With so many different cuts to choose from and cooking techniques from braising to roasting, lamb is one of the most versatile meats around. But how do you know which cut works best for a specific dish, or the ideal cooking method to use? Our handy guide is here to help, with all the tips, tricks and recipe ideas you need to cook any cut perfectly.
Click or scroll through our guide to the different cuts of lamb, from chops to shoulder, including recipes to help you make your most delicious lamb dish yet.
Lamb loin chops, also known as the lamb T-bone, are cut from the short loin near the back of the animal, between the leg and the rack. A lamb shoulder chop has the bone running through the middle. Chops are perfect for grilling or barbecuing, can be marinated in different spices and herbs, and are best served medium-rare.
This deceptively simple dish takes 15 minutes to prep and cooks in just half an hour. Served together in one bowl, chargrilled lamb chops, boiled potatoes and watercress are flavoured with a delightfully zingy mint salsa featuring coriander, capers and lemon. It's a real crowd-pleaser.
The flavours of lamb and asparagus complement each other in the tastiest, loveliest way – and with just five ingredients, this traybake really lets the produce shine. Plus, it's easy to make and on the table in 25 minutes. Try it with homemade mint sauce for even more deliciousness.
Lamb and olives are a classic combination in southern France – and in true Provençal style, this dish is served with a gorgeous homemade tapenade. If you can't get loin or lamb chops, you could use cutlets or leg steaks instead. Whatever cut you choose, it'll taste amazing with a side of new potatoes and a simple green bean and radish salad.
As with chops, lamb cutlets also come from the rib section of the lamb. These are from the same animal part as lamb loin chops but are prepared and served still attached to the rib bone, often given a French trim (where the bone is cleaned). Because they're small, they tend to cook very quickly. To enjoy them at their best, grill or barbecue them, and serve them pink in the middle.
The secret to this dish is leaving the lamb cutlets to marinate in olive oil, garlic and rosemary for as long as possible, ideally overnight. Potatoes, peppers and onion roasted in lemon, white wine and garlic are the perfect accompaniment, alongside the vibrant salsa verde. The lamb is simply griddled or barbecued on a high heat for a few minutes before everything is served, piled together in one dish.
Get the recipe for rosemary lamb cutlets with roasted potatoes, peppers and salsa verde here
Leg of lamb is fairly lean, so take care not to overcook it or it will become dry. It can be roasted on the bone, or deboned before cooking. Deboning a leg of lamb is known as butterflying, and is a popular option – opening the joint out means the meat will have a uniform thickness and will cook evenly and more quickly. It also allows huge scope for flavouring the meat with marinades, rubs, herbs and aromatics.
Planning to do a simple roast leg of lamb? The most precise method is to use a meat thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the flesh and check for a minimum temperature of 46°C (115°F) for rare meat, 49°C (120°F) for medium-rare, 54°C (130°F) for medium or 63°C (145°F) for well done. A rough guide is to roast for 30 minutes per 15oz (450g) at 190°C (375°F). Ideally, you want your roast lamb to be slightly pink on the inside and crispy on the outside. Rest it, lightly covered, for 30 minutes before carving.
Salsa verde, which literally translates to green sauce, is a classic Italian condiment that partners with lamb perfectly. It's quite sharp, so it cuts through the richness of the meat. It's made with a blend of fresh herbs, vinegar, garlic, capers and olive oil. Any leftovers would also be great with chicken or grilled halloumi.
If you love slow-cooked dishes that you can leave to bubble away all day, this is the recipe for you. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can also cover your lamb and cook it in the oven (just set it to a very low temperature). The lamb needs marinating in a fragrant Middle Eastern spice rub before cooking, but there's very little hands-on time required after that. When your lamb's ready, serve it on flatbreads with fresh coriander, thick yogurt and a tomato salad.
This is a real showstopper of a lamb dish. A spice and yogurt–based paste is used to marinate the lamb, which you should ideally leave in the fridge for three hours before cooking (but if you have time, you could even leave it overnight for more flavour). It would be great served with chopped tomatoes mixed with a little chilli and lime juice, plus plenty of raita and rice.
Lamb, often mutton, is widely used in curries across India and Pakistan. Rich with sweet onions, plenty of spices, tomatoes and yogurt, a dopiaza is always a winner. This dish tastes wonderful topped with fresh coriander – though you could try sprinkling it with mint instead if coriander really isn't your thing. Serve it with naan or Indian flatbreads for a satisfying, filling meal.
Lamb and cheese may sound like an odd combination, but trust us – in this instance, they're the perfect pairing. Combined with crushed garlic, the saltiness of the pecorino (a hard Italian cheese) contrasts well with the sweetness of the lamb. This is one of those reliable, fail-safe dishes that requires little preparation to make, yet yields deliciously tasty results; just leave it to cook in the oven for an hour or so.
Incredibly versatile, great value for money and packed with flavour, there are plenty of ways to use lamb mince. Whether you’re planning on whipping up homemade burgers, meatballs, kebabs, moussaka or a classic shepherd’s pie, it’s always handy to have a pack or two of minced lamb in the freezer.
Stuffed with a delicious lamb mixture, these baked aubergines would make a lovely Mediterranean-inspired weekend brunch. To make them, cook lamb mince with onion, garlic, red peppers, spices and tomato, then pile the whole lot into baked, hollowed-out aubergines. Top with nutty Spanish Manchego cheese (if you can't find Manchego, substitute with Gruyère), then pop your aubergines in the oven to roast. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread on the side.
This spicy hot sandwich takes the humble toastie to a whole new level. Here, lamb is cooked with tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, chilli and spices before being sandwiched into a homemade roti and fried until crisp (though you could easily buy flatbreads instead, if you don't want to make your own roti). The spicy lamb mixture freezes well too, so you can save it for sandwich emergencies!
If you're looking for a lamb recipe that's fresh and light, this could be the one for you. Fresh vegetables and herbs make it the perfect dish for when you're in need of a healthy, tasty pick-me-up. The broth contains chervil, which you can replace with flat-leaf parsley if you prefer.
Get the recipe for lamb meatballs in yogurt, pea and herb broth here
Looking for a burger with a difference? This tasty little number, made with minced lamb shoulder and chorizo, certainly packs a punch – and the fresh apricot salsa is the perfect accompaniment. If you have trouble finding fresh apricots, it will work well with fresh mango too.
Lamb neck is usually sold off the bone in small fillets, but you can also buy bone-in neck steaks (which are perfect for stews and curries). Not only is neck cheaper than many other cuts of lamb, but it's incredibly versatile too – it can be slow-cooked, quickly grilled or pan-fried.
Made with dried fruit, plenty of spices, preserved lemons and honey, this lamb dish is packed with exciting flavours. Not only that, but it also includes chickpeas for an extra hit of protein. For a well-rounded meal, serve your tagine with a bowl of couscous – it'll mop up the delicious sauce perfectly.
Lamb ribs tend to be a little pricier than other cuts, but they're worth the money. They can be cut into individual cutlets to serve but presenting a whole roast rack of lamb to guests looks more impressive. Best served pink, a rack cooks quicker than other cuts and usually comprises six cutlets, so would easily feed two to three people.
This simple recipe for succulent rack of lamb, with a flavoursome rosemary and Parmesan breadcrumb crust, is on the table in just 45 minutes. The richness of the cheese adds depth of flavour to the lamb, and it's best served simply, with buttered new potatoes and salad or greens on the side.
The delicate flavours of this dish come together to make a stunning alternative to a traditional roast lamb meal. The juicy rack of lamb is flavoured with a garlic and rosemary rub, which pairs perfectly with fresh minted peas and a luxurious mustard mash. Because this cut is particularly quick to roast, the whole thing is ready to serve in just over an hour.
Get the recipe for rack of lamb with mustard mash and minted peas here
The rump comes from the hindquarter of the lamb, and is lean and tender – so be careful not to overcook it. The layer of fat at the top of the cut adds bags of flavour, and tastes wonderful when crisped up. If you buy your rump of lamb off the bone, you can sear it, roast it in a hot oven, then slice it thickly to serve.
This recipe uses 'chumps' or rump steaks, which are best cooked low and slow to maximise their lovely flavour and are complemented perfectly by sweet potato mash. The recipe also features a silky sauce with diced leeks, carrots, parsnips and squash, flavoured with garlic and thyme. Serve with a garlic butter and green beans.
Get the recipe for slow-braised lamb with sweet potato mash here
This Mediterranean-inspired dish bursts with Greek flavours thanks to aromatic herbs and spices and the crumbled feta and olives, which finish the dish off perfectly. First, the lamb is marinated for at least half an hour with allspice, chilli flakes, oregano, garlic and lemon. Tomatoes, honey, rosemary and stock, along with more herbs and spices, make a deliciously rich sauce to which the velvety orzo pasta and lamb are added.
Shanks are cut from the lower part of the hind legs. They’re full of juicy, meaty flavour but do need slow cooking on the bone, covered in liquid (think wine or stock). A good approach is to first brown your lamb shanks over a high heat with a selection of vegetables, then braise them in port and red wine until the meat is meltingly tender.
Slow-cooked lamb shanks in fennel, white wine, tomatoes and herbs, served on rich, cheese-laden mashed potato... What's not to love? The method for the mash is a little different – and so clever. While the lamb is cooking in the oven, bake the potatoes at the same time, before scooping out the flesh and adding mature cheese. Don't let the potato skins go to waste; for a snack, bake them in a hot oven until crispy.
Best cooked on the bone, lamb shoulder is full of flavour – but it does need long, slow cooking to ensure tender results (this cut has more natural fat than leg of lamb, so it won't dry out). Shoulder of lamb really benefits from being marinated, then cooked over a low heat until the meat is wonderfully tender.
An easy-peasy one-pot dish, lamb stew is always a good idea. In our recipe, cubes of lamb are cooked low and slow with root vegetables and ale – and potatoes are also cooked in the sauce, for the ultimate meal in a bowl. If you want something on the side, serve your stew with buttery kale or spring greens.
Though this dish isn't complicated to make, there are a few elements to prepare – but happily, you can do most of them ahead of time. First, you'll need to make the spicy marinade and leave the lamb shoulder to sit in the fridge for a day or two. The lamb is then slow-cooked in a tomato-based sauce and served with a dried fruit, minced lamb and rice mixture.
Get the recipe for slow-cooked lamb shoulder with spiced rice here
Lamb and seafood are an underrated combination. Stuffing anchovies into a joint for roasting is a great idea, for example – but we love this extra-fancy dish of butterflied, stuffed lamb shoulder served with cockles cooked in white wine. The saltiness of the cockles balances the lamb’s natural sweetness perfectly, resulting in a moreish surf and turf dish.
A lamb roast wouldn't be complete without a bowl of mint sauce – and it's so simple to make, you need never buy a jar again. Besides, shop-bought versions are usually made with malt vinegar, which can overpower the lamb. To make your own sauce, mix 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, two finely chopped spring onions and two leaves of finely chopped baby gem lettuce with 3 tbsp white wine or red wine vinegar. Add 2 tbsp water, stir and serve.
Tangy redcurrant jelly always goes well with lamb – but why not take it to the next level and make sweet and sour Shrewsbury sauce? Once your lamb is cooked, set it aside to rest. Take the surplus fat out of the roasting tin, leaving 2 tbsp behind. Put the fat on the heat, then add 2 tbsp flour and 2 tsp mustard powder. Stir until you have a paste, scraping up any lamb bits on the pan. Whisk in 20fl oz (600ml) red wine, 5 tbsp redcurrant jelly and 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Season well and serve with the lamb.
If you have leftover roast lamb, this is a great way to use it up. Simply stir the meat into this simple ragù (meat sauce) which can be served with pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes. It's an easy, tasty dish that's pretty much based on store cupboard ingredients, with a few everyday vegetables thrown in.
Get the recipe for lamb ragù here
Now take a look at these brilliant ideas for minced beef dinners
Last updated by Dominique Ayling.