Simple & delicious Instant Pot Lamb Stew with chickpeas and fragrant Middle Eastern spices- a fast, flavorful, wholesome meal that can be made in an Instant Pot!
The ego loves being “offended”. ~Eckart Tolle
Here’s a recipe for Instant Pot Lamb Stew with chickpeas and fragrant Middle Eastern spices that will warm you to your bones. It takes 15 minutes of hands-on time before finishing off in an Instant Pot using the pressure cooker setting.
This can also be made on the stovetop, then finished in the oven, but know it will take twice as long. Whichever way you choose to go, the flavors will satisfy. Serve the stew over basmati rice, or everyday quinoa, or if going grain-free, try our cauliflower rice.
Why You’ll Love This!
- Invigorating Middle Eastern flavor! Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and chili flakes come together harmoniously to create rich, complex, and warm flavor.
- Only 15 minutes of hands-on cooking. This recipe requires minimal prep time before cooking in the Instant Pot for 50 minutes. Your home will smell amazing as the dish stews and becomes rich with flavor!
- Comforting and wholesome. This warm and cozy dish is perfect for cold nights. It is full of nourishing ingredients, warm spices, and aromatic flavors. It’s meaty and satiating and will fill you up after a long day.
- Can be enjoyed in so many ways. Serve over rice, quinoa, couscous, or riced cauliflower. Add a side of warm pita bread or roasted cauliflower. There are so many delicious ways to present this stew.
- Leftovers taste even better! Make this in advance and enjoy leftovers on a busy weeknight. This stew tastes amazing after the flavors have had even more time to blend together.
Instant Pot Lamb Stew Video
This is one of my favorite lamb stew recipes because of the complex and fragrant Middle Eastern spices! If Middle Eastern Spices are not your thing, this simple Irish Lamb Stew would work great in the Instant Pot too!
Lamb Stew Ingredients
- Lamb stew meat: Use lamb shoulder, lamb leg, or lamb shank cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. The lamb meat provides a hearty and savory flavor to the stew. It becomes tender and flavorful after cooking.
- Olive oil, butter, or ghee: This fat is used for browning the lamb meat and adds richness to the stew.
- Onion: Adds a sweet and slightly tangy flavor to the stew. It also contributes to the overall texture of the dish.
- Garlic cloves: Adds a pungent and aromatic flavor to the stew. It enhances the savory profile of the dish.
- Spices: Cumin provides warm and earthy flavor, coriander adds a citrusy and slightly sweet taste, turmeric brings in vibrant yellow color and a mildly earth and slightly bitter taste, cinnamon adds warmth and sweetness, and chili flakes add a spicy kick.
- Tomato paste: Adds a rich, tangy flavor and helps to thicken the stew.
- Apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar): Adds a tangy and slightly acidic taste to balance the richness of the stew.
- Honey or brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps to balance the flavors in the stew.
- Chicken stock or broth: Forms the liquid base of the stew and adds depth of flavor. It helps to tenderize the meat and infuse it with the other ingredients. You can also use beef broth.
- Chickpeas: Provide a creamy and nutty texture to the stew. They also add protein and fiber.
- Raisins, dried apricots, or dried currants: Add pops of sweetness and chewiness to the stew. They provide a nice contrast to the savory flavors.
What is the Best Meat Cut for Lamb Stew?
This recipe is designed for “tougher” cuts of lamb that need longer cooking times to tenderize. Please don’t waste already tender lamb chops or lamb loin on this recipe. Beef stew meat or even goat make good substitutions too!
Use lamb stew meat- cut from lamb shoulder, leg, or shanks. also good options. I’ve opted for local, sustainably raised American lamb, which is meatier and milder in flavor than imported lamb. It’s also fresher, having traveled far fewer miles to get here.
How to Make Instant Pot Lamb Stew
Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot on and set it to the Sauté function. Heat the butter or oil and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lamb, garlic, salt and all the spices and saute for 5 more minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, stock, chickpeas and raisins and stir until combined, scraping up any browned bits.
Pressure cook. Cover and set the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) to pressure cook setting for 50 minutes on normal/high. Naturally release.
Release. Let the pressure release and give a stir. The lamb will be tender and break apart easily. If you prefer it less juicy, return to the saute function and cook off some of the liquid. (Note that it will thicken a bit as it sits).
Taste and adjust. Adjust seasonings to taste. If it is too sweet, add a few drops more vinegar. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
How to make Lamb Stew on the Stove top
- Alternatively, you can cook this on the stovetop in an oven-proof Dutch oven.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Brown the onions in the ghee or butter over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, lamb, salt, black pepper, and spices, cooking for 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients – all except the raisins, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering covered, on low heat, until lamb is tender, about 1 ½ hours, adding more liquid as necessary.
- Alternatively, you could cover and place in the oven and bake for 2 hours, adding the raisins about an hour or 1 ½ hours into the baking time. After two hours, the lamb will be very tender. If you like a little more browning, give a quick broil to the pot uncovered.
What to serve with Lamb Stew?
- Basmati rice
- The Best Quinoa!
- Couscous
- Grain-Free Moroccan Cauliflower Couscous
- Cauliflower rice
- Simple Homemade Pita Bread
- Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley
FAQs
Yes, absolutely, it will get even more delicious as the flavors meld.
It’s important to let the instant pot come to pressure, cook, and naturally release. The natural pressure release will result in the most tender texture.
To retain the rich flavor of the stew, pressure cooking is best.
Yes! In this recipe the lamb sautés for 5 minutes with the spices and aromatics before pressure cooking.
Yes! Veggies like carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga or celeriac are wonderful options. Even potato would make a delicious and hearty addition.
Storage & Freezing
Lamb stew will keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can freeze this recipe for up to 6 months. Remove from the freezer to thaw in the fridge when ready to eat. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Instant Pot Lamb Stew infused with Middle Eastern Spices….a fast and easy weeknight dinner that requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time before letting the Instant Pot work its magic.
We hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Lamb Stew Recipe!
Cheers, friends.
More Recipes you may enjoy!
Instant Pot Lamb stew
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Simple & delicious Instant Pot Lamb Stew with chickpeas and fragrant Middle Eastern spices- a fast, flavorful, wholesome meal that can be made in an Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or ghee
- 1 ½ –1 ¾ pounds lamb stew meat ( shoulder, leg or shank) cut onto 1 ½ inch cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin ( or use 1 teaspoon ground, and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric,
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes ( Aleppo Chili flakes are nice) and more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 x 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup raisins or dried apricots (chopped), or even dried currants
Serve with cooked quinoa, couscous or basmati rice & garnish with fresh Italian parsley or cilantro leaves and extra chili flakes.
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and set it to the Sauté function. Heat the butter or oil and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lamb, garlic, salt and all the spices and saute for 5 more minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, stock, chickpeas and raisins and stir until combined.
- Cover and set the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) to pressure cook setting for 50 minutes on normal/high. Naturally release.
- Let the pressure release and give a stir. The lamb will be tender and break apart easily. If you prefer it less juicy, return to saute function and cook off some of the liquid. ( Note that it will thicken a bit as it sits).
- Adjust seasonings to taste. If too sweet, add a few drops more vinegar.
- Serve over quinoa, rice or couscous with some fresh cilantro or parsley. The leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld.
Notes
Alternatively, you can cook this on the stovetop in a oven-proof dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 325. Brown the onions in the ghee or butter then add the garlic, lamb, salt and spices, cooking for 5 -6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients – all except the raisins, and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven and bake 2 hours, adding the raisins about an hour or 1 ½ hours into the baking time.
After two hours the lamb will be very tender. If you like a little more browning, give a quick broil to the pot uncovered.
LAMB: This recipe is designed for “tougher” cuts of lamb- shoulder, leg, etc., that need longer cooking times to tenderize. Please don’t waste already tender lamb chops or lamb loin on this recipe. You can also use beef stew meat or even goat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 33.3 g
- Sodium: 299.7 mg
- Fat: 20.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.7 g
- Fiber: 7.7 g
- Protein: 47.2 g
- Cholesterol: 113.1 mg
Hi
I am trying to understand the amount of chicken stock/broth for the 8 yield.
Is it 2 and a quarter cups?
Thanks
It should be 2 1/2 cups.
INCREDIBLE recipe.
I am obsessed with this dish now and it’s going to be a very popular meal at our house.
My husband loved it and couldn’t get enough.
Thank you so much for such a fabulous recipe.
Super easy to follow and it really was to die for
So great to hear Talia!
This is the first recipe I tried from Feasting at Home (months ago); now I’m a regular on this site. I’ve made this more than once because it’s incredible. The spices/ingredients are perfect, cozy and delicious with the lamb. I do not have an instant pot, so I make this according to the stove/oven directions. I don’t change or adjust anything. It’s perfect! Like many of the other recipes I’ve tried from here so far (which are many!), it’s so easy to make and SO delicious. It’s now my go-to when I’m craving lamb. I’m going to try to rate and comment on everything I’ve tried from here so far to support this amazing site! Honestly, have never been disappointed! Would LOVE a cookbook! 🙂
You are so kind Katie! Thanks so much, comments are very appreciated and I’m so happy that you enjoy this one!
I have literally never commented on a recipe before, but I had to comment tonight. I just made this and me and my boyfriend are floored. This is so incredibly delicious. My boyfriend said this is one of the best meals he has ever eaten!! He wants me to make this again tomorrow lol. Thank you so much for this incredibly delicious recipe that was SO easy to make!! I made it exactly as the recipe says except that I accidentally purchased dried cranberries instead of raisers. They even had pomegranate juice infused in them. But I think that the effect is similar because of how the dried fruit gets cooked. Anyway, thank you so much! We absolutely adored this!!
Awww- great to hear, glad yo uenjoyed! Cranberries work too- most any dried fruit!
This was amazing! I veered from the recipe a little since I didn’t have all the ingredients. I used chopped carrots instead of chickpeas and yellow curry powder instead of turmeric, but this was delicious and I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Sounds good JoJo! Glad it worked out.
I am going to make this for my family a few days ahead of serving, as suggested.
What is the best method of reheating to avoid the stew drying out, I will be cooking in the instant pot originally.
Thanks for your help, this stew sounds great!
Hi Diana- it really shouldn’t dry out, just reaheat low and slow on the stove (covered) or in the oven, covered.
Looks delicious and I’ll try it next week for dinner! Do you think I could use dry chickpeas instead of canned? Just wondering if they’ll get mushy if they’re already cooked and go into the Instant Pot for that long. Thanks for your help and this great recipe!
Hi Alison, If you soak the dry chickpeas first, that should work. 🙂
Hi, I made this before with lamb as suggested and I absolutely loved the recipe. I was wondering if it’s possible to use mutton too?
I bet that would work?
I want to adapt this recipe to use already cooked lamb loin chops. I know I would need to shorten the coking time. What do you suggest?
Hey Chris- this is probably not the best way to cook lamb chops. This is designed for tougher cuts of meat-like stew meat. Lamb loin chops really need very minimal cooking- cooked medium-rare or medium, with a good seared or on the grill- so I don’t feel really comfortable recommending it.
Thanks for the follow up,
The lamb is already fully cooked. I liked the recipe and am like ok’ing for a creative way to use my leftover cooked on the grill lamb. Will wing it. Did something similar when I had left over pot roast ( cooked) and a beef vegetable soup recipe for the instant pot. Sautéed the veggies, added the cooked beef and spices and shortened the cooking time avoiding mushy veggies. Turned out to be delicious and have repeated it several times with leftover pot roast. Will follow same process with this recipe using my lamb. Will see how it goes! Worst case scenario is that I feed it to the trash can and make eggs for dinner instead should it turn out inedible. Cooking is always an adventure!
Oh! Ok got it! 🙂 I think it will be fine then! If using cooked beans, don’t pressure cook as long – or maybe make the recipe on the stove?
I want to use the slow cooker function on my instant pot and let it simmer on low while I work. What’s the best way to convert this back to a slow cooker function and let me be able to work while it’s cooking? I know it sounds silly because the point of the instant pot is quick and pressurized but I miss those low and slow recipes and it has the crockpot function so it works out.
Hey Nikki- this is terrible, but I’ve never used the slow cooker function on my Instant Pot. But after googling, I found this helpful: https://apressurecookerkitchen.com/instant-pot-as-a-slow-cooker/
Excellent stew add zucchini to add freshness
Glad you enjoyed!
Hi There, I am preparing to make this meal this week but just want to know if I am using lamb shanks is this ok to put them in full or am I supposed to cut the meat off the shank? Thanks in advance
You know, I bet they would be fine whole, but you may need to increase the time a bit? Maybe add 10 minutes? Purely guessing here. 🙂 then just shred them apart. If they are not falling off the bone, they need more time.
Meat was so tender , served with pearl couscous . Looking forward to trying again tomorrow.
Thanks Erin. Glad this worked for you! And love the pearl couscous 🙂
Made this yesterday night exactly as the recipe was written. Just as was mentioned in the instructions, I liked it more the next day because the flavors really permeated the meat.
The first night I made it, the stew was just too watery. I sautéed it a little longer (as suggested by the instructions) to try and cook down the liquid, but it was taking too long and I had to get dinner out. The meat was a bit bland for my taste, but the chickpeas were delicious. They sucked up ALL the flavor.
Next time, I think I might try to season the meat a bit before cooking instead of tossing it all in at the same time? Maybe if it sits in the salt and seasonings for a few mins before I toss it in the instapot, that’ll help the flavor stick to the meat. Kinda takes away from how easy this recipe is though huh…
Or, I’ll just do it the same way and eat it the next day. 😉
Either way, the flavors were good and so so easy to make!
It would be a great step to season the meat with salt and pepper first while you prep the veggies. Giving the salted meat a deep sear, would enhance the flavors even more. This is kind of a “dump and go” recipe for simplicity and ease, but there are ways to elevate it, and this would a great way!
This is hands down my favorite dish now. So delicious! I added mushrooms instead of chickpeas and they held their shape and were not mushy. The bottom of my pot did burn, though. Looked like it may have been from the raisins? Anyone know why/how this can be avoided next time?
I’m so glad you like these flavors! What if you placed the raisins on top and don’t mix in?
I found this too sweet for my tastes.
Sorry about that. Did you remember to add the vinegar? It does bring balance to the dish.
Hi this looks tasty and I’m excited to try it. Could you be more specific where in the Middle East this recipe originated from? I’d love to learn more and try similar styles from whichever region.
Hi Chelsea- this is Middle Eastern-inspired. Not from a specific area. My father is from Egypt, so we had a lot meals like this at home.
I just made this tonight for my family. My parents can’t stop texting me how much they loved this meal. I made it exactly the way the recipe was written, which is not normal for me, but it was delicious!
Awww… thanks for the comment and rating Lauren, AND for trusting enough in the recipe! I am so glad your parents enjoyed it. I miss cooking for my parents and this just touched my heart today. ❤️
Great recipe! Easy to make with just a few ingredients and very flavorful.
Thanks Tammy! Glad you enjoyed this!
I have a five lb leg of lamb. Can I triple the recipe or would that still be too much meat? I plan to use an instant pot.
Hi Harriet- it depends on the size of your instant pot. You may have to eyeball it.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. It’s an easy go-to recipe for a busy family. I have 4 kids 6yr and younger and am always looking for simple recipes that don’t require buying a bunch of ingredients and tons of prep. And it has great flavor. Probably my favorite meal from the blog.
Thanks so much Kayla!
Is there a substitute for vinegar. I cook your recipes all the time for my husband. I can’t have yeastvso no soy,tamari,wine or vinegar. Soy is easily replaced with aminos but how about replacing the vinegar. And for other recipes is there a substitute for rice vinegar.?
Hi Abby. 🙂 How about a little squeeze of lemon at the end? I would also cut back the honey and apricots by half. The vinegar helps mitgate the sweetness here.
Thank you
Excellent. It was my first instant pot recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Great to hear Anna!
If I make this recipe with beef chunks, do I adjust the cooking time?
Thank you for this recipe.
It should be the same cooking time, Fatima. 😉
Soooo easy and good!!
I used chops as that was what I had. The meat fell off of the bones – so tender. Another keeper.
Perfect Martie- glad to hear it worked with chops.