Red Wine Lamb Stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of lamb with vegetables, submerged in red wine gravy.
If you love cooking with wine, this lamb recipe will wow your dinner guests. All made in one pot. Once it is simmering away in the oven, you can enjoy a glass of wine and make some drop biscuits just in time for dinner.
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.
Stew is always so hearty and comforting. Perfect for any night of the week. Great for leftovers too. My Irish Stew is always a hit with the family.
Using wine in recipes really does enhance the flavour. My homemade onion gravy is the perfect topper for steak, potatoes, and more. Speaking of steak the red wine in this meat marinade recipe makes the juiciest steaks ever.
I even use red wine to enhance the flavour of dried mushrooms in my spicy lentil pasta sauce.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this old-fashioned lamb stew can be found at the bottom of this post.
Red Wine Lamb Stew Ingredients:
- lamb
- oil
- onion
- garlic
- dry red wine
- potatoes
- carrots
- peas
- canned diced tomatoes
- seasoning blend
- salt
- pepper
- flour
- water
How To Make Lamb Stew In A Dutch Oven
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.
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.
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 cook for 30 minutes.
Your dutch oven does the rest of the work. The lamb braised in this red wine gravy turns out perfect, tender, and oh so delicious.
When it is time to eat, ladle into bowls and dig in. I will say, leftovers will be a hit since this stewed lamb recipe even tastes better the next day.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Spice Blend – I used Alhambra Merguez seasoning in this recipe for a North African/Moroccan inspired stew. You can use any blend you wish. Italian, Greek, or even a great curry blend will work.
Red Wine – dry red wine works best. It does not have to be expensive, but my suggestion is only to use wines you will enjoy drinking since you only need a cup in this recipe. The rest is for dinner. Alternatively, you can leave out the wine if you prefer.
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.
Vegetables – Potatoes, carrots, and peas are traditional stew vegetables. You can use any kind of potato you like. I like to leave the peel on mini potatoes. Other great additions would be turnip, parsnip, or rutabaga.
Canned Tomatoes – Any size will work, although I prefer mini diced. Do not drain the liquid. For a really robust tomato flavour these roasted tomatoes work like a charm. Just defrost, and blitz in a blender or use an immersion blender to break them up a bit.
Storing – this will keep for several days in the fridge. You will be surprised how the flavours will enhance. Keep it in a sealed container. Alternatively, you can freeze leftovers. They will last for several months in the freezer.
Reheating – I like to use my big soup mugs. Place the stew in the mugs, cover with foil, and heat in the oven. You can also reheat in a pot or even the microwave.
If you are reheating from frozen, you can defrost in the fridge first, or place the frozen stew in a casserole dish, cover and use a moderate oven (350ºF) to prevent it from burning while it warms.
If you find the stew is too thick, just add some water to the gravy to thin it out.
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!
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Since cooking with lamb is so delicious, I have a few more lamb recipes for you to try:
- Kofta Kebabs are made with ground lamb and cooked on the grill. The ultimate bbq party recipe.
- Baked Lamb Rolls are a fun twist on egg rolls. Served with a delicious dipping sauce.
- Shepherd’s Pie – always a hit at the dinner table.
- Rack Of Lamb – the perfect meal for special occassions and holidays.
Be sure to check out all my soups, chilis and stews.
Red Wine Lamb Stew (Dutch Oven Braised)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds leg of lamb (trimmed and cut into 1 ½″ chunks)
- 2 tablespoons 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 teaspoons Alhambra Merguez seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups water
- ¼ 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 tablespoon 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.
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.