is no adjustment to the other ingredients. Do you double, triple or quadruple the other ingredients.
Thank you
Hey Diana. If you look at the recipe card at the bottom. You will see it says 8 servings. Change that number to what ever you want (40) and it will calculate everything for you.
Let me know if you have any doubts and I’ll be happy to help.
Thanks
I was sceptical on dates and beef but boy is it a delicious combo! Thankyou 🙂
Yes, Tilly it actually is a wonderful combination
I’m salivating reading the ingredient list for this. It sounds incredibly flavourful and using the slow cooker just makes it even better. Can’t wait to try this!
Absolutely, Colleen. Slow cooker does make a big difference.
Ive never used hot paprika but I’m going to try this!! Thank you!
Thanks, Mindy. If you don’t want the heat add some smoked sweet paprika instead.
I’m a big fan of Moroccan flavors, and agree the meat and dried fruit combination goes so well. Love the flavors here, and the slow cooker helps them all come together.
Thanks, Caroline. Yes, dried fruit in meats is always wonderful
This slow cooked Moroccan beef sounds delicious and anything in a slow cooker=YUM! Will definitely save this recipe for later Veena.
Thank you, Cathy. yes, love the slow cooker. So much easier.
All the flavors in this sounds amazing! I especially like the dates and the hot paprika! So full of flavor!
Thank you, Pam. Yes, sweet dates and hot paprika are wonderful in this
Made this for Christmas and it was fabulous! Was asked for the recipe by one attendee, and by the mother-in-law of another, who tasted some of th leftovers at their house a couple of days later:-) I wasn’t serving couscous and had a lot of guests, so I upped the beef to over 4lbs without changing anything else.
Thank you so much, Meryl. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much. Yes, the sauce is so good. Even with 4lbs meat, it should be ok. If you make couscous the sauce gets over quickly. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who tried my recipes.
I love the spice blend in this, right up my street! Can’t wait to try the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Chris.
I have this special place in my heart for Moroccan food. This sounds just amazing, loving all the flavors!
Thank you Danielle.
I love dates but haven’t used them in cooking yet! I’d say it’s the highest time to try! 🙂
Absolutely, you must try. So delish
I love Morrocan spice blends. It is always slow cooker season so this definitely speaks to me. Going to save this, maybe I will make this during the week, just set on low before I go to work. Coming home to a home filled with great kitchen smells is one of my favorites. Thanks!
OH coming home to a slow cooker with meat cooking is unbelievable.
This looks like the perfect warm and comforting meal for a cold night.
It is Ellen. You will enjoy it.
This is really yummy – I’ve made it twice already. Family were not fans of couscous (which I love). But that’s ok, I just served with rice the second time. Yum! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much Pene.. So happy to hear this. I love such feedback. yes, we do love it with rice as well. Thank you for your feedback.
10 mins of work time…. 2 hours of wait time and then a delicious, hot slow cooked meal. OMG… I can’t wait to try this! I LOVE paprika and dates. Sounds like a winner 🙂
Absolutely this would be perfect for you Kirsten.. you can come home to a delicious home cooked beef and dates..
I love the sound of this dish. All the spices and the dates…plus the heat….oh yes!! Also the leftovers would be sooo good. I would make a huge batch and even freeze some.
Ah Gloria..I love how you think. Next time I’m sure making more and freezing.. my kids love this dish
I love this combination of flavours! I bet the dates just melt into the sauce after all the long cooking.and the spicy paprika just rounds the flavour! husband doesn’t like meat with fruit unfortunately but you said that it doesn’t taste seeet so I might even try making it
Oh yes Julia.. the dates were gone.. not one to be found later. Just part of the thick sauce. I don’t think your hubby will know they are dates.. it;s not really so obvious.
I remember my first encounter with Moroccanfood was in a restaurant and the meat and fruit combination confused my tastebuds. It was a brief confusion though as I now love it! Your recipe looks amazing, I love the video too 😀
Ah that is true.. many think the fruit will make it sweet but it really does compliment the dish well.
That;s a beautiful flavour profile – beef, dates and hot paprika. If you hadn’t said otherwise I’d have expected it to be spicy hot. I’d love to try this recipe out.
Great to hear that Lucy- It really is very simple and flavorful.
I really a big fan of slow cooker recipes. Such a great idea to use dates for sweetness in this.
Indeed Stephanie. So glad to hear that. Yeah a slow cooker would work great
Great flavors! Love how simple it is! Looks so luscious!! I love such dishes
Thanks Mary
I’ve never thought to add dates to my stew. What a great way to add sweetness, naturally!
Exactly Jasmin the dates add natural sweetness and flavor.
Looks and sounds so flavorful and comforting! I love how easy this is.! I can almost smell the falvors
Thank you Catherine
This looks so amazing and tender, I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love when the meat is so tender and juicy
Thank you Emily. yeah the best part of slow cooking is that the meat does become tender
I love the natural sweetness dates add to a dish and this looks delicious. Saving this for later.
So true Janette. Date has so an amazing sweetness that really compliments the beef so well.
We are always looking for new slow cooker recipes. This sounds delicious!
Thank you Melissa.Great to hear that
Yum this looks delicious Veena and I love the flavor of smokey paprika with meat.
Me too Arlene hot paprika and meat do so well together.
I’m always looking for new slow cooker recipes, this sounds delicious! I never thought to add dates to a beef dish before but I bet it tastes great together
Date really go well with beef Sarah and yet this will work great with a slow cooker for sure