Delicious and Healthy Lamb Recipes

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We have enjoyed cooking with lamb for over 37 years. Here are some of our favorite recipes.

Ground Lamb Recipes

Lasagna with beet leaves

1 pound lamb ground meat 

2/3 cup white jasmine rice

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar 

Fresh or dried spices such as oregano, thyme, dill, mint

Layer with beet leaves, 4 layers total 

Add 2 and ½ cups water

Olive oil for coating casserole dish and adding to top and bottom surface of beet leaves

Begin baking at 375F in casserole dish with lid on. Remove lid one half hour into cooking. Bake for an additional 40 minutes. 

Meatball Variations 

1 lb ground lamb

1 beaten egg

3 Tablespoon finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lb ground lamb

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup cracked wheat or bread crumbs

3 T finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 T Pecorino Romano grated cheese

1 lb ground lamb

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs

3 T finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 minced jalapeno

Mix above and make into walnut size meatballs. Cook 375F for 20 minutes.

Stuffing Leaves With Ground Lamb

I love harvesting bags of large and tender wild grape leaves in late May and early June. The leaves preserve well in a salty vinegar brine for later use as stuffing wrappers. Kokusa mulberry leaves are huge, vibrant green, and tender on the tree for many months. The Large Leaf Korean Perilla is a spicy herb that can contain a neatly wrapped spoonful of lamb filling. Enclosing the filling in the leaves makes for a busy family activity. Before using fresh leaves, immerse in a pot of simmering brine containing 4 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and 1/4 part salt without iodine. Remove pot from heat source a couple minutes later and let leaves sit in brine until use. Here are recipes starting with two pounds of ground lamb:

Version 1

​1 cup fresh chopped mint

2 medium onions chopped

2 cups white rice

Version 2

1 cup chopped dill weed

2 cups chopped mint leaves

3 medium onions chopped fine

2 cups white rice

Version 3

1 cup fresh chopped mint

3 medium onions chopped

20 nasturtium flowers chopped

1/2 t ground black pepper

Bake in covered dish coated with olive oil at 350 convection. Use leaf brine and additional water to provide moisture during cooking for one hour.

Chili With Ground Lamb

1 lb pinto beans soaked and rinsed. (Note that several rinses over 24 hours remove the oligosaccharides causing bean flatulence. You can hasten the process by soaking and rinsing the beans with very hot water.)

1 lb ground lamb 

1 large can of crushed tomatoes 

1 T ground cumin

3 T chili powder – all brands taste different – McCormick works fine

2 bay leaves

1 t ground black pepper

2 T cooking oil

2 medium onions chopped

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1 fresh Jalapeno chopped fine

Boil pinto beans until tender, but not mushy, which is about 45 minutes. Discard bean water and add beans to a crockpot with about a quart of water. Pan fry lamb and drain away grease. Note that most of our lamb is very lean. Add lamb to beans along with tomatoes and spices. Add cooking oil to empty lamb pan and sauté onions until soft. Add garlic and chopped peppers and cook until peppers are limp. Add onions and peppers to chili and simmer on low heat. A crockpot is helpful since it is easy to burn the chili. You may need to add water during the cooking process. Serve the chili with tortilla chips and enjoy leftover reheated chili

Optional: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro adds flavor and richness.

Leg of Lamb Recipes

Borscht as inspiration from a Ukrainian exchange student in my house 2007-2008

1 half of bone in lamb leg overnight with 1 cup red wine

Brown lamb in in 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven and simmer until tender, about 2 hours with one quart of water and leftover marinade. Remove bones and gristle and chop meat. Return meat to pot and add the following in order:

3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

Simmer about 15 minutes and then add 

2 pounds beets peeled and cubed, 6 cups total 

2 bay leaves 

2 T cumin

1 T onion salt

Simmer about 10 minutes.

Add 3 cups chopped leeks 

2 and 1/2 cups carrot, grated 

Add 3 more cups of water and simmer about 10 minutes. 

Serve in bowls with 2 T yogurt 

Leg of Lamb with Anchovies and Vegetables

This recipe was inspired by a lamb recipe that appeared in a 2000 year issue AARP publication that my mother-in-law subscribed to. I was most intrigued by the use of anchovies. This method of cooking makes the lamb very tender. The vegetables are very flavorful. I brown the lamb and onions before guest show up. Then I let the meal cook on the stove top, while I enjoy my guests. I have a complete delicious dinner in a pot with a minimum of effort.

A half bone in leg of lamb

5 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered

2 t rosemary leaves fresh or dried

2 oz tin of anchovies in oil, salt added

olive oil for browning lamb and vegetables

5 small whole onions, peeled

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled 

small head of cabbage sliced in half 

1/2 t hot red pepper flakes

1/2 t black pepper

Marinate lamb at least two hours or up to two days refrigerated with garlic slivers, and anchovies in olive oil. 

Brown lamb on all sides using 2 T olive oil in 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy stewpot on the range. Remove the browned roast. Brown the whole onions as well until they have a caramelized coat on all sides. Return lamb roast to pot along with approximately three cups of water. Add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, hot red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cover Dutch oven and cook on low heat for about two hours until lamb is cooked and vegetables are tender.

Leg of Lamb With Apples and Lentils

1 leg of lamb

1 (16 ounce) package dried lentils soaked for a couple hours and rinsed

3 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 T olive oil

6 cloves cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 T fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

6 apples, cored and diced, skins on is okay

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

2 t freshly ground black pepper

Brown lamb all sides in Dutch oven. Saute onions in olive oil. Add wine and 5 cups of water and all other ingredients. Cover Dutch oven and simmer for a couple hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

An optional step is to add a few chopped unskinned apples for the last 3 minutes to contribute some crunchiness texture.

Lamb Chop Recipes

Grilled or Broiled

6 Lamb Chops

juice from 2 lemons

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill 

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t salt

Marinate and grill or broil

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​Lamb Stew Meat

​​Lamb, Lentil, and Rice Soup

3 lbs lamb stew meat

3 medium onions finely chopped

3 carrots, grated 

4 T minced fresh parsley 

2 bay leaves

3 T minced fresh celery leaves 

7 cloves of garlic, chopped 

1⁄4 cup olive oil 

1 T cumin 

1/4 t cinnamon 

1 t black pepper

1 lb lentils, soaked for a couple hours and rinsed 

1 cup white rice

6 cups of water and/or bone broth 

Heat 2 T of the olive oil and brown the stew meat. Remove from pan and saute onions in remaining oil. Add liquids and all other ingredients and simmer until lentils and rice are cooked.​​

Lamb Shanks

4 lbs lamb shanks 

Brown meat in Dutch oven. Simmer with 5 cups of water and 1/3 cup of homemade dill cider vinegar. A quart jar with one cup of packed fresh dill weed was filled with raw apple cider vinegar. A plastic lid was used to prevent rust forming from the acid. The vinegar was placed in the pantry until use. It is normal for a mother to develop. Some people love the mother. I think it is yucky and compost it.

Simmer shanks covered for two hours.

Soak 1 lb black beans and rinse for 1 day. Simmer by themselves for 40 minutes. Drain water.

2 cups onion sauteed in 2 T sunflower oil

Combine with beans, lamb, and onion. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.