Red Wine Lamb Stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of meat, vegetables and a thick delicious sauce.
If you love cooking with wine, this lamb recipe will wow your dinner guests.
Sometimes it is the simple recipes that really pack a punch. This braised meat dish really is easy to prepare. Your dutch oven does all the work.
The combination of lamb and mint is classic for sure. I prefer to use bold spices, garlic, and wine. Think Greek, Moroccan or Indian. For this stew recipe, I used a North African spice blend.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this recipe are at the bottom of this post.
Lamb is such a great ingredient to work with. There are so many delicious ways to prepare it. Irish Stew is always a hit.
Baked Roccan Lamb Rolls are party perfect. The fig dipping sauce it so delicious.
Grilled Kofta Kebabs are great for the bbq. Perfect for lunch or dinner. Your guests will love them.
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs are great as an appetizer. Even better, stuff them into a sub for a great sandwich.
For This Braised Lamb Stew You Will Need:
- lamb
- oil
- onion
- garlic
- dry red wine
- potatoes
- carrots
- peas
- canned diced tomatoes
- seasoning blend
- salt
- pepper
- flour
- water
Recipe Tips
For this recipe, I used a North African (*affiliate) spice blend. Feel free to use seasoning blends of your choice. Some great options would be (*affiliate) Harissa or Moroccan.
What Is the Best Cut of Lamb For Stew
For this recipe, I used a leg of lamb. It is a little lower in fat, and when cooked at a low temperature it becomes very tender. Alternatively, you could use the shoulder.
I like to buy a large leg, especially if you can find it on sale. Cut it into chunks. Keep what you need for this recipe, and portion the rest into freezer bags. Pop in the freezer for use later.
Best Red Wine For Cooking
I like to use a nice dry red wine. It does not have to be expensive. I never cook with a wine I would not drink. After all, you only need 1 cup for this recipe. The rest you can enjoy with your dinner.
How To Make Red Wine Lamb Stew
The most prep work for this dutch oven stew is cutting up the meat and vegetables. I suggest doing it all at once. That way everything will fall into place easily.
While this stew braises in the oven, you have time to do other things. I love making this on a Sunday afternoon. I can read a book and sip on a glass of wine while dinner cooks in the oven.
Since I used a dutch oven, there are no extra pots and pans to deal with. Alternatively, you can use a frying pan and casserole dish to cook this recipe. See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Trim the lamb, and cut into chunks. Set aside.
- Dice the onion and place in a bowl.
- Cut the carrots and potatoes into bite-size pieces. If you are using baby potatoes, no need to peel them.
- Heat the oil in the dutch oven, or frying pan.
- Add the lamb in batches to sear. Set all cooked meat off to the side
- Next, you will cook the onions and garlic.
- Add the flour and wine to make the sauce base.
- Add the tomatoes to the base, along with the water.
- Put the seared meat into the sauce and place it in the oven.
- In about an hour, add the carrots and potatoes. Return to the oven to cook for an additional hour.
- Add the peas, and coof for 30 minutes.
Dinner is ready. Ladle into bowls, grab some bread or biscuits and ENJOY!
What Is Braising
Braising is a very simple cooking method. You first brown the chunks of meat in oil to sear in the juices. Then you add the meat to a liquid in a tightly covered pot or casserole dish and cook it long and slow. This can be done either on the stovetop or in the oven.
Best Dutch Oven
There are lots of great options when it comes to choosing dutch ovens.
I LOVE Le Creuset products and have several different pieces in my kitchen. For this recipe, I used (*affiliate) my Round French Oven. It works like a charm. The meat turns out tender and delicious.
Bonus, since it can be used both on the stove and in the oven, I only have 1 pot to wash!
I hope you give this Red Wine Lamb Stew a try. Perfect for Sunday dinner. Elegant enough for entertaining.
Leftovers are great for another meal (or two) during the week. The ultimate comfort food is simple and delicious.
Looking For More Ways To Cook With Wine
- Homemade Onion Gravy is the BEST steak topping ever.
- Asparagus Soup is the perfect start to any meal.
- Spicy Beluga Pasta Sauce is a great meatless alternative to the traditional classic.
- Red Wine Marinated Prime Rib is company-worthy.
- Chicken Chasseur is another delicious one-pot dinner.
Be sure to FOLLOW ME on SOCIAL MEDIA and sign up for my NEWSLETTER and get a FREE printable.
This recipe has been updated from the original publication to include new photos and information.
Red Wine Lamb Stew Dutch Oven Method
Ingredients
- 2 pounds leg of lamb (trimmed and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil (your choice)
- 4 ounces onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 pounds potatoes (cut into chunks)
- 12 ounces carrots (cut into sliced)
- 10 ounces peas (fresh or frozen)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 3 tsp Alhambra Merguez seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.I used a cast iron dutch oven to cook the entire stew in from start to finish. You may choose to use a frying pan and casserole dish.
- Heat the dutch oven over med-high heat (or your frying pan) and 1 tbsp of oil.
- Add the lamb (in a couple of batches) and brown on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. This should take about 20 minutes.
- When all the meat is done, add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the salt, pepper and Merguez seasoning to the pot and mix well.
- Stir in the flour, mix well, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the wine. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits, and smooth out any lumps from the flour. Cook for about 3 minutes, just to cook out some of the alcohol.
- Add the water, tomatoes (and juice) and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure there are no lumps. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the lamb, mix, cover and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and return to oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and add the peas. Cover and return to oven. Cook for 30 minutes, or until veggies are nice and tender.
- Ladle stew into bowls.ENJOY!!
Giselle Rochford
I had a Moroccan roommate once who made something similar to this, but without the lamb because she was pescatarian. It was amazing and I’m sure this one is epic too. Definitely need to try a vegan version of this some time!
p.s. Those pancakes look hella yummy too ?
Homemade & Yummy
Well a non meat version would work too.
swathi
Homemade red wine lamb stew sound perfect for Valentine menu.as a spice lover I can agree with you that Moroccan spices goes well with lamb.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes they sure do. We love Moroccan spices the most with lamb. Red wine speaks for itself.
Derek | Dad With A Pan
Sometimes the best valentines day dinners are the ones that your significant other truley enjoys. Doesn’t always need to be cutesy with hearts all over them. This stew looks amazing!
Homemade & Yummy
Simple, and elegant. Perfect for the celebration. Easy to make too.
Megan Marlowe
Truth be told, I’ve never made lamb! This stew looks hearty and delicious and just the thing I need to get me through this freezing Winter! I am not waiting for a special occasion to make this stew!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…well enjoy. It is perfect comfort food anytime for sure.
Lynn | The Road to Honey
Sometimes we go out while other times we stay home. Personally the restaurants are always so crowded in Boston that I think it is almost better to celebrate the day after Valentines Day. That said, if this stew were involved, I know my hubby would want to stay in. Lamb is his very favorite protein.
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…well hope you give it a try. I know he would love it. Spend some time making it together…while sipping some wine.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
This looks totally delicious. Love a good lamb stew. Do you know where I can get Alhambra Merguez in the UK?
Homemade & Yummy
I have included a link that explains what is in the spice mix. It would be easy to mix up your own blend for sure.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
I don’t eat a lot of lamb but have a feeling it would be very tasty in this stew. I love the Moroccan spices you used!!
Homemade & Yummy
This is a delicious and easy stew to make. Time is the factor….but great for the weekend.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
I don’t eat a lot of lamb but I have a feeling it would be very tasty in this stew. Love the Moroccan spices you used in this.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes it sure does work well in stew. The spices really make this dish sing with flavour.
Sarah
Lamb is one of my all time favorite meats! This sounds absolutely incredible!
Homemade & Yummy
It works so well in this tasty stew.
Manila Spoon
I love cooking with red wine as it adds so much depth of flavor! The Moroccan spices for sure bring this delectable dsih to another level of yumminess!
Homemade & Yummy
The first time I tried lamb I did not like it. Now we love it. Using Moroccan spices by far is our favourite way to cook it.
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
So much better to stay at home and cook for your loved one and your red wine and lamb stew looks perfect for the occasion. I love the addition of those lovely warming spices, thanks for sharing.
Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. If you like lamb I hope you give it a try.
Sarah @ The Fit Cookie
I bet the lamb and the Moroccan spices in this stew go together so well! I enjoy cooking with lamb now and then, it really does have a great taste. We live in ranch country, so some friends of ours have grass fed lamb that we could buy from them. It still gets expensive even though it’s right outside our back door though!
Homemade & Yummy
Oh my…would I love to have that outside my back door. However you look at it, it’s always cheaper to cook at home. That is what I love about cooking, you can indulge and save money too.
Elizabeth
I absolutely LOVE the sound of this dish! We eat a lot of lamb in our house and we’re really fond of Moroccan flavours too. Utterly gorgeous!
Homemade & Yummy
It is so delicious. Love the fact we had leftovers too.
Ticker Eats The World
I have a lot of respect for anyone who likes to cook food “slowly”. Not only is this a sign that the person is passionate about cooking and willing to give it time, but slow cooking adds so much flavour into the dish and a stew is perfect for that, that the food goes up to a completely different level. Oh! and wine in or with anyone is just YUM!
Homemade & Yummy
Well this is something I like to do on weekends, when I have the time. It is worth the effort, and yes the flavour is great.
Ticker Eats The World
I always appreciate anyone how cooks “slowly” making dishes that allows flavours to mature and seep in over time. It also showcases that the said person enjoys cooking and does it out of love and passion. Thank you for a delicious looking dish.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes if you can find the time to slow cook now and again, it is so worth the effort. I usually sip some wine, and find time to relax while this does its thing.
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
This is such a beautiful dish. I am like you– love to make delicious and comforting meals at home for holidays.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes totally into cooking at home, especially for special occasions. If we go out to dinner at all, it is usually to celebrate our anniversary….or out with friends.
Dene' V. Alexander
Lamb is one of my favorite types of meats to eat, but we don’t eat it enough. This would be a unique way of preparation that I think could easily please everyone that would partake in it. Never tried Morrison spices, I think I will give it a go!!
Homemade & Yummy
Moroccan spices are so flavourful. You can find them easily online, or at the grocery store.
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
I LOVE lamb meat. Here in Croatia, we have many traditional Croatian dishes made with lamb. Yes, it’s quite expensive BUT it’s very healthy, meat is so flavorful. I love how you combined Moroccan flavors here. I have to check out that Alhambra Merguez seasoning. This lamb stew sounds so good and perfect for cold winter days.
Homemade & Yummy
We love it. The leftovers are so good. Cooking at home lets you indulge in more expensive meats, and save money too.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
We don’t go out for dinner on Valentine’s day or on any holidays because we don’t like the crowd on those days and would rather eat out on a quiet weekday. Love the complete round up of dinner ideas for valentine’s day and would start giving hints to my husband.
Homemade & Yummy
It was a fun collaboration. We got the day covered for sure. I hate the crowds, and the high prices too.
Kellie MacMillan
This recipe sounds delicious, I love moroccan food so much. It is one of my faves. Valentine’s isn’t a huge deal for us as we tend to celebrate all year long. One year is particularly memorable for us though, the one time we did go out to eat was when we were also trying to start our family. We had a ‘dry’ dinner and then went to the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test. ha,ha. Great times – fast forward we now have a 9 year old beauty.
This year we are going to the dentist to have our teeth cleaned. My oh my how times have changed LOL
Kellie from Princess & The Yard Ape
Homemade & Yummy
See…everyone has their own special way to celebrate. Have fun at the dentist.
Sharon Rigsby
Believe it or not, I’ve actually never made anything with lamb but this recipe looks so delicious I can’t wait to try it.. Thank you for sharing!
Homemade & Yummy
Sure hope you give lamb a try. It is delicious.
Adriana Lopez Martn
This is a beautiful lamb stew, the layering of the favors is fabulous cannot wait to try it soon in my kitchen.
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
The Food Hunter
I love everything about this stew and your photos are awesome
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks for stopping by.
Byron Thomas
Oh, wow – this looks so delicious! I love a good hearty stew, but it’s been years since I’ve eaten lamb. As for dinner at home on Valentines, I’m all down for that. John.e and I used to go out for dinner earlier in our relationship, but grew rather tired of the crowds and the overpriced Valentine’s menu.
Homemade & Yummy
I never used to like lamb. Guess my first experience was a bad one. Now we totally love it. We don’t like the crowds and the high priced dinners either.
Fred
One of the great things about food bloggers networking is that certain meals that looked so difficult to make look a lot easier. This red wine Lamb stew does look like its filled with a lot of flavor. Where can I can i find the Alhambra Merguez seasoning? Thanks for sharing Gloria!
Homemade & Yummy
I did share a link on my post, or you can make your own. I also shared a link to what goes in the mix on the post as well.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
We simply love lamb but we always make a leg of lamb roast quite boring compared to your exotic stew. And we never go out for Valentine’s Day. In fact, we are of the mind that we make Valentine’s Day every day. Keeps the romance in our lives. Your lamb stew is getting pinned so I can make it once I get home to my Le Creuset Dutch Oven 🙂 Have a super weekend.
Homemade & Yummy
Totally agree….it is not just one day of the year. I used a leg of lamb in this stew…it works perfectly. I love my dutch oven…I have 2!!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
I don’t really celebrate Valentines Day! And to be honest don’t really go out to eat much anytime. But for the most part I think you can always make better food at home and this stew is just proof of that!
Homemade & Yummy
Totally agree…the food is much better at home.
Eyecandypopper
Beautiful, you had me at Moroccan spices! It’s a flavour that is not used enough, and it’s incredible! I also totally agree with cooking together, and spending more time enjoying each others’ company, slowing down, and not glued on our smartphones. 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH….yes it is a great way to spend some quality time together.
Wendy
I have been doing a lot of cooking with Moraccan spices and flavors this winter in stews, tangines, and even the crock pot! The cooking smells are wonderful and the flavors are so warming! This does look like a stew worthy of a celebration!
Homemade & Yummy
Moroccan cooking is so delicious. I love using my tagine too.
Natalie
We never go out on Valentine’s Day, but make a special dinner at home instead. I love the flavour and aroma of Moroccan spices. They’re so warm and inviting. This stew looks incredible. Definitely Valentine’s Day worthy?
Homemade & Yummy
Staying home is so much more enjoyable. The food is better, cheaper,no crowds…and you have leftovers for another day.
Veena Azmanov
This time valentine dinner is going to be homemade – think i’m going to try this Gloria.. Thanks
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy it. We always stay home…we find it much more relaxing, cheaper…and frankly the food is better at home. But you would know that too.
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I actually DON’T celebrate Valentines Day. (I prefer to read the gross origin stories about St Valentine hahaha.) I do appreciate a good date night dinner though! Especially if the hubs is cookin’! 😀
Homemade & Yummy
It is a delicious dinner for any night of the week.
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
We usually stay in and cook, if anything we will go out a couple days before or after. This stew sounds like a great way to cozy up and stay warm!
Homemade & Yummy
Staying in is so much better, and so is the food.
Erica
I totally agree with you about staying in on Valentine’s Day! Last year, I decorated our dining room like a fancy restaurant and then we cooked a prime rib together with simple sides. We definitely enjoyed our time together and the food was fantastic! As it’s still been so cold here, your lamb stew sounds perfect as I have not yet picked out our menu for this year, thank you!
Homemade & Yummy
Decorating the house is a great idea too. Seriously I don’t understand why people pay so much money to celebrate this day.
Aish Das-Padihari
I rarely cook with wine but I know for a fact that, wine can add a lot of taste to any dish. Especially meat. I also make a lamb and potato curry but I make it Indian style.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes, wine does add flavour, along with making the meat tender. Your curry sounds delicious too.
Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook
Looks amazing! We never go out for Valentine’s Day. I definitely prefer making something delicious at home! This looks perfect for that!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes we always stay home too. The food is better, and save us a lots of money.
The FoodOlic
Doesn’t this look like a hearty soup, filled with exotic Moroccan flavors! Yum! what is in the Alhambra Merguez seasonning exactly?
Homemade & Yummy
It’s a wonderful blend of cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cayenne…to name a few. So aromatic and totally delicious.
Corina @ Searching for Spice
What a delicious stew! I love Moroccan spices and I’d happily eat this for Valentine’s Day. We’ll just be having a nice meal at home this year. Probably something delicious but uninventive like steak to keep my husband happy!
Homemade & Yummy
Cooking/celebrating at home is so much nicer. We do it all the time.