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!
Be sure to CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON located in the TOP MENU.
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.
Linda
Having made other lamb braises, I wanted to try lamb with some new flavors last weekend. This was so delicious! And the sauce was perfect for dipping some flat bread into!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Oh yes, the gravy is perfect for dipping.
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you enjoyed this braised lamb recipe as much as we do.
Donna
This dish is just bursting with flavor, and the sauce is so thick and comforting – just perfect for a cold winters day, especially when I get to have a glass of the wine I am cooking with while I cook!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Oh…cooking with wine is the best. You must enjoy some during the process for sure.
Dana
This is such a cozy recipe and is the silver lining to the still grey and chilly weather. But! Gotta take advantage of it and gobble up all of these belly-warming stews now! I feel like this is one I’ll just want to keep coming back to.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is one of our favourites for sure. ENJOY!
Debra
OOh….adding this to our Passover menu. Lamb is a traditional food eaten on the holiday…I”ll just have to swap out the flour, but otherwise it’s perfect…and those moroccan flavors…YUM.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
You could always try cornstarch for the thickening agent in this delicious lamb stew.
Tracy
Comfort food is often simple, isn’t it? And I’m always looking for new (but easy) ways to serve lamb since we have a half in the freezer. Pinning for later! Thank you!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Enjoy…this is one lamb recipe we love in our house.
Marisa Franca
I’m craving something that will warm me from the inside out!! It’s been raining for two days and I’m chilled and just can’t get warm. The lamb stew sounds like it would do the trick. the Moroccan spices that are going on there would certainly but a zing in my dreary day. We love lamb but don’t often use it in anything other than a roast. That’s got to change.
Homemade & Yummy
It has been so hot here…..today we finally got a break. I actually have a sweatshirt on LOL. I know come the comfort food season, this will be happening again.
Abra
I love a lamb stew, looks amazing!
Homemade & Yummy
It is so good….even better the next day.
Whitney Bond
I love lamb and can’t wait to try this recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Lamb is so good….and this is so tasty.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
I love lamb and simply do not have it often enough! This looks and sounds so tasty! Popping over from #recipeoftheweek x
Homemade & Yummy
Lamb is so delicious. Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look.
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
I love these slow braised dishes! Bring on the dutch oven!
Homemade & Yummy
Totally love my dutch ovens. I have 2!!
susan | the wimpy vegetarian
This looks so perfect as I look outside at all the snow! My family would love it, and a lot of the other dishes on the *menu* sound wonderful too!
Homemade & Yummy
Lots of great recipes in this collection for sure.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
Those seasonings sound good!
Homemade & Yummy
So delicious.
Julia (@imagelicious)
I love the idea of a stew for a weeknight Valentine’s Day meal – so much easier than standing by the stove and cooking steaks to order. Instead you get to prepare earlier in the day and then just sit, sip a glass of wine and let your significant other serve this delicious stew!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes I agree with you 100%. Stew is easier than most people think. It takes a bit of work at the beginning, but then the oven does all the work. It is very enjoyable to sit back and relax with wine while dinner cooks. Your significant other and serve…and do the dishes too!!
All That I'm Eating
This sounds so tasty. I could see myself making a double batch of this to have leftovers after the weekend!
Homemade & Yummy
Oh you bet…that is a GREAT idea!!