Name: Lamb Stew with Garlic Polenta
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup flour (for dredging); 1 teaspoons kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 pounds lamb shoulder (cut into 2-inch chunks, or purchase precut lamb stew meat); 2 cans (14.5 ounces each low-sodium chicken broth); 6 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 8 ounces ½ bag frozen petite pearl onions; 4 white or portobello mushrooms (3-inch diameter, cut into quarters); 1-½ pounds small baby red potatoes; 4 medium carrots (cut into 2-inch pieces); 1 cup dry white wine; 3-½ cups water (divided); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1-¼ cups fine-grind polenta

This lamb stew brings together tender lamb, earthy mushrooms, baby red potatoes, and sweet carrots, all simmered in a savory broth infused with garlic, thyme, and a splash of white wine. Paired with a creamy garlic polenta, it’s the ultimate cozy dinner that practically makes itself in the Dutch oven.

A large pot of lamb stew next to some veggies.

Here is Why This Homemade Lamb Stew Recipe Works

One Pot Wonder: Minimal cleanup! Everything simmers together in one Dutch oven, so you can skip the dish pile-up.

Layers of Flavor: With garlic, thyme, white wine, and a deep caramelized sear on the lamb, this homemade lamb stew is loaded with rich, comforting flavors.

Veggie Powerhouse: Mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions add hearty texture and extra goodness.

Garlic Polenta on the Side: Because stew’s best friend is a creamy, garlicky polenta that’s just begging to soak up all that delicious broth.

The Ingredients

Meat: Lamb stew meat
Produce: Garlic, fresh thyme, frozen petite pearl onions, white or portobello mushrooms, baby red potatoes, carrots
Pantry: Vegetable oil, chicken broth, dry white wine, flour, salt, pepper, bay leaves
Polenta Ingredients: Water, kosher salt, garlic, fine-grind polenta

If you don’t have chicken broth, you can use beef stock. You can also swap the herbs for whatever you have on hand. Rosemary, oregano, or sage would work fine.

Adding chicken broth to the pot of stew with lamb.

Stew Variations

Mediterranean Lamb Stew: Add ½ cup of chopped dried apricots, a cinnamon stick, and ½ teaspoon of allspice to the stew, along with 1 cup of canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed) for a Mediterranean twist

Lamb and Root Veggie Stew: Add 1 cup of diced parsnips and 1 cup of diced rutabaga along with the potatoes and carrots for a hearty root vegetable twist.

Guinness Lamb Stew Recipe: Replace the white wine in the recipe with 1 cup of Guinness stout. Toss in some frozen peas during the last 30 minutes.

If you like this recipe, try our Beef Casserole with Einkorn Dumplings or our Lamb Shanks Cassoulet.

Adding herbs to the lamb stew in a Dutch oven.

Tips for Success

Avoid overcrowding the pan when searing the lamb. Browning in smaller batches will help the stew meat get a brown crust.
After browning the meat, deglaze the pan with broth or wine to get all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom.
Cooking the stew in a covered Dutch oven helps retain moisture and infuses the flavors.
Before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning.
For the best texture, serve the polenta right after cooking; it tends to firm up as it cools. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water or broth to loosen it back up.

A spoon scooping some lamb stew out of a pot.

Storage

In the Fridge: Let the stew cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Place the stew in freezer safe containers, leaving a little space at the top for expansion. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen stew in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheating: To reheat, warm it in a pot over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave individual portions, stirring every minute or so for even heating.

You might also like our Coq Au Vin or our Lamb Shanks Osso Buco

A bowl filled with lamb stew and polenta.

Hearty Stew with Lamb and Polenta

This lamb stew is the ultimate comfort food that works hard so you don’t have to. With tender chunks of lamb, hearty veggies, and a side of garlic polenta that’s just begging to be dunked, it’s the kind of dish that does all the talking. This is a cozy meal that is perfect for chilly nights. Try it with buttery slices of sourdough bread

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Lamb Stew with Garlic Polenta

A rich, flavor-intense lamb stew served with a garlic polenta. This lamb stew is an easy recipe to put together and finished in the oven while the garlic polenta takes about 10 minutes just before serving.

4.95 from 20 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Total Time: 3

Servings: servings

Calories: 679kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour for dredging
1 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks, or purchase precut lamb stew meat
2 cans 14.5 ounces each low-sodium chicken broth
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 ounces ½ bag frozen petite pearl onions
4 white or portobello mushrooms 3-inch diameter, cut into quarters
1-½ pounds small baby red potatoes
4 medium carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine

For the Garlic-Polenta

3-½ cups water divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic minced
1-¼ cups fine-grind polenta

Instructions

For the Lamb Stew:

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to heavily coat the pan.
Add the flour, salt and pepper and the lamb chunks to a closable plastic bag, close the top and roll the meat around in the seasoned flour. Open the bag and remove the chunks of lamb and place about ⅓ of the lamb into the hot oil. Cook, uncovered, flipping the pieces as they brown.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a large lidded dutch oven or large, lidded oven proof casserole. Continue browning the lamb chunks in batches.
Deglaze the pan with one cup of the chicken broth, scraping up the grubbies stuck to the bottom and add the mixture to the dutch oven.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Place the dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and add the remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves, onions, mushrooms, potatoes and carrots stirring to combine and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from the stove top and add the wine, taste and adjust seasoning if needed, place the lid on the dutch oven and transfer to the middle rack of the oven and cook until tender 1-½ to 2 hours.

For the Garlic Polenta:

Add 2-½ cups of water, the garlic and salt to a medium-saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the remaining water with the cornmeal in a bowl.
When the water begins to boil, add the cornmeal mixture slowly, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until serving.
To serve, place a half-cup of garlic polenta shallow soup bowls, ladle the lamb stew next to the polenta.