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I find that lamb tastes best when cooked low and slow. Heading into winter this slow cooked lamb stew recipe will keep you warm and offer a hearty meal to dish up after a long day at work.
This is a recipe for a lamb stew cooked in the slow cooker. This recipe uses lamb steaks and serves two people.
Slow cooker recipes are great for saving time when cooking over the colder months. You can set them off in the morning before work and they are ready and cooked by the time you get home.
I have a Salter 3.5 litre slow cooker and I find I use it a lot more during the autumn and winter so have collected some other slow cooker dishes to mix things up a bit.
Contents
Ingredients to make lamb stew
The ingredients for this recipe are really simple but very effective. Furthermore, the longer this cooks in your house the more amazing the aroma of the dish becomes.
- Lamb - In this recipe I am using lamb steaks but only as I had them to use up. Normally for a slow cooker recipe I would opt for a cheaper cut of meat like some diced lamb or leftover chops. I urge you that where possible, try and support local farming and buy local.
- Vegetables - To make a true winter warming stew adding carrots, potatoes and onion will help send this dish to the next level. Most root vegetables work well in a stew such as turnip, swede and parsnip. If you have any left over or frozen veg you can add these too.
- Stock - In this recipe you will see I have both a stock cube and a stock pot listed. This is intentional to be able to add a deep flavour to the stew gravy mix. However you can opt for one or the other if you don't have both, just be aware it will not be as seasoned and you may want to add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Herbs and spices - I opted to cover the lamb with dried mint. After all what else goes better with lamb than a bit of mint? For some alternative ideas though, take a look at the FAQ section at the bottom of this post.
See recipe card for the full quantities of the ingredients.
If the gravy turns out to be too runny, you can add a couple of tablespoons of cornflour to thicken it up. Just whisk it into the stock. You can also use gravy granules too if you have some of those.
How to cook lamb in the slow cooker
There is no right or wrong way to put things in the slow cooker, as long as they all pretty much end up in there. I find the veg cook better at the bottom and then sit the meat on the top.
- Step 1: Chop all your vegetables that are going in into small chunks.
- Step 2: Season the lamb with the dried mint leaves.
- Step 3: Mix the stock cube and stock pot in a dish with 300ml of boiling water. Make sure it dissolves fully.
- Step 4: If you are using a slow cooker liner, line the slow cooker in readiness for adding the ingredients.
- Step 5: Place the veg in and then put the lamb steaks on the top of the veg. You don't need to brown off the lamb, but you can do just before this point if you want.
- Step 6: Pour in the stock taking care not to wash off the mint from the lamb. Pour the stock down the side to avoid this.
- Step 7: Place the lid on the slow cooker and then switch on and cook on Low for 8 hours. (You can cook on High for 4 hours)
- Step 8: Before serving you can tear up the lamb into smaller bites with a fork if needed - just by stirring. As the lamb is so tender you'll find it should fall apart as you stir.
You don't need to stir and shred the lamb if you want to keep things all together. Be careful if serving this way though as the lamb may fall apart having been cooked for so long.
If you find the lamb is not as tender as you'd hope after checking on it part way through cooking, don't be worried about turning the heat up to 'High' for the last hour.
Recipe Ingredient Substitutions
This recipe works for pork or lamb and as noted you can also swap out the veg as you need to.
You could try adding:
- Leeks
- Parsnips
- Turnips
- Celery
All the things that go into this hearty winter vegetable soup would work in this dish.
Equipment to make slow cooker lamb
The most important piece of equipment for cooking lamb this way is the slow cooker itself. As we have downsized our kitchen with there being only two of us, we have opted for a 3.5 litre Salter Slow cooker. This is perfect for making meals for up to four servings.
I would recommend a bigger slow cooker such as the 6.5 litre Salter Slow cooker for families of 4 or more. Also consider this size if you are looking to cook the stew in batches for freezing at a later date.
When choosing a slow cooker, make sure to select a model which has a warm feature on it to allow for keeping food warm without cooking further. This is sometimes referred to as a 'Buffet' mode.
Slow cooker liners help keep a slow cooker pot clean. You can place the liner in the slow cooker and then the ingredients go into the liner. This means there is little to no mess or cleaning up required. You can buy liners online for only a couple of pounds.
Timing is everything
Not all slow cookers have a timer built in so having a reliable timer available to you is important when doing long cooks. Consider a kitchen timer rather than relying on your watch.
How to store leftover stew
Lamb stew can be stored for a few hours in the slow cooker when set to warm. This makes it ideal for serving as a part of a buffet meal.
If you want to store it for longer, put the stew in an air tight container like these food storage takeaway tubs and place in the fridge. These will be good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you are wanting to keep them longer, place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you have frozen the lamb stew, allow it to defrost before reheating thoroughly. Never refreeze something which has already been frozen.
Check out these top 10 recipes for air fryer and slow cookers.
FAQ about lamb stew
Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and onions are reliable choices because they hold up well over long cooking. Softer or more delicate vegetables (peas, leeks, mushrooms) are best added in the last 1–2 hours (or last 30 mins) so they don’t overcook and disintegrate. here
Use a liner or non-stick slow cooker insert (or spray with a little oil).
Don’t overcrowd the slow cooker. Meat/veg should have room for a bit of circulating liquid.
If your slow cooker tends to run hot, use a heat diffuser or place a folded kitchen towel under the lid during cooking.
Stir gently only once or twice (especially near the end), don’t constantly lift the lid.
Use thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, oregano, mint, or a touch of smoked paprika. For a more Mediterranean/middle-eastern spin then try cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, allspice, or even harissa paste. Don't do too much though as it can overpower the mean,.
You can brown it, but you don't have to. Browning is optional from a food-safety standpoint, but it adds a depth of flavour (via Maillard reaction) and helps “seal in” juices. If you skip browning, your stew will still work.
Related recipes
Looking for other recipes like this one? I've got you, try these ones out:
Pairing Lamb Stew
I thoroughly recommend serving this dish with at least one of the following:
The Recipe
Slow Cooker Lamb Stew
Equipment
- 1 3.5l Slow cooker Use a 6.5l for a bigger family
- 1 Slow cooker liner optional
Ingredients
- 2 lamb steaks
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 beef or vegetable stock pot
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 300 ml boiling water
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 200 g potatoes diced
Instructions
- Chop the potato, onion and carrots.1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g potatoes
- Line the slow cooker with a liner (if using) and then put the chopped vegetables in.
- Sprinkle the dried mint to lightly cover the lamb. Season with a bit of salt and pepper at this point if you wish and then place these on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.2 lamb steaks, 1 tsp dried mint
- Boil the water and mix together in a jug with the stock cube and stock pot. Pour this into the pot (take care not to wash off the dried mint).1 beef or vegetable stock pot, 1 vegetable stock cube, 300 ml boiling water
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the potatoes are cooked and the lamb is tender.
Notes
Nutrition
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One response to “Slow Cooked Lamb Stew”
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Great recipe to make on a cold day.
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