Lamb Stifado

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If you love Greek Food or warming stews, this Lamb Stifado recipe is for you! Warming, easy to make and absolutely delicious. Perfect for cold winter evenings.

So before you go any further, this isn’t an authentic Greek Recipe. I love Greek Beef Stifado, and there are a few lamb Stifado recipes out there, but I wanted a more accessible option. 

Most lamb Stifado recipes call for big joints of Lamb. They make a huge casserole or stew that’s the perfect alternative to Sunday lunch. 

But Lamb is expensive. So I’ve made an easier, budget-friendly Stifado with 300g of diced Lamb.

It still has lots of lovely Greek flavour, but it’s much cheaper and more affordable for families. 

It’s a poor man’s Stifado recipe, and I love it!

What is Stifado?

Stifado is a Greek dish with beef, small onions and a rich tomato sauce. 

It’s slow-cooked so that the meat is tender and the sauce thick. 

Why I Love This Easy Lamb Stifado

• While this recipe for lamb Stifado is inspired by traditional Greek Cooking, it’s not an authentic Greek Stifado recipe. It tastes lovely, but it’s much cheaper, easier and more family-friendly.
• It’s rich, warming and ideal for cold days. 
• It tastes and smells incredible. 
• It’s a simple stew that you can serve with your favourite vegetables, potatoes, or bread. Traditionally, Stifado is served with feta cheese, but if your family prefer fluffy mash, fab!
• We need all the comfort food recipes we can get to make it through winter!
• Greek recipes are always delicious. Some of my favourites. 

Ingredients For Lamb Stifado

When I make my Greek Lamb Stew, I use:

Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is ideal if you have it. But if not, any cooking oil will do. 

Diced Lamb – I’ve used 300g because that’s what most packs of diced Lamb in a UK supermarket come in. You can, however, use more. Up to 600g in the recipe would work well. Any more than that, and you might want to start increasing other ingredients, too. 

Salt and Pepper

Shallots

Garlic Puree – You can also use two cloves of crushed garlic. But I’m a big cheat. If you use fresh, stir it in just after the shallots, and cook for a few minutes before adding any liquid. 

Red Wine Vinegar

Rosemary – I used dried herbs for ease. 

Oregano

Cinnamon – If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, a pinch of ground cinnamon is ok, or skip it. 

Ground Cloves

Tomato Puree – Or Tomato Paste. 

Red Wine

Bay Leaves

Tinned Tomatoes

Lamb Stock – You can use chicken if you don’t have lamb stock. 

Sugar – Any white sugar. I use granulated or caster. 

You’ll Also Need

I cook my easy lamb Stifado in a cast iron Dutch Oven on the hob. 

If I’m honest, I cook most things like this and recommend a big cast iron dish for anyone who cooks a lot of filling family dinners. 

I’ve linked to a le Cruset below to give you an idea of what I mean, as it’s the most recognisable brand. But mine was from Sainsbury’s for a fraction of the price, and I’ve had it for over five years. It gets used near enough daily and is still perfect. 

If you don’t have this kind of dish, any flameproof dish or pan you can use on the hob is fine. 

Then, you just need a chopping board and knife to prepare the onions and a spatula or spoon to stir. It’s a one pot dinner with very little faf!

How to Make Greek Lamb Stifado – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Warm a large flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob.

Step Two

Add the oil and warm for a minute or two. 

Step Three

Add the Lamb and a good pinch of salt and pepper. 

Step Four 

Cook for a few minutes, stirring often until brown. 

Step Five

Add the shallots and stir until coated in oil. 

Step Six

Add the garlic puree and red wine vinegar. Stir well. 

If you are using fresh garlic cloves, crush and add these before the vinegar, and cook, stirring often for a few minutes before adding the vinegar. 

Step Seven

Stir in the oregano, rosemary, cloves and tomato puree and add the cinnamon stick. 

Step Eight

Add the wine, stir well, scraping the bottom of the dish, and simmer for 3 minutes. 

Step Nine

Add the chopped tomatoes, lamb stock, bay leaves and sugar. 

Step Ten

Bring to a bubble (you can cover to do this quicker, but then uncover once it’s simmering). Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Step Eleven

Serve straight away. 

Top Tips

There are plenty of tips in the instructions above, but the main things I think are:

• Brown the meat. Don’t be tempted to skip this bit!
• Cook slowly. The best stews are cooked slowly until the meat is falling apart and the sauce is thick. It’ll be edible after about 30 minutes, but it will be much better after 2 hours. 
• A heavy dish, like my Dutch Oven, is perfect if you can. 
• Scrape the bottom when you stir. Not much sticks, but it’s worth doing. 
• Season to taste. I don’t tend to add more salt and freshly ground pepper once I’ve seasoned the Lamb, but carefully taste before serving and add more if necessary. 
• Add extra water if needed. Over a long simmer, if your Stifado is drying out at any point, stir through a cup of water. 
• If the flavour is too strong, add a cup of water and simmer a little longer to thicken. 

What to Serve with Lamb Stifado

When I make lamb Stifado, I typically serve it with a range of things to keep everyone happy. 

I might put a bowl of fluffy mash on the table, as well as bowls of carrots and green beans and a crunchy homemade loaf (frankly, any excuse!) and let my family just help themselves. 

What is Traditionally Served with Stifado?

Traditionally, Stifado is served with a heavy carb, like orzo, pasta, rice, potatoes or even fries. 

Light options include Greek Salad and a sprinkle of feta on top. 

Variations

There are a few things that you could do differently when you make this Greek Lamb Stew. 

Extra Lamb

A joint of Lamb shoulder, lamb leg or even lamb shanks are often used to make Stifado lamb. You can absolutely do that here or use a bigger pack of diced Lamb. I just wanted to make something that was more affordable and easier for families to get hold of. 

Pearl Onions

Pearl onions, or baby onions in the UK, are often used in Greek Stifado.

But again, I wanted this recipe to be really accessible, and personally, I find shallots more readily available. 

If you prefer to use baby onions, peel them and add either with or instead of the shallots. Many people leave the root on, but I wouldn’t because the kids would freak out!

Stock

I’ve used lamb stock, but I know many people only have beef or chicken in the cupboard. Using chicken is fine. 

Vegetables

The first time I made this recipe, husband kept saying, ‘But what veg are you putting in? stew needs veg!’ He couldn’t accept onion as the answer. 

So, I’m going to be honest, we often add carrots. The kids are used to a more traditional English stew, and adding carrots bridges the gap. Either large, peeled and sliced, or chantenay top and bottomed added with the stock and tomatoes. 

Another option is adding a tin of cherry tomatoes. My daughter loves this one!

Leftovers

Reheat leftover Stifado gently on the hob, simmering for 10-15 minutes until the Lamb is piping hot. Add a cup of water if it’s too dry. 

You can also reheat in the microwave. 

Storage

If you have saving leftovers, remove them from the cooking pan to cool as quickly as possible before covering or placing them in a sealed tub in the fridge. 

I don’t recommend keeping it for more than a day or two. 

Alternatively, you can freeze lamb Stifado. 

Again, cool quickly and seal. Freeze for up to two months and thaw thoroughly in the fridge before reheating as above. 

FAQ

Other Recipes 

If you like this recipe with Greek Stifado with Lamb, you might also enjoy:

• Beef Goulash
• Sausage and Chorizo Casserole
• Pork and Cider Casserole
• Lamb Stew with Dumplings
• Sausage and Beer Casserole
• Chorizo and Butterbean Stew 
• Lamb Kleftiko
• Greek Lamb Wraps
• Halloumi Wraps
• Greek Chicken Wraps

Recipe Card

Lamb Stifado

Author NameAuthor: Donna

Lamb Stifado is a classic, comforting stew with melt-in-the-mouth meat, soft onions, and a rich tomato sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4 Portions

Calories 814 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 300 g Diced Lamb
• Pinch Salt and pepper
• 400 g Shallots (Top and bottomed and peeled)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Puree (You can also use 2 crushed garlic cloves)
• 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• ½ Teaspoons Ground Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
• 150 ml Red Wine
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 400 g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
• 500 ml Lamb Stock
• 1 Tablespoon White Sugar

Instructions

 

• Warm a large flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob.
• Add the oil and warm for a minute or two.
• Add the Lamb and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cook for a few minutes, stirring often until brown.
• Add the shallots and stir until coated in oil.
• Add the garlic puree and red wine vinegar. Stir well.
• Stir in the oregano, rosemary, cloves and tomato puree and add the cinnamon stick.
• Add the wine, stir well, and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, lamb stock, bay leaves and sugar.
• Bring to a bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve straight away.

Notes

• If you use crushed garlic, add it after the shallots and let it cook for a few minutes before adding anything else.
• Add a cup of water if your stew is too dry.
• See the post above for more tips and advice.

Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.

Keyword family recipes, Greek, lamb recipes, midweek meal recipes

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