I get so many questions about the Moroccans technique for tagine seasoning and curing. How do we season and cure a tagine pot in Morocco? And how often should seasoning be done in order to efficiently seal a tagine pot?
Tagine seasoning is very important if you want to take care of your tagine and protect it from breaking. It can look intimidating for many but I assure you, it’s REALLY easy and there is nothing complicated about it.
To be honest, even if I grew up in Morocco surrounded by tagines, I was quite apprehensive the first time I seasoned a tagine pot. But trust me, once you follow the steps thoroughly, everything will go just fine.
Do I Need to Cure (Season) my Tagine?
Tagine seasoning, also called tagine cure, should be done to ALL tagine pots intended for cooking, whether they are glazed or unglazed. If you aren’t familiar yet with tagine types, I detail everything in this guide: Finding the right tagine pot for your family.
Tagine seasoning is done ONCE, before the very first use to seal the material (clay) and make it stronger and more durable. Once the seasoning is done, your clay tagine pot is ready for a lifetime of uses.
How do you Prepare (season) a Tagine for the First time?
To cure your tagine pot, you will need to soak it in water for at least a couple of hours. Once the tagine pot is dry, the seasoning will include brushing the tagine pot with olive oil and cooking it in the oven for some time.
It’s important to follow the steps, hours, and temperatures. Once you are done, you will be able to use your tagine pot immediately.
Tagine pots don’t like sudden changes in temperatures. So always keep that in mind when using your tagine pot. If you are new to the tagine pot game or want to make sure you don’t misuse your expensive tagine pot, I highly recommend you check this Moroccan tagine cookbook. Each recipe integrates the right steps to protect your tagine pot from cracking. Plus, all recipes are authentic from Morocco (I have them printed and laminated in my kitchen). A must for tagine users.
How to Season Your Clay Tagine Pot
Equipment
- Pastry brush
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1-3 tbsp Olive oil adjust the quantity according to your tagine size
Instructions
- Soak your tagine pot, lid and base, in water at least 2 hours (overnight is best). If your tagine pot is quite big, you can soak it in your kitchen sink or bathtub
- Drain the water and let your tagine dry at air temperature
- Brush the entire tagine pot with olive oil, lid included
- Place your tagine pot in a cold oven and turn the heat up to 150°C (300°F). Leave for a couple of hours
- Turn the heat off and leave your tagine cool completely inside the oven. Don't take it out
- Take your tagine out of the oven and brush the interior (base and lid) with olive oil
- Let the oil soak at least an hour
- You're done! You can start using your tagine pot
IMPORTANT: LONG TERM CARE
- Make sure you cook recipes that are tagine-friendly and respect your tagine pot (unfortunately, many online recipes are not)Also,
always use a heat diffuser .
Simple and clear instructions but I have a question
I am in the UK and love cooking in my tagine but it is too small for a family. It has taken me a long time to get a traditional tagine big enough which has arrived in only 2 pieces… several have been very badly packed and arrived in 1000! I now have a lovely one which is soaking in the bath as we speak. But I have a question, the last one I brought arrived with a crack in the dish/bowl it goes straight through but feels ok ish. I was sent a replacement (the one in the bath!) but what can I do with the broken one, do you think if I seasoned it it might be strengthened or should I just throw it away? it seems such a waste.
thanks Demelza
PS cant wait to try your recipe cards!
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Demelza, aww thanks! There is actually a method you can try for the broken tagine. It can work if the crack is not too profound. Just add the following step to the seasoning process: Before putting the tagine in the oven, try to fill the crack gap with date’s paste, massaging it multiple times. After you take your tagine from the oven and it’s completely cooled off, clean the date residue with water, dry and brush the tagine with olive oil. You can check this video, it’s in Moroccan but it shows how you can fill in the crack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K-GN69Rpb4
hope it works and let me know how it goes -xx
Questions
I purchased my sister an unglazed tagine for Christmas and decided to get the seasoning part out of the way before gifting it. I have soaked it overnight and am now wondering how long it should dry before beginning the seasoning. I also have some anxiety about placing it it my cold oven, as the oven will preheat rapidly, bringing the temp to 300 degrees. Should I set the oven to a much lower temp first and gradually inch it up, or will it be safe to just put it in, and let it preheat as it always does. I’m so excited to get it ready for my sister, and I don’t want to break it before she even gets it :)! By the way, I LOVE your website! It is so informative and will definitely be the go to website I share with my sister. Awaiting further instructions.
Response from Moroccanzest
aww, thanks, Connie! I’m sure your sister will love her tagine! For drying your tagine pot (lid and base), let it dry until the surface of the tagine doesn’t look very wet. and that’s completely fine if you end up with a few wet patches on the surface. In general, 3-4 hours would do. You can also put the tagine in a sunny spot in your house to accelerate the process.
About the oven part, it shouldn’t be a problem as 300F is still a low temperature, but you can go gradually, setting the temperature to 150F then 300F. -xx
first tagine cracked, second one did not
I was so happy with my first tagine but it broke in the middle of a recipe and I didn’t know if it was the heat, the tagine quality … So with the new tagine pot, I followed ALL your recommendations and purchased the ebook you mention and everything went perfectly for my first recipe. I came here to see if I have to season the tagine again or if I’m all good. The ebook mentions using olive oil after some uses, what do you think?
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi sarah, a lot of things could’ve been the reason why your first tagine cracked. it could be a temperature chock or a recipe that doesn’t ”respect” tagine particularities. The recipe ebook must have helped you as it details every step in the cooking process.
About the olive oil, you don’t have to do it, but it’s a good thing to do after a good number of tagine uses. I do it every 10 to 15 uses of my tagine pot but it’s really up to you. It has nothing to do with seasoning so no need to soak your tagine or put it in the oven. Brushing with olive oil and waiting for absorption is enough. -xx
Can you cure your Tagine on the stove?
Hi Safa,
Thanks for the article! Do you know if it’s possible to cure your tagine on the stove? We just purchased an unglazed tagine but we don’t have an oven. Thank you!
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Becky! I don’t think that would work. The whole tagine pot should be immersed in the heat and a stove wouldn’t allow that. Some parts would be in contact with the ambient air and the difference in temperatures may make it crack, plus the handling of the hot tagine can be dangerous for you. If possible, you can do the oven part in a friend or relative’s house, it’s much safer for you and your tagine. -xx
does it work with other oils?
Thank you for the detailed steps. Can I season my tagine pot using coconut oil instead of olive oil? thank you
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Paul, in Morocco everyone uses olive oil. I can’t guarantee what the result would be with coconut oil. it may not seal the tagine properly. So to avoid any surprises (especially knowing how hard it can be to find a good tagine pot), I’d recommend sticking to olive oil.
Ceramic top
Hi safa please help I have a tagine which has a metal base but a ceramic top do i need to seal both are just the top that is ceramic thankyou x
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Tracy, any part that has ceramic in it – clay – has to be seasoned. If the base is only metal, there is no need to season it. hope this helps. -xx
Should I season my tagine?
I just made my first recipe in my tagine today but my mother-in-law has used my tagine many times. I’m not sure if it has been seasoned. Should I do it now to be sure and take proper care of it?
Thank you for your help !
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Sarah, I would season it just in case. Seasoning will also give a second life to your tagine, so just do it once you have some time, it’s worth it –xx
Am I suppose to oil my tagine in step 3 inside and outside of it?
Hi Safa,
The instructions say “Brush the entire tagine pot etc.” so I oiled it well inside and outside as well, is this correct? I am still worried that it wasn’t air-dried enough from previous step and am not sure what to do if that’s the case (see my previous question). Thank you for your detailed instructions, they are very useful.
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Adrianna, yes, you should oil the tagine pot entirely. things look good to me 😉 cheers to your first tagine dish -xx
Air drying time during curing still unclear
I am going through the first time curing process step by step and it seems to be working so far. If nothing goes wrong and my clay tagine doesn’t crack, tomorrow I will make my first tagine dish – beef with oranges and beets. I have a question about the “air drying” part of the curing process. How long does that take? I think it’s pretty dry here today, I left it out for 5 hours after it was immersed in the water overnight but maybe I rushed to brush it with oil and put it in the oven. It is now in the oven and it’s “sweating” seriously, so maybe it wasn’t dried enough. I am not sure what to do best – let it go through the 2 hours at 300F in the oven, let it cool off, and then redo this oiling step? Thank you for your answers, I don’t know where else to send my question, Safa. This should be a review not a question asking section but any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Adriana, of course, I’d be happy to help. it seems to me that you did things right. 5 hours of air drying should be enough, even if your tagine has a few wet patches, it’s completely normal. Just continue the process (cooking, then brushing the tagine with oil). When cooking in your tagine pot tomorrow, just make sure to cook on very low heat or use a heat diffuser. -xx
Re-oiling? # coats of oil?
Amazing instructions. very easy to use, no confusions. thank you 🙂
it took my tagine over night to cool down after baking. brushed it with oil on the interiors (base and lid) that the base dried fast, the lid got a bit patchy and by 6 7 hours everything dried. My question.:
1- how many coats of oil should I do? its very dry now? unless it soaks up the oil and its normal? ive only done one coat after baking as you guided am I ready to cook in it?
2- should I be oiling the interior base+ lid EVERYTIMEI cook? what about AFTER im done cooking and I cleaned it?
3- do I need a diffuser if the boss (wife) wants to use this in an oven? (no more than 300-325 Fahrenheit)
thank you for your amazing tips
Response from Moroccanzest
Thank you, Emad, here are my answers to help you out:
1- coating your tagine after you cooked it is enough, and soaking up all the oil is very normal. you are ready to cook in the tagine now.
2- no, you don’t need to oil each time you cook. you can do it every now and then but it’s not mandatory
3- if you put your tagine in the over, all parts will be in contact with heat so the heat diffuser will be pointless. Just make sure the temperature does not get too high. 300F looks good but i’d go for a lower one.
sticky tagine
hello, i followed these steps and in the end the pot and the lid are sticky… what do i do?
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Victor, the tagine shouldn’t be sticky. It can be a little oily and that’s normal. Is your tagine made with clay and nothing else?
Good instructions
Hi, you seem to have clear instructions on how to season a tajine. But there seems to be quite some variations of seasoning a tajine, which seems odd. My question is; I brushed everything in olive oil, and it soaks it all up. But I do get dry patches after some time, does the tajine need to be ‘shiny’ before going in to the oven? I covered it 3 times in olive oil, what is enough oil? 🙂
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi David, once you brush your tagine with oil, do you wait before cooking it in the oven? The ideal is to cook the tagine pot right after you brush it with oil and while you have it all shiny and oily. But still, dry patches are not a problem as long as you oil the entire tagine pot. Besides, when you are seasoning an unglazed tagine pot, no matter how much oil you brush it with it, it will end up soaking it up with time. hope this helps -xx
Do I oil both inside and outside of the tagine?
Thank you for the detailed explanation for seasoning a new unglazed clay tagine. When I rub in the olive oil I assume I do this to the inside of the bottom & top pieces (where the food will be). But do I also need to oil the outside of the tagine? I wouldn’t think so but wanted to be sure! Thank you 😉
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Rachel, you need to oil the entire tagine, base, and lid, outside and inside. Cracking can happen even on the outside and can spread to the inside, so better be safe. -xx
Forgot to season my tagine
Hi, I bought my tagine 2 years ago. I used it for the first time last week but forgot I had to season it. Even though I’ve used it should I season it now?
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Tracey, you were lucky it did not break in the first time, so yes, it’s better to be safe and season it before the next use -xx
Question on seasoning
I have not used my glazed tagine for a couple of years, should I re-season it?
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Richard, I would re-season it again just to make sure any fine and invisible cracks that happened during the 2 years storage are sealed again. -xx
worked thank you
it worked! I cooked my first tagine yesterday and it was delicious. love your content
great tips as usual
I’ve been reading your posts about tagines, seasoning, care, and tagine recipes and everything worked great. thank you so much for the tips. I got the cookbook you recommended at the end of this article and I can’t wait to make my children the lemon chicken tagine they’ve been craving since our last trip to Morocco. love from LA
Great instructions!
I know this was asked above, but I just want to check/ be clear 🙂 I soaked the tartine about a week ago, overnight. Can I do the over part now or should I soak again, allow to dry then do it sooner after the soaking rather than having a week in between?
Thanks, Lisa
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Lisa, no need to soak it again. You can follow with the oven part directly. –xx
worked like a charm
My tagine costed a fortune and I was super nervous to break it but your method worked great. thanks so so much
Great info.
Just got my pot (it’s glazed)
I actually had it in water overnight but about a week ago . Now I want to follow with the oven part of it. Do I have to soak it again
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Gia, you can follow with the oven part directly -xx
worked!
thank you for the instructions. It worked great!
Worked great
followed the exact steps and just cooked in my tagine. It did not crack, plus, your tagine chicken recipe turned out DELiCIOUS!!! Thank you twice. You are saving me in this quarantine mess.
worked perfectly
I followed all the steps and It worked out! I used my tagine today and I was so worried it would crack, but nothing happened. thank you (and thank you for the chicken tagine recipe too, delicious!)
Response from Moroccanzest
glad everything worked out, Julia! Cheers to delicious tagine dishes -xx
thank you
I wait for your monthly recipe email eagerly and I really love all you share with us. I don’t have a tagine pot but I am now intrigued. The meatball tagine dish looks delicious too. thanks so much for sharing your family kitchen secrets
