Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

This recipe is fabuloso BUT it must be low cooked (after when recipe says it’s done), for 3-4 more hours to get that YUM YUM flavor. I multiplied the recipe by 5. Froze the leftovers for a snow storm day. So delicious.

why would you use a super tender, very expensive cut of beef? Braises, like this one, are meant for leaner, tougher cuts of meat like chuck. Don't waste you money essentially boiling a piece of meat that should be cooked quickly to medium rare to medium.

With all the positive reviews we were interested to try. Made exactly per recipe and found the flavor unidimensional and the beef was not tender (despite buying recommended cut). Cooking in a slow cooker might help with texture of beef and flavor development. Won't make again.

This was yummy. Perfectly spiced. Nice balance of flavors—sweet squash paired with the cinnamon and savory tomatoes then the slightly spicy red pepper. If I had been served this in a restaurant, I would be very pleased.
I tried to follow the recipe closely (although I did not have shallots so used a half of a yellow onion), but 1 tablespoon of oil with that amount of lean beef and onions is not enough. I used 2 or 2 and a half tablespoons of oil.
Also, more salt than is called for is needed.
The squash took far longer than 15 minutes to become tender—closer to 35 minutes (my friend says it's because we're at high altitude—5500 ft. I don't know about that). So anyway, I would recommend using a bit more liquid, a quarter cup or so, since more liquid cooks off in the longer cooking time—a little red wine would probably work well.
I served ours atop millet. Very tasty!

Did you add any other spices like some of the other reviews state or did you follow the spices in the recipe?  

I have made this recipe twice both times in the crockpot, browning the beef first on the stovetop. Low an slow made even not-super-tender stew beef turn out great, plus I think the extra cook time gives all those great spices time to deepen (it's pretty spicy after cooking for 4-6 hours. I thickened the sauce just before serving with a little four and water which I think made it even better. Cheers!

I am the kind of cook/baker who never repeats any recipe. There are too many new dishes to try! And yet, I'm back on this site because I am making this recipe now for the 3rd time. The first two times I couldn't get enough. It's so easy to make, reheats really well, and is a crowd-pleaser. I also used my crockpot after browning the beef/shallots in the spices. Once I roasted the butternut squash in the oven and added it near the end just to sit in the sauce a bit. The other time I just threw it in about an hour before turning off the crockpot. Both ways worked great. I'm a little partial to the flavor of roasting so may do that again.

Excellent recipe. Full of flavor.

I love this recipe! I actually woke up this morning looking forward to having its leftovers for lunch. I followed the recipe for the spices. However, I bought stewing beef (my butcher didn't have the recommended beef and also said that the particular cut listed should be slow cooked for 4-6 hours) and I thought it turned out very tender. The butternut squash was nowhere near cooked after 15 minutes. I ended up leaving the stew on the stove for another 20 minutes. I served over couscous a la Moroccan style. This is going in my frequently-used folder of recipes. 

This is so excellent and could be served for company!

Quick and bursting with flavor!!

I plan on making this again as there was some user error when I used stew beef instead of the cut that the recipe called for. This resulted in very tough and chewy meat. Otherwise I really enjoyed the flavor profiles.

Served with Butternut Squash Ravioli. Everyone enjoyed it!

Wish I'd tried it in the crockpot. Next time, I will. Meat was not tender, largely due to the fact that my store did not have the exact cut called for, so the butcher told me that top round steak would work but it was tough and chewy. I would also cut both the meat and the squash in smaller pieces. The flavor was very different - nice change.

Fabulous. I did this in the slow cooker and it was easy and turned out perfectly. I coated the beef cubes in the seasoning then browned on the stovetop and the popped it in the slow cooker with everything, except the squash which I added about 3 hours before serving time (cooked a total of about 9 hours on low). The meat was so tender. Served with couscous (with toasted slivered almonds and raisins) and green beans (with browned butter and more slivered almonds) and a lovely red wine. It was for an important meal with important guests and they were all very impressed. All clean plates and loads of compliments.

Deliciously different for our kitchen, and a fun trip to Wikipedia to read about "tagine." Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!

Made this tonight for dinner for my husband and I. This is different from what I would normally do with beef tips. I may make this again, but it's not something that I couldn't live without. I used beef broth instead of chicken broth. I may have forgotten to put in the crushed red pepper and I omitted the cilantro. I served over white rice.

This is one of my favorite CL Recipes, which I've made several times. It's very flavorful & delicious, but does require a little longer cooking time. I also add about a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin. If you need help peeling and chopping the butternut squash, CL has a great video with this recipe. Enjoy!

One of the best things I've ever made from the magazine! This was a super easy recipe that was full of flavor!

I added a little more paprika by accident and used regular chicken stock and tomatoes not low salt. I didn't have to add more salt in this way at the end like i normally would. We like heat so I added a little more red pepper than called for. We substituted yams for squash because I don't like squash. It was really good. The key with the squash was to boil them before or while the meat is cooking and then only half boil it so that you can still throw it in at the end. We were able to cook to the recipe time doing this. Also, we did serve it over the scallion couscous which gave some kick to the dish due to the scallion flavor add. Next time I will do the same but try quinoa for extra protein. This is going in our monthly favorites!

After reading all the negative reviews about how this dish was bland, I got a little nervous. I used heaping spoonfulls of the spices in the recpie, and also added a teaspon of cumin to give it that extra push into Flavorville. I really loved this one. True, the butternut squash took about 10 extra minutes to cook, but other than that this recpie was excellent. I served it over rice pilaf and I thought it was amazing. Definitely different. The cinnamon really adds a ton of flavor. This is similar to several lamb dishes that I've made, with the earthy flavors. I was excited to use these flavors with the slightly less expensive ingredient. Will definitely make this again.

It was O.K., but I doubt I would make it again.

Followed the meat directions, then cooked in @ 325 degrees for 90 min, adding squash after 55 min. Used smoked paprika iso reg paprika. Very tasty dish!

Very flavorful and filling dish. Like most other reviewers, we had to cook the squash longer. I don't really know that the beef added much to the dish. I may do this as a vegetarian dish next time.

This dish was so delicious! I used very lean beef stew meat and added 3 or 4 dashes of allspice and cumin, and 1 dash of cloves - was perfect, I kept tasting the sauce as I adjusted the spices and also googled a couple of other recipes for the same dish and they added these 3 spices which turned a rather bland dish into a spectacular one. Served it with quinoa.

I really liked this recipe. I made no adjustments. I bought the squash cubed and had the butcher cut the beef, so it was fast to make. The house smells so good while it simmers. I also reheated it for lunch and it was still tender and full of flavor. I like my food spicy and this recipe delivers. As a side I made buckwheat and it complimented it very well. I will be making it again.

This is a good base recipe, but will definitely need some tweaks for next time. Here are my tips for perfection! - Beef shoulder is lean - so it doesn't do well sitting and simmering. It was SO tough and chewy by the end. Next time we will saute it in our castiron, remove and add back at the end. Would be nice lightly floured, but we'll skip that and keep it light! - We will personally add the red pepper later as well, since having it simmer from the beginning made it a bit spicier than we prefer. - We will use beef broth instead of chicken broth - it would have been a much better flavor and isn't a real difference in calories. - I think we will also use fresh tomatoes instead of canned. They were fine but fresh would be that much tastier! Don't skip the cilantro! We almost did and I'm glad we kept it - it was a big flavor boost! And this went great with plain couscous. This might even be a crock pot contender!

Nice recipe but the butternut squash was a bit difficult to work with. I would rate this higher if there were better instructions on how to prepare the squash for slicing. I followed the instructions on the video but had a tremendous amount of difficulty peeling and cubing the squash. Also the squash was not softened after only 15 minutes of simmering.

This was very, very good and I would love to serve it for guests. I oven roasted the squash at 425 for 15 minutes and then added it 10 minutes before the finish time. I also used fire-roasted tomatoes. I want to play around a little with the spices - some cardamon or curry-type spice might be interesting. Served over garlic couscous. Will definitely add this to our regular rotation.

Great flavors and good final product. However, I used 1/2 inch pieces of squash and cooked the tagine after adding them for 25 minutes. Next time, I will add more onion and squash (personal preference for more vegetables. I served this with the recommended "Scallion Couscous" which complemented the tagine nicely.

My family and I only have beef maybe once a month because we are not big fans (taste and health), that being said this recipe was great. I was a bit skeptical of adding those spices (paprika,cinnamon, ginger and red pepper) but they really complimented the beef and everything so very well. We have a new interesting favorite.

Nice flavor. Served with a crusty whole wheat roll.

Great way to use butternut squash. I was satisfied with the flavor the spices produced and thought it was very easy and quick. Served over regular cous cous, though I think it would have been good on it's on. Probably won't make again soon, but definitely a solid recipe.

one of the best cooking light recipes -- or recipes from any source -- that i've ever made. spicy and complex, yet so easy to make.

I absolutely love this dish, I call it a stew. I've made it numerous times, always with stew beef. I can never leave a recipe just as it is though, so like others, I make some changes here and there with the spices and additions. Love adding golden raisins and dried cranberries. I garnish with a generous portion of fresh cilantro, and often squeeze on some fresh lime juice, and a dollop of sour cream. I've gotten to the point now where I actually have a big spice bottle that is premixed with the spices I use for this dish, saves a little time, but that's how frequently I make this dish.

Made this recipe the way other reviewers recommended in the oven for 1.5 hours at 325. I used filet mignon cubes, added carrots and raisins and served over Israeli couscous. Very fragrant delicious one pot recipe, beef became nice and tender when it was slowly braised in the broth and tomato sauce. My family loved it. If you don't like spicy, half the crushed peppers. I loved this recipe so much I sent it to all my friends who love to cook. Definitely a great recipe- comfort food with less than 300 calories and nothing about it feels "light". This will be in my arsenal for years to come.

We loved this. Very fragrant, great aromatic spices, beautiful to look at. I managed to get my 10 year old son to eat butternut squash without complaining when I made this dish.

super easy and delish

Used stew beef, simmered for several hours, added more spices (because my family prefers lots of flavor), grilled the butternut squash and used onions (no shallots in the store).

Good, somewhat outside of the norm recipe. I'll didn't get the type of beef the recipe called for and either overcooked what I had or just had too tough of a cut. Even with that, the flavors were outstanding and I'm looking forward to the leftovers today. I served it over couscous with raisins and the sweetness was a good touch for my family.

I was looking for a beef dish that my family would like as I tend to cook a LOT of chicken and my family craves beef. My whole family loved this dish! Wasn't too time consuming to make and I made it with a cracked wheat tabbouleh (just substituted the wheat for quinoa in the quinoa tabbouleh recipe on this site) and served them next to each other in a bowl so you could eat them together if you wanted. Super tasty dish I will be adding to my regular cooking! I doubled everything pretty much since I cook for 6 and we had some left-overs for my lunch the next day. I make meals to deliver to other families frequently and would add this one to the dishes I like to make others.

While the beef was very flavorful, the sweetness, and overall aroma was over powering to me. I've never had a meal that tasted good, but smelled bad. For the recipe itself, I used stew beef to save myself some time. Personally, I prefer good old fashioned beef stew, and it's easier to make.

Really loved this. Followed the lead of some other commenters and played with the spices a bit: I used 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika and 1 tsp regular paprika (instead of 2 tsp of the regular), added 2 Tbsp of cumin and 1 tsp of turmeric, used onions instead of shallots (no shallots at all at the grocery store!), and added 1 Tbsp of tomato paste alongside the canned tomatoes. I simmered must longer than the recipe suggests to ensure the beef was really tender... and it turned out fantastic! Served over millet with plenty of cilantro - delicious. This is definitely a keeper!

This is a new family favorite. I doubled the seasonings and it was very tasty. LOVE the combination of flavors! We make it all the time and have shared the recipe with lots of friends and family. They all love it.

This was so good and easy to make! It was a party of flavors! My husband and I both loved it! I tripled the seasonings because I had a 2.5 pound roast but after trimming it, it turned out to be more like 2 pounds. The extra seasoning was spot on! We also like our food spicy so the extra red pepper flakes made it perfect! Will definitely make this again!

Beautiful dish. I made it exactly as the recipe called for and it was spectacular.

Good...My wife and I really enjoyed this dish, and it was really simple to prepare. I'm sure I'll make it again in the future.

Delicious. Even better as leftovers when the flavors really came together. I bought the squash already cubed and just threw everything into a crockpot. Good and easy.

This recipe was only ok. It was a lot of work for a relatively bland result. I probably won't make this again.

This recipe was fantastic. Not too spicey, but just right for Moroccan dishes. Served it over brown rice. Will serve over couscous next time. Beef was extremely tender and so was the squash. I believe it would also be excellent with some dried fruit as well. Thanks!

Outstanding flavors, and easy to make. We cubed the squash the day we bought groceries, so this came together quickly. I'm not always a fan of the texture of squash, but it held up well in this recipe and quickly took on the spicy, savory flavor from the broth.

I enjoyed this dish, as did my skeptical husband! I followed the recipe exactly and had no problems with squash being tender! The prep (cutting meat and squash) took about 15 minutes. Once the prep was done, the execution took about 30 minutes. Served with pearl couscous but will use smaller couscous next time. I will make this again!

This was just wonderful! My husband and I loved the sweet and spicy flavor and the colors were just beautiful. Thank you for this recipe, we will be making it for years to come.

I followed what others suggested and cooked much longer. Browned the meat, then cooked the shallots and garlic, added the broth (full can), the tomatoes and then the beef back to the dutch oven, then baked 45 mins in 325 oven. I added the squash and cooked for another 45 mins. It was wonderful!

Very good combinations of flavors. So easy to make and the possibilities are endless. I chose to cook the squash separate and mash, serving the beef on top of it. Very delicious!

Thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Took a chance and doubled it. Glad I did!

Extremely easy and delicious! I doubled the recipe for four adults and three kids and had leftovers. I served it over brown rice. I followed as directed except for the following: once I added the squash I let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours (last 1/2 hour uncovered); also I thickened the sauce with about 1 T. of corn starch about 15 minutes before being done which worked very well.

This was fantastic. I replaced the beef with some venison roast I cut up, and served over brown rice and a side salad. Fantastic, this meal with venison came to only 200 calories for a very filling helping. I would probably reduce the red pepper flakes if you like your food very mild.

Followed the recipe exactly. Wow, very flavorable.Broth was excellent. Next time I will add some quartered small red potatoes for a true one pot meal.

i would not make this again. there is way too much crushed red pepper and while i do love spicy it overwhelms the other spices. and what's with the 1lb of beef? i used a 3lb roast and followed the rest of the ingredients just the way they said to. i also cooked in a crockpot because i couldn't imagine a tender stew in such a limited amount of time. not a fan of this one SORRY!

Made it in the crockpot with stew meat and a side of polenta. It's soooo good! Definitely going into the lineup of regulars.

Why would you call this a tagine? If you check the definition of a tagine it says: Tajines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. I'm sure the flavors of this recipe would be greatly enhanced by slow cooking. Some dishes are not meant to be "quick and easy".

I really enjoyed this dish. I made a few changes; added ground coriander and ground cumin. I also cooked this in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes since I used stew meat and needed to cook it more for it to be tender. The squash was just a bit soft, so might go for 18 minutes next time. I would certainly make this again.

Made this last night with a few minor tweaks (sweet potatoes instead of squash and added carrots, used twice the broth). Extremely flavorful and super easy.

Wow! so much flavor and soo easy. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding a little more broth and also put the dutch oven in the oven for one hour at 300 degrees. i served over brown rice. i will definately make this again before the winter is over.

Nice, but as many other have, used cheaper beef and thus cooked for longer. Tasty though!

This has become one of my favorite recipes; kitchen smells heavenly when I make this. Wonderful dish!

I added 1/2 more spices to the meat than the recipe listed and browned the meat before putting it in the crockpot for about 4 hours. I also omitted the broth as stated by someone else. My husband is a picky eater, but we both liked this recipe.

Definatly company-worthy! It smelled amazing as it was cooking. Didn't have paprika so I substituted with medium-heat chili powder, used top sirloin and fresh butternut squash that cooked perfectly. Family loved it! Served it with couscous as pictured, the kids even asked for seconds. Will add more chicken broth next time to create more sauce, since it was so yummy over the couscous.

I made this in the slow cooker, as suggested, omitting the 1/2 cup of broth and it was simply fabulous. The smell from the kitchen was intoxicating while it cooked and the taste lived up to the expectations. This was very easy to prepare,especially since I was able to pick up pre-cut butternut squash in the grocery. Everything just went into the crock pot and I let it cook on high for 4 hours. Superb!

Great recipe and very tasty! I, too, had to simmer it a bit longer to get the butternut squash cooked through and since I used stew meat (all I could find on short notice) the meat was a bit tough. However, I am making this again tomorrow and will try the slow cooker method to get tender meat. Worth a try!

Husband loved it. Very easy to make and nice flavor.

This is so good on a cold night. The only thing I change is upping the spices by 1/4 or 1/2. This is a great way to use cheaper cuts of steak I find on sale.

This was a little too spicy for me, but the flavor melded nicely. I don't think I will make this again.

Very flavorful!

So delicious! I couldn't find beef shoulder/petite tender roast, so I bought some stew beef which the butcher said would work. It wasn't as tender as I'd expected but that may have been the cut of meat. However, the flavor was out of this world! Spicy and warm, and the house smells amazing. Hubby did not like the cinnamon flavor so beware if you have any picky eaters in your family. I served it alongside lightly buttered egg noodles. I wish hubby liked it because it is so good and SO easy, I want to make it all the time!

Excellent and easy dish!! I made my tagine almost exactly as the recipe calls; however, I added 2T of ground cumin to the recipe, and I omitted the salt. I also simmered the meat longer--30mins to tender :) So good!

This was really good. Made it pretty much as is except for 2 exceptions: 1. I put it all in the crockpot and let it cook on low all day. 2. Because it went in the crockpot, I didn't add extra broth, just the juice from the tomatoes, but the food gave off enough of its own juices to more than make up for the broth. Very tasty -- stirred in basil and cilantro at the end for freshness. Yummy!

Loved this recipe! I did follow the suggestion of putting the pot in the oven after it boiled. I put it in the over for an hour and twenty minutes at 325 degrees. Before serving I sprinkled cilantro and a splash of lemon juice. This was a fantastic recipe, thanks for sharing.

Made the recipe with the ingredients as written with no substitutions. I did dice the butternut squash into slightly smaller cubes and also let it simmer for a bit longer to ensure they were tender. It was a great dish with my husband and 3yr old daughter loving it. Glad I have some leftover for tomorrow's lunch.

I love Cooking Light recipes, they always work! Very good and easy. I used half of a sirloin tip roast (it was on sale) It was tender and not fatty. I used beef broth because I had an open box. Excellent flavor but a bit spicy. I'll make it again.

Soooooooo yummy, my boyfriend is on his third bowl! Since we were snowed in I used orzo I had in the cupboard (boiled it in the xtra stock left from recipe) We put a dab of thick yogurt on top! A refreshing change to pot roast or irish stew or chilli even...this is going to be a household favorite for sure!!!!!!

This was a tasty, fragrant, simple meal. I cooked for 6 and everybody liked it. Butternut squash is delicious!

It was AMAZING. I did change it up a little but think that it would have been fine as is. I used fresh ginger instead of powder, I added a 1/4 cup of craisens with the squash. I made all of the recipe up to right before the squash on the stove in a pot then moved all of it into a crock pot and cooked on low for 6-7hrs then added squash & craisens and cooked for another hour and it was perfect. We ate it over brown rice. I have already given this recipe out and I just made it tonight ! (oh yea, and I added about 1/2 more of the cinnimon, paprika and red pepper)

Excellent! I made this exactly as in the recipe including the couscous, it was very good and the smell was incredible. Don't skip the cilantro - it was perfect sprinkled on top. Bags of pre-peeled and cubed squash at my local grocery store made this very simple.

Local market does not carry beef shoulder cut or petit tender roast (not even sure what that is!), so used boneless chuck which worked perfectly well. This is a very good recipe, great flavors and textures, and I will make again. When I do, will change couscous side additions from scallions to raisins or dried cranberries with walnuts or pine nuts and use all chicken broth.

This recipe is delicious and so easy to put together. I nearly drowned in my own drool while smelling it cook! LOL I did make the couscous to go along with the recipe, but left out the green onions. I ladled the tagine on top of the couscous in a bowl.

I made this last night using the slow cooker. I used stew meet, followed the seasoning and browning instructions, added the broth to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the dutch oven, transferred everything to the slow cooker, and added the tomatoes. I cooked it on low for 6-8 hrs adding the squash half way through. Next time I think I'd add it within the last hour or so. I also added 1/4 of dried currants and served it with the scallion couscous. Toasted almonds would be a good addition as well.

This is wonderful! Snazzy comfort food. I will make for guests, next time. After reading other reviews, I increased the cinnamon and red pepper flakes. And because I also had stew meat, it cooked for about 90 minutes. Served with brown rice, crusty bread, and a yummy merlot.

My husband and I love spicy foods and this was a hit! The unusual combination of spices adds interest. Too spicy for some company though, so be careful.

i did not feel confident making this, but it came out pretty great considering my lack of experience with this cuisine. followed recipe exactly... flavorful and tender... served with scallion couscous and naan.

I followed the recipe to the letter. The final result looked nothing like the beautiful photo. It was soupy, the meat was tough, and the squash was undercooked. For such a variety of fragrant spices, the dish tasted mostly like the paprika.

Excellent flavor. Easy to prepare...just chop everything in advance. Served over couscous. Would definitely make again.

Great tasting and easy to follow recipe.

This recipe was spectacular. I don't have a dutch oven so i cooked it in my wok and just covered it in foil when it said to cover it, but i came out wonderfully. I will be making it again before the week is out.

Delicious! Definitely will make again. The flavors were amazing and smelled amazing while cooking. The couscous was a great addition, wonderful flavor when cooked with the chicken broth (I used 'Better than Buillon' to make mine). My husband, who does not like squash, said "I love the mango!" I then let him know what it really was, still ate every drop.

made the recipe as written except that i used chuck stew beef so i knew it needed to be cooked longer than the recipe stated. I used a little more cinnamon, ginger, Paprika and crushed red pepper than called for as I had 2 lbs of meat. After browning the meat,shallots and garlic and adding the liquid i baked the tagine in the oven at 325 for 2 hrs. I added the squash the last hour. It was delicious. Have enough for tomorrow nights dinner. it will be interesting to see how the flavors have blended. Served with rice and scallions.

Wonderful flavors! I made it with the couscous to which I added dried cranberries, lime juice, and walnut pieces. I really enjoyed it. So did my fiance who is a very picky eater. Score one for me and our new healthy diet plan. Thanks, Cooking Light!

My family loved this. I made a double batch since my butternut squash was 6 cups chopped (to 3/4" based on other reviews saying it didn't get cooked enough) I'm glad I did. Served it on the green onion couscous. I probably wouldn't serve to company since the spice mix, while great, is not mainstream cuisine.. but it was a big hit at our house. Will make it again.