Moroccan Lamb Chili with Sweet Potatoes (2024)

January 25, 2019(updated October 11, 2023) // by Phoebe Lapine // 95 comments

4.99 from 67 votes

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This ground lamb chili recipe is flavored with Moroccan-inspired spices and uses chickpeas instead of beans. The addition of sweet potato and kale makes it a complete and healthy gluten-free dinner.

Moroccan Lamb Chili with Sweet Potatoes (1)

The first time I officially cooked for Charlie was on his birthday, over 5 years ago. And no, I did not make this Moroccan Lamb Chili Recipe.

There had been plenty of non-official cooking prior, back when we were friends and I would host a group for pulled brisket tacos or bring a bowl of succotash to the BBQ he was throwing for the 4th of July. For this first official meal though, I have virtually no recollection of what I made. And I mean virtually, as I usually hold this blog accountable for logging he vast majority of things that come out of my kitchen and the significant moments they commemorate. But alas, for this significant moment, I’ve got nothing.

Moroccan Lamb Chili with Sweet Potatoes (2)

What I do remember is going to three different markets in preparation. First, to Murray’s to pick up Charlie’s favorite cheeses, then to Chelsea Market to get the finest cured meats in all the land, and finally to Lobster Place for oysters.

5 Star Reader Review

“Terrific Recipe! Not a huge fan of chili in general, but when I saw your recipe I thought now I HAVE to give this one a try. Lamb, harissa, kale, chickpeas, sweet potato…Moroccan flavors?! Chili turned out delicious! Followed recipe exactly except added some ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!”
—Cyrus

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Since this was a mere three weeks into dating, I of course waited until he arrived to shuck the oysters so I could impress him with my masculine energy in the kitchen by popping each shell open with the ease of a beer bottle. This worked for about 5 minutes, until I severed one of my thumbs and had to reassure him that I was “toooootally FINE!” as blood poured down to my elbow. I taught him how to shuck the rest of the oysters while wrestling with my Bounty tourniquet, and he did so well, the job became permanently his.

Aside from all the subsequent oyster appetizers, one of the first meals Charlie officially cooked for me was chili.

One night a month or so after the great birthday mollusk massacre of 2013, he surprised me with a homemade meal of one of the recipes from the blog, chili con carne. I talked about the significance of this moment here, and the immediate anxiety that I felt since the chili was an older recipe. Therefore there was a significant chance that the meal would be terrible and the blood for the second time in our at-home dining would be on my hands.

The meal was delicious of course, and even more so because he made it for me. But I’ve been on a mission ever since to create superior chili recipes, and ones with Slow Cooker instructions, should he happen to surprise me again with a comforting Crock Pot meal.

Moroccan Lamb Chili with Sweet Potatoes (3)

Now that we officially married and many bowls of chili in the hole, I thought there was no better time to revamp this healthy lamb chili with Moroccan spices. (There’s now a video below!)

The flavors of my favorite traditional lamb tagine lend themselves well to the chili, since the base spice is cumin, which is similar to a lot of Tex-Mex dishes. I amped up the heat with plenty of harissa, added some sweet potatoes for sweetness, and loaded it with kale for healthiness, even though it melts away and you can hardly tell there are vegetables in there.

Moroccan Lamb Chili with Sweet Potatoes (4)

If you have any significant moments of your own that need celebrating this winter, I highly recommend this comforting Moroccan chili with ground lamb. There’s far less risk of blood shed involved than dishes that involve a shucking knife, and if you’re lucky, you can find a man with a slow cooker to take the sweat and tears off your plate too.

With health and hedonism,

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely diced
1 pound ground lamb
4 garlic cloves minced
1-2 tablespoon harissa (Moroccan chile paste)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sea salt
One 28-ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 cups beef stock or water
2 cups frozen or fresh chopped kale
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Greek yogurt for serving

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Saute the onion over medium-high heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Push the onions to the sides of the pan and add the lamb. Cook the meat, breaking apart with your spatula, until nicely brown and cooked through, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, harissa (add more if you like spicy chili), cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, or until the spices are fragrant. Carefully pour in the tomatoes and simmer, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced, 15 minutes.
Stir in the chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and kale. Cover with the stock. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning.
Serve the chili with Greek yogurt and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro.

Notes

To make this in a slow cooker or crock pot, simply continue through step 2, omitting the sweet potatoes and kale. Cook on low for 8 hours. When ready to eat, stir in the sweet potatoes and kale and cook on high until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g

If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!