Simple Lamb and Rice Recipe

Fast, Easy, Delicious

While leg of lamb, rib racks, and loin chops are delicious, humbler cuts are every bit as wonderful. Shanks make an incredible tagine, while lamb shoulder is perfect for pot roast. But ground lamb, the simplest of all, is often overlooked, which is a shame. Ground lamb rivals grass fed beef for flavor, which means a straightforward recipe like this one is both easy and tasty.

Choosing the Right Lamb

Because of its simplicity, the quality of the ingredients makes a big difference in this recipe. Unfortunately, lamb is a niche product, which means most supermarkets only carry a small selection of bland, grain fed cuts. While small farms generally do better, I’ve noticed two regular problems.

First, it’s often too lean. You don’t need an excess of fat, but some is necessary to promote proper cooking and flavor. But flavor is the second issue. While lamb should have a distinct character, it shouldn’t be gamey. In my experience hair sheep have a better flavor profile than wool breeds.

So take the time to find a good source. If you’re not in my farm’s shipping area or are just curious to see your options, check out this farm finding guide. While I made it specifically for locating grass fed beef, most of the resources will also help you find a local source of grass fed lamb.

Get Cooking

Once you have your ingredients ready, this recipe cooks up quick. Like hamburger rice, it’s so straightforward that the recipes is more of a suggested approach than a set of strict steps. Leave out the onion or cumin if you want, or add smoked paprika or other spices. Serve with sour cream or leave it as-is. Add more or less rice depending on your preference. My hope is that it will quickly become such a staple that you won’t even have to glance at the recipe to make it.

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Simple Lamb and Rice

Lamb, rice, and simple seasonings for an easy, delicious dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword lamb

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground lamb high quality, preferably grass fed
• ¾ cup white rice
• 1½ cup water (see note below)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cumin

Instructions

• Combine water, butter and rice in a small pan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for ten minutes.
• While the rice is cooking dice the onion and saute with ground lamb. Add salt and cumin. Cook until onion is translucent and lamb is cooked thoroughly.
• Add cooked rice to lamb. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

•For most rice a 2:1 ratio of water to dry rice works well. But this will vary somewhat, so cook the rice however you are most comfortable.

•Feel free to modify the seasonings however you wish. Leave out the onion or cumin; add other herbs or spices; serve with sour cream of harissa.