25 Ways To Use Leftover Lamb
Recipes so good, you'll even want leftovers of them.
Here's a likely story: You're positively swimming in leftovers after your big Easter celebration, probably a sizable portion of your lamb roast or juicy lamb chops. Put it all to good use with these easy leftover recipes that come together fast, like gyro sandwiches, hearty lamb stews, and pasta dishes like lamb ragú. There are so many ways to use up those last bits of lamb that you just might hope you get to have leftovers to make a couple of these 25 easy leftover lamb recipes. We'd even argue that some of these might be better than the meal on the holiday itself, but we'll let you make that decision. 😉
Don't have any leftover lamb on hand? Well, don't you worry, you won't be left out of the fun. We have plenty of lamb roast recipes so you can get to dreaming about your future leftovers. We know you'll find it hard to choose between the rack of lamb with mustard-shallot sauce and our easy rack of lamb (perfect for all you garlic-fiends!). Best of all, having your lamb already pre-cooked means you get to skip to the good parts for our recipes for lamb curry and Moroccan lamb tagine.
Is ground lamb more your jam? We love rolling up a platter of Greek-style lamb meatballs served over pasta or dipped in fresh tzatziki sauce for a fun summertime appetizer sure to please a crowd. As it turns out, you can actually take your pre-cooked lamb and easily make it ready for any recipes requiring ground lamb too. Chopping lamb into bite-sized pieces (or popping it for a few seconds in the food processor) will have it minced finely enough for the shepherd's pie of your dreams!
Looking for some dessert ideas to round out your night? Complete your meal with some of our favorite Easter desserts!
Gyro Sandwich
Ticket for one to Greece please! What's that? Too expensive? Sigh. We'll have to settle for these epically tasty homemade gyro sandwiches, made even easier with leftover lamb! This lamb sandwich is found in casual shops and restaurants around Greece. Pronounced YEE-roh or ZHEE-roh (it rhymes with hero), gyro sandwiches are packed with delicious spiced lamb, crunchy fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and a tangy herb-and-cucumber yogurt sauce called tzatziki.
Get the Gyro Sandwich recipe.
Best-Ever Lamb Stew
Hearty, flavorful lamb stew can be yours in under 2 hours, and all in one pot! With a rich, velvety broth and tender pieces of lamb, you'd be hard-pressed to find a cozier cold weather meal. This recipe calls for lamb shoulder, but any cut of lamb will do! Don't forget lots of crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce.
Get the Best-Ever Lamb Stew recipe.
Lamb Curry
A perfect curry for anyone new to cooking Indian recipes, we love to serve this up with hot, buttery homemade naan and fluffy jasmine rice. For pops of quick flavor, you can also serve this with slices of raw onion, fresh green chiles, and wedges of lime to go with a bowl.
Get the Lamb Curry recipe.
Simple Lamb Ragù
We love a hearty meat sauce for topping our spaghetti or pappardelle. Lamb changes things up a bit and is even more tender than beef. This ragù is perfect for making a big batch on Sunday night and freezing any leftovers for when your pasta craving hits—which we're sure will be soon!
Get the Simple Lamb Ragù recipe.
Shepherd's Pie
In England, the birthplace of this hearty dish, classic shepherd's pie is most often made with a ground lamb filling. The States' version is often called a cottage pie, and uses ground beef instead of lamb. Both versions are delicious, and lamb can easily be subbed into this recipe following the same instructions. This warming meal combines your sides + main all into one bowl of cozy goodness.
Get the Shepherd's Pie recipe.
Spring Lamb Ragù
This spring lamb ragù is the perfect mid-year twist on the original recipe; pea shoots, anchovies, and fresh herbs brighten the sauce and complement the slight gaminess of the lamb.
Get the Spring Lamb Ragù recipe.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Get ready to have your kitchen smell just like your favorite Moroccan restaurant. The dish traditionally uses lots of spices both savory and ones that lean more sweet, like cinnamon and cardamom, leading to a result that's so well-balanced and complex, without a ton of work. (The best kind of meal, tbh.) Serve it over perfectly cooked couscous for the best meal ever.
Get the Moroccan Lamb Tagine recipe.
Shawarma
Although we opt for chicken in our original recipe, it's just as good (and ultra classic) to use lamb in this loaded wrap. Whether you opt to wrap this lamb shawarma in a homemade pita bread and authentic tzatziki sauce or to top steamed rice, you really can't go wrong here!
Get the Shawarma recipe.
Roast Lamb
Don't have any leftover lamb? Prepare this beauty, enjoy it as is, and then repurpose it however you see fit in the days to come. This is a real showstopper of a main course; you'll be admired by the whole table!
Get the Roast Lamb recipe.
One Pot Shawarma and Orzo Skillet
Shawarma wraps often use lamb, chicken, or beef, and when we have leftover lamb, you know we're going to swap it in! Best of all, you can go ahead and skip to step three when you make this easy one-skillet meal. For an interactive dinner, serve this shawarma with extra sauces on the side, like tzatziki, tahini sauce, or baba ghanoush.
Best-Ever Lamb Burger
These Greek(ish) lamb burgers are one of our favorite lamb recipes ever. We're particularly fond of the of the feta yogurt sauce, so we slather it on both sides of the bun. If you end up with anything left over, it's a perfect dip for raw veggies or pita chips.
Get the Best-Ever Lamb Burger recipe.
Cauli Shepherd's Pie
Along with swapping in lamb for beef, we made another little swap for this lightened up shepherd's pie. Mashed potatoes, which normally adorn shepherd's pie, are high in carbs, so we replaced the potatoes with cauliflower for a low-carb swap everyone will love. Still creamy and buttery, you'll barely miss the potatoes.
Get the Cauli Shepherd's Pie recipe.
Lamb Burgers With Mint Green Tea Pesto
This pita is PACKED with perfectly seasoned lamb and a killer mint green tea pesto. Though the pesto might sound super-fancy, we promise you likely already have all the ingredients right in your pantry!
Cumin Lamb Noodles with Eggplant
This rich, creamy lamb ragù is a fun spin on pasta night with delicious Greek flavors; it's a total crowd-pleaser and a nice alternative to more common Italian pasta dishes.
Pasta Moussaka
This labor of love marries the classic Greek eggplant casserole with baked ziti. We used ground beef in this recipe, but the classic version opts for ground lamb, and we highly suggest you try it out the next time you've got leftovers!
Get the Pasta Moussaka recipe.
Lamb Meatballs
Lamb meatballs aren't exactly the spaghetti and meatballs type, they're so much more. These spiced, herby meatballs have Mediterranean vibes, and with an addicting green goddess sauce, we couldn't stop eating them. They'll soon be a new favorite.
Get the Lamb Meatballs recipe.
Biryani
Though there are truly countless different types of biryani that include different proteins, flavors, and ingredients, the one thing that brings all biryanis together is rice. For this recipe, we were inspired by the Hyderabadi style of biryani, where rice and a curry filled with veggies and/or a protein (we love swapping in leftover lamb instead of chicken) are cooked separately, then layered and baked into an aromatic, harmonious, and hearty dish. Serve alongside a fresh cucumber raita and a flavor-packed salad, and you will have one perfectly balanced meal.
Get the Biryani recipe.
Grilled Lamb Skewers with Couscous Tabbouleh
This Greek-inspired feast comes together in a pinch thanks to leftover lamb. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon, and you'll be thinking you're in Mykonos.
Get the Grilled Lamb Skewers with Couscous Tabbouleh recipe.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
It doesn't get more versatile than this stuffed veggie dish. You can use any combination of grains or rice and your favorite meat (like ground lamb). Just be sure to top it with plenty of melted cheese!
Get the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
One-Pot High-Protein Lamb Stew
This Moroccan-style stew is the perfect no-hassle, slow-simmered, end-of-winter warmer that takes no longer to prepare than your usual pot of chili.
Get the One-Pot High-Protein Lamb Stew recipe from Men's Health.
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