40 Lamb Recipes to Whip Up All Year Round, from Gyros to Pasta Bolognese
If lamb intimidates you to the point that you never try cooking it, you’re missing out on some seriously delicious dishes. It’s a super versatile protein that pairs just as beautifully with Middle Eastern spices and Mediterranean sides as it does mashed potatoes and mint jelly. Whether you’re grilling it for kebabs, molding it into burger patties or crafting a killer gyro, these 40 lamb recipes will solidify the protein’s spot in your dinner rotation.
RELATED: The 35 Best Side Dishes to Serve with Lamb
1. Antoni Porowski’s Moroccan-Style Pasta Bolognese
Traditional Italian meat sauce gets a Moroccan-style makeover with warm spices like cumin, coriander and cinnamon and lamb instead of beef. Use a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir in the sauce.
2. Baked Coconut Curry Meatballs
Lamb curry may sound complicated and time consuming, but it’ll actually only take you 45 minutes from start to finish. Plus, baking meatballs instead of pan-frying helps them maintain their moisture (and it’s more hands-off to boot).
3. Spiced Lamb Meatball and Escarole Soup
Think of this soul warmer as a cross between spiced lamb shawarma and Italian wedding soup, only with meaty cannellini beans in place of pasta. Serve it with lemon wedges and toasted pita for dipping.
4. Lamb Shawarma Sandwich
Shawarma is traditionally roasted on a massive spit, but this recipe is adapted for your go-to skillet. Lebanese spices, fresh thyme and a bright, citrusy tahini sauce put the handheld over the top.
5. Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops
This impressive 40-minute main has Christmas dinner written all over it. Just look at the red-and-green mélange of spinach, mint and pomegranate arils on top.
6. Meatballs in Sour Cherry Sauce
What’s sweet, sour, savory and sticky all over? These tender lamb meatballs drenched in three-ingredient cherry-pomegranate sauce. Plate them with pita points topped with melted butter, toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley.
7. Hummus and Spiced Lamb Sambusas
Think of these impossibly crisp appetizers as the Ethiopian version of Indian samosas. Use your favorite classic hummus in the filling or boost the flavor by choosing jalapeño or roasted red pepper hummus instead.
8. Oven-Baked Chicken Kofta Wraps
The recipe calls for using a pound each of ground chicken breasts and thighs, but the Middle Eastern dish is traditionally made with ground lamb. Either way, the lemon-garlic aioli will blow your mind.
9. Instant Pot Lamb Stew
Bookmark this cozy dish now for the colder days ahead. The key to its silky, rich texture is thickening the soup with an arrowroot flour slurry.
10. Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce
The ingredients are so simple, but don’t let that dissuade you: The magic of this main relies on its long cook time, which ensures that the lamb turns out fall-apart tender.
11. Australian Lamb Meatballs with Buttery Lemon Orzo and Tzatziki Sauce
Savory, herbaceous lamb meat and cool, tangy yogurt sauce are basically the Mediterranean PB&J. The tender garlic butter orzo is just gravy.
12. Harissa Grilled Lamb Chops
Does it get more summery than grilled meat topped with apricot-serrano salsa? We think not. Just like steak, the lamb should rest for five to seven minutes before being cut.
13. Simple Irish Stew
Contrary to popular belief, old-school Irish stew originally called on lamb or mutton instead of cubed beef. Here, lamb shoulder cooks with baby potatoes, pearl onions, peas, carrots and fresh herbs in the Dutch oven until fork tender.
14. Lamb Burgers with Pesto Whipped Feta
The tangy cheese topping is honestly impressive enough on its own to serve to dinner guests. Pair the burgers with a side of garlic-herb fries or Greek salad.
15. Lamb Gyros
Spiced ground lamb. Juicy summer tomatoes. Sharp red onion. Creamy tzatziki. Remind us again why gyros aren’t part of your weekly rotation? (We’d add some vinegar-kissed cucumbers too, BTW.)
16. Slowly Braised Lamb Ragu
The recipe leans on curly pappardelle to be the star, but the flavorful ragu would taste just as heavenly over gnocchi or polenta.
17. Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)
Trust us: You won’t want to miss out on a single drop of sauce. So, serve the curry over a bed of basmati rice with a side of warm naan to mop your plate clean.
18. Spicy Lamb Grilled Pizzettas
Grilled pizza is our favorite barbecue trick in the book, since the crust comes out impeccably crisp every damn time. The pie is dressed with ground lamb, ricotta, mascarpone, red onion and alllll the fresh herbs.
19. Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Chops
The side dish is just as exciting as the minty, garlicky main. Think tomato-and-herb quinoa peppered with red onion, garlic and feta cheese.
20. Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce
Go ahead and make a double batch of the decadent avocado dressing, which would taste divine on everything from crispy fish tacos to green salad.
21. Slow-Cooker Rosemary and Garlic Balsamic Lamb Sandwiches
Crisp, peppery arugula and crumbled feta cheese are just the match for sweet balsamic glaze and tender lamb shoulder.
22. Instant Pot Mediterranean Lamb Stew
This comforting dish only takes one hour to prepare in the trusty pressure cooker. But don’t worry if all you have is a Crock-Pot—the recipe is super adaptable.
23. Lamb Burger with Harissa Mayo and Pickled Red Cabbage
Pickling vegetables at home is a total breeze. Feel free to add sliced cukes or red onions to the cabbage before quick-pickling it on the stove.
24. Braised Lamb Shanks with Vegetables
With low-and-slow recipes like this, it can be hard to tell when the meat is cooked through. Our tip? Once the liquid is reduced to about one-third of its original amount, the lamb is ready to devour.
25. Rosemary-Garlic Marinated Rack of Lamb
This Insta-worthy main deserves a spot on your Easter table. Not only does the marinade impart major flavor to the meat, but it’s also finished with a bright Italian salsa verde starring basil, parsley, mint and gherkins.
26. Greek Lamb Tacos with Minted Yogurt Sauce
PSA: Taco Tuesday is about to change forever. Come for the garlicky lamb meat, stay for the punchy lemon-herb caper sauce.
27. Spiced Lamb-Filled Roasted Garlic Hummus
Behold, the party dip to end all party dips. You’ll only need an hour to whip up all the components, including the toasty grilled pita points.
28. Greek Lamb Souvlaki Plates with Avocado Tzatziki
We can’t decide what to drool over first, the smoky lamb skewers, fresh oregano potatoes or dill-infused tzatziki sauce.
29. Grilled Ground Lamb Kofta Kebab
You only need six simple ingredients to make this traditional Middle Eastern dish. If you’re using bamboo or wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before popping them on the grill.
30. Roasted Rack of Lamb with Basil-Goat Cheese Sauce
If there’s cheese involved in a lamb recipe, odds are it’s feta, due to its popularity in the Mediterranean. But goat cheese’s salt and tang is just as satisfying (and its signature earthy funk is also a nice bonus).
31. Lamb Pie
Store-bought puff pastry does it again in this cozy shepherd’s pie. The meat is bursting with the rich flavors of beef broth and stout beer, just the foil for the fluffy mashed potato-Gruyère topping.
32. Grilled Lamb Kebab with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce
The tangy garlic-dill sauce is cool and refreshing, but you could easily swap it for lemon-spritzed tahini if that’s more your speed.
33. Slow-Cooked Moroccan Leg of Lamb
The meat is bold and flavorful on its own since it’s marinated in a ton of spices. But we’re still eager to slather it in a thick layer of harissa-lime crème fraîche.
34. Birria Stew
Quesabirria tacos are having a serious moment on both social media and IRL. But its roots go much deeper than TikTok. Use the lamb birria for tacos and quesadillas or serve it with a side of white rice and consommé.
35. Greek Lamb Burgers
If your kids are on the fence about this new spin on burger night, substitute burger buns for pita bread and mozzarella cheese for feta.
36. Instant Pot Curry Australian Lamb Shanks
Creamy coconut milk offers a dose of tropical sweetness to the homemade curry paste, which calls for fresh red chiles, lemongrass, ginger and a ton of warm spices.
37. Roasted Leg of Lamb
It only takes five pantry staples (most of which are probably in your kitchen right now) to bring out all of the lamb’s best qualities.
38. Mongolian Lamb
Sure, you’ve had its beefy cousin. But this sizzling lamb dish is way more impressive (and equally as tasty) thanks to Chinese five spice, sambal oelek and hoisin sauce.
39. Garlic and Anchovy Roasted Lamb Chops
We’ll say it again for the people in the back: You should always have tinned fish on hand. This salty, oily anchovies are absolutely loaded with umami-rich flavor, so they’re a great secret weapon to have for dressings, sauces and marinades.
40. Lamb Gyro Board
You and charcuterie go way back. Next, tackle this Greek-inspired graze board that’s loaded with spinach-herb salad, lemony shaved lamb, garlic yogurt, pita and plenty of crudités.
RELATED: 15 Types of Steak All Home Cooks Should Know
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
