If you love lamb, you are going to want to kiss me for this recipe. I once got an email from a reader who told me that it was the best Lamb Chili Recipe he had ever made and I had made him a hero among his friends when he served this chili at a party.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen lamb chili on a menu at a restaurant and I don’t know why. Lamb burgers have certainly become popular. Maybe this recipe will be the inspiration my favorite restaurants need. I hope so.
What Makes This Lamb Chili Special
One of the surprising things about this chili is that I do not use Chili Powder. I felt that it would mask the flavor of the lamb. As with all Chili recipes, feel free to riff off of the original. That’s what I love about making chili. It is incredibly flexible and easy to manipulate to accommodate your own preferences.
One of our readers who tried this recipe sent me the kindest email.
“I make this chili several times each winter, and it has become a tradition in our family that I make it every time it snows since it snowed the first time I ever made it. When I first made it, my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) and I enjoyed it so much. Now our two kids enjoy it with us… it has been quite the tradition. I’ve made some changes over the years (and I don’t ever measure when I cook).”
If you are a recipe developer like me, you know that these are the comments you live for. The changes he refers to are 1 Tbs. dried spearmint and 1 Tbs. regular Chili Powder. He also amps up some of the quantities of the ingredients, like 6 cloves of garlic instead of 4 and 2 onions instead of 1.
Lamb Chili Garnishes
Don’t skip on the goat cheese and fresh mint garnishes. They really make this chili sing. If you are not a goat cheese fan, feta would work just fine and be very fitting.
I hope you give it a try and it becomes a family tradition for you as well.
The Best Lamb Chili Recipe Ever
This Lamb Chili recipe has been a family favorite for many years. If you adore Lamb as much as I do, you will love this chili. I intentionally leave out chili powder so that the true lamb flavor shines through. Don't skip the goat cheese and fresh mint garnishes, they really take it over the top.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
- 1 Large Yellow Onion. coarsely chopped
- 2 Yellow, Orange or Red Peppers, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 lbs ground lamb
- 1 Tbs. dried Oregano
- 1 Tbs. ground Cumin
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup of water
- 2 Tbs. Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Chipotle Pepper diced
- More salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish
- Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Chopped Fresh Mint
Instructions
Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Saute onions, red peppers until tender (approximately 10 minutes). Add garlic during the last few minutes.
Add ground lamb and brown with cumin, onion powder and a teaspoon of salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
Simmer for several hours tasting periodically. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Top with crumbled goat cheese and chopped mint.
