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This Moroccan-style Okra Stew is loaded with tender beef, hearty okra, and a rich tomato sauce that makes the perfect feel-good meal. It’s an authentic Moroccan dish that comes together with a few simple steps in a tagine or dutch oven. Serve with fresh bread, rice or couscous to soak up the super flavorful sauce.

A bowl of Moroccan okra stew.

Growing up spending months of the year with family in Morocco, I was lucky to enjoy many different stews and tagines made by my grandma and aunts.

The culture introduced me to vegetables that were hard to find back in the states, like quince, purslane, and of course, okra. And I didn’t just try them, I loved them!

Often compared to the Middle Eastern dish Bamya, this okra tomato stew is super hearty and easy to love. The combination of fresh tomatoes, warming spices, tender meat and perfectly cooked okra is pure genius.

If you’re looking for a new way to use the often overlooked veggie, this recipe is a must!

Serve with bread alongside this Cucumber Tomato Salad for a pop of freshness.

Grocery List

Be sure to trim as much fat as possible off of the beef or lamb before using! This helps to create a thick and flavorful (not greasy) sauce, signature to a good tagine.

Bowls of okra, tomatoes, stew meat and more.
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

How to Make Okra Stew

A tagine with onions and garlic.
Sweat the onions and garlic in oil. Combine the onions, garlic and oil in the base of your tagine or dutch oven with the warmed oil.
A tagine with beef, onions, and spices.
Add the trimmed meat to the tagine and season with the spices. Brown on all sides while the onions continue to sweat.
A tagine with beef, tomato sauce, and herbs.
Blend the tomatoes and add the sauce and fresh herbs to the stew. Gently stir to coat the meat in the sauce.
A tagine with okra on top.
Add okra over top of the meat, cover the pot and stew on low heat for at least an hour, or until the meat is fork tender.

Okra Tips: If using frozen okra, do not thaw before adding to the tagine. If using fresh okra, simply trim before using as directed above.

A tagine of Moroccan okra stew.

What to Serve Alongside Okra Stew

My grandma always served this tagine with fresh bread and a variety of side salads (tomato salad, eggplant salad, etc.). The bread is the perfect vehicle for soaking up all of that delicious sauce.

That said, this recipe is great served over just about any grain of choice. Rice, fluffy couscous, quinoa; it’s all great topped with the luscious sauce this stew provides!

More Tasty Stews

How to Make Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Loubia (Moroccan Stewed White Beans)

Moroccan Beef Tagine (Beef Stew with Tomatoes & Onions)
A tagine of Moroccan okra stew.

Bsaha (enjoy it),

Salima written in cursive
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A bowl of Moroccan okra stew.

Moroccan-Style Okra Tomato Stew

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Stew, Tagine
  • Method: Stewed
  • Cuisine: Moroccan, African
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This Moroccan-style Okra Stew is loaded with tender beef, hearty okra, and a rich tomato sauce that makes the perfect feel-good meal. It’s an authentic Moroccan dish that comes together with a few simple steps in a tagine or dutch oven. Serve with fresh bread, rice or couscous to soak up the super flavorful sauce.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lbs beef chuck roast or lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch chunks with fat trimmed
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp parsley, minced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, grated or blended
  • 2 cups frozen* okra

Instructions

  1. Sweat the alliums: Heat the oil in the base of your tagine or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, stirring to coat in the oil. 
  2. Season & brown the meat: Add in the meat, seasoning with the salt, pepper, turmeric and ground ginger. Continuing to cook, turning the meat to brown on all sides. 
  3. Add tomatoes and herbs: Stir in blended tomatoes and minced herbs, stirring to coat the meat in the sauce. 
  4. Add okra* and stew: Arrange the okra over top of the stew in a circular formation before covering and stewing for an hour, or until both the meat and okra are cooked through. Serve with bread or over couscous. 

Equipment

Notes

  • If using fresh okra (instead of frozen), make sure to trim and wash
  • Feel free to leave out the meat, if desired. 
  • Substitute the spices with ras el hanout for a more robust flavor, if desired.

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