Name: Instant Pot Moroccan Lamb Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: PT-453981H33M16S
Total time: PT-453981H33M16S
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 2 pounds American boneless leg of lamb, or shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1–1½ inches thick; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces (1 1/4 cup); 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon ras el hanout; ⅛ teaspoon allspice; 4 cups low-sodium beef broth; 2 tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces; 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; ½ cup diced dried apricots or golden raisins; 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; Cook basmati rice, couscous, or quinoa; Cilantro, parsley and or preserved lemons

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Instant Pot Moroccan Lamb Stew—a dinner that can double as an elegant night in or a hearty hands-off weeknight dinner. Infused with flavor from warm spices, garlic and dried fruit, this lamb stew is unique, comforting, and satisfying.

lamb stew with chickpeas, parsley, and rice in a white bowl set on a wooden table

This post was sponsored by the American Lamb Board, as always the thoughts, opinions, recipes, photos, and content are all my own.

How to make lamb stew in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker

Since lamb stew uses tougher cuts of meat like the leg or shoulder, it’s essential to slowly simmer the stew for a few hours to break down and tenderize the meat.

Luckily, the Instant Pot does a beautiful job of speeding that simmer process along. Plus, everything is done in the instant Pot, making this a one pot dinner!

step-by-step grid of images showing how to make Instant Pot Lamb Stew

Brown the lamb in olive oil in the Instant Pot on sauté function.
Transfer lamb to a bowl and reserve the drippings in the Instant Pot.
Cook carrot and onion in drippings on sauté function until starting to soften.
Add the flour and spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in a splash of broth and whisk to combine, scraping up any browned bits. You’re essentially making the beginning of a roux here (which will create a silky broth in the end), so very, very gradually add the broth and whisk after each addition. You want a smooth mixture, not lumps!
Once all of the broth has been added, add the lamb and any accumulated juices back to the pot.
Lock the lid, close pressure valve, and cook on high pressure function for 50 minutes.
Quick release pressure and stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and apricots and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Off heat, season the soup with vinegar, salt and pepper.

What cut of lamb is best for lamb stew?

It’s best to use tougher cuts of meat for long-simmered or braised dishes like stew. For this lamb stew recipe, don’t be tempted to use a tender cut like lamb loin chops, it’s simply not worth it. Due to the long simmer time, stewing is one of the best ways to break down and tenderize tough cuts of meat.

For this recipe, I recommend using local sustainably raised American boneless leg of lamb, shoulder, or what your butcher might label as “stew meat.”

When cooking with lamb, I always seek out American lamb for its robust flavor and tender succulent meat. By sourcing American lamb, you support local economies and American ranchers who value sustainability, land preservation, and humanly-raised meat.

How to make this stew in a Dutch oven

Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can instead make this in a large Dutch oven. Brown the lamb and cook the vegetables according to recipe instructions.

Add the broth as directed and bring to a boil, add the browned lamb and bring the stew to a simmer. Cover and transfer to a 325ºF oven and braise until lamb is tender, about an hour and 45 minutes.

Variations on this Instant Pot Lamb Stew

Instead of dried apricots, use golden raisins or currants.
Swap the ras el hanout for a combination of coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin seeds.
Make it gluten free by skipping the flour.
Swap the chickpeas for diced red potatoes (simmer for an extra 5 to 10 minutes).
Instead of rice, couscous or quinoa, serve over my favorite mashed potatoes.

What to serve with this Morccan Lamb Stew

MORE RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE…

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Don’t forget, if you make this Instant Pot Lamb Stew, leave a comment and rating below!To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the bar below the recipe. Happy cooking!

Instant Pot Moroccan Lamb Stew

Author: Lauren Grant
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1¼ hours
Total Time: 1½ hours
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Moroccan

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Description

A bold and flavorful Instant Pot lamb stew. This one pot dinner is easy to make and can easily be a weeknight dinner or elegant date night in.

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds American boneless leg of lamb, or shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1–1½ inches thick
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces (1 ¼ cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon ras el hanout
⅛ teaspoon allspice
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup diced dried apricots or golden raisins
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Cook basmati rice, couscous, or quinoa
Cilantro, parsley and or preserved lemons

Instructions

Pat lamb dry with paper towels; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Add lamb and cook until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl and reserve drippings in pot.

Add onion and carrot to drippings, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook on highest sauté function until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, flour, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice, and ras el hanout; cook until fragrant, 30–60 second. Whisk in a few splashes of broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out the mixture after each addition. Gradually add in the remaining broth; add browned lamb back and any accumulated juices to pot, stir to incorporate.

Lock lid in place, close pressure release valve, and select high pressure cook function; cook for 50 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing for steam to escape away from you.

Select sauté functions and add tomatoes, chickpeas, and apricots and simmer for 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar and season with salt (I use 1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste.

Serve stew over rice and finish with parsley, cilantro, and/or chopped preserved lemons.