Slow Cooker Kefta Tagine
Perfect for a cold night, this Moroccan-style stew combines flavorful meatballs, rich tomato sauce, and poached eggs, and can be thrown in the crockpot at the beginning of the day to be ready when you get home. I love kefta but had never seen a slow cooker version, so I adapted this from a stovetop recipe.
Perfect for a cold night, this Moroccan-style stew combines flavorful meatballs, rich tomato sauce, and poached eggs, and can be thrown in the crockpot at the beginning of the day to be ready when you get home. I love kefta but had never seen a slow cooker version, so I adapted this from a stovetop recipe.
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon parsley chopped
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 small onion finely grated
- 1 small bunch parsley chopped, plus more for sprinkling
- 16 oz diced tomatoes
- 16 oz tomato puree
- cold water
- Carbohydrate 22.315292669477 g
- Cholesterol 263.2307029 mg
- Fat 28.860441900857 g
- Fiber 4.9852450781203 g
- Protein 30.5893663000843 g
- Saturated Fat 9.05940568727535 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (469g)
- Sodium 294.573544874904 mg
- Sugar 17.3300475913567 g
- Trans Fat 3.5433603857368 g
- Calories 463 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the minced beef or lamb, onion, cumin, paprika, ground coriander, ground ginger and parsley in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper, then mix well and shape into 1-inch balls.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and saute the kefta for about 5–7 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer the kefta to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Combine the diced and pureed tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Pour over the kefta, making sure to cover them.
- Turn the slow cooker to high for four hours or to low for 8 hours. until onions and garlic are softened. Make small indentations in the tomato sauce with a spoon and then crack four eggs into the indentations. Return lid to the slow cooker and turn to high (if not on high already) and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until egg white has change color. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.
Ground cumin, paprika, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon carry the aromatic weight of this dish, transforming simple minced meat and tomatoes into a complex stew. Testing this adaptation revealed immediate textural vulnerabilities that trap careless cooks, specifically regarding the eggs and the meat browning phase. Browning the meatballs in a skillet before transferring them to the slow cooker renders out excess fat and creates a protein crust that prevents the meat from disintegrating during four to eight hours of moist heat.
Freezing, Reheating, and Storage Mechanics
Sauce and cooked meatballs freeze successfully for up to three months in an airtight container, provided eggs are omitted entirely before freezing. Eggs toughen drastically and turn rubbery when subjected to freezing and subsequent thawing. Freeze only the base stew. Thaw the base overnight in the refrigerator, reheat it on the stovetop until simmering, and crack fresh eggs into the hot liquid during the final ten minutes of reheating. Cook until the egg whites turn opaque and the yolks remain soft.
- Skipping the initial meat-browning step releases too much fat into the sauce, creating an oily surface slick.
- Adding raw eggs at the beginning of the slow cooker cycle results in completely overcooked, chalky yolks.
- Failing to chop the fresh garlic finely enough leaves harsh, raw pockets throughout the finished tomato purée.
