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How to Cook Lamb – American Style

I’m taking five of America’s most loved recipes and recreating them with lamb; lamb that I raised on my own homestead.

Homesteaders on small acreage are increasingly turning to lamb as a way to raise red meat. And with the price of beef cattle shooting through the roof, the idea is only becoming more appealing. Sheep are prolific, fast-growing, and thrive on pasture that would starve a cow.

But one of the most common questions I get is:
“How do you cook it?”

My answer: I substitute lamb for beef in almost any recipe.

Today’s post is a practical look at how I do that—with five of my favorite American-style recipes, and a few simple hacks to tone down the strong “lamby” flavor for the skeptics in my house.

I’ve put together a FREE PDF cookbook with all of these recipes and cooking tips. Download my free Cookbook HERE!.

Leave your favorite lamb recipes in the comments—I’d love to feature them in my next Chef-herdess cooking episode. (Special thanks to my dad for the clever title!)

1. Oklahoma Fried Onion Smash Burger

For the complete recipe, download my free Cookbook HERE!

This one is my personal favorite. Here’s how I adapted the classic beef smash burger:

Ingredients:

• Ground lamb
• Yellow onions
• Cheese
• French onion special sauce

Traditionally, these burgers are made with 80/20 ground beef. Since my pasture-raised ground lamb is much leaner, I mixed in grass-fed beef tallow. This not only adds the fat needed for proper cooking but also helps mimic that traditional beefy flavor.

Steps:

1. Slice onions thin, salt them, and let them rest in a strainer for 45 minutes.
2. While waiting, mix up the special sauce: Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and a (not-so-healthy) French onion chip dip. You can sub this out, but I follow the 80/20 rule: 80% healthy, 20% happiness.
3. Add beef tallow to a hot pan and smash together equal amounts of lamb and onion.
4. Toast your buns while everything cooks.

Result:
I meant to film a cheesy taste-test moment, but the burgers were devoured before I could grab the camera.

2. Slow-Cooked Pulled Lamb

Hands down, this is the easiest way to cook lamb—and it’ll rival any beef brisket or pulled pork.

For the complete recipe, download my free Cookbook HERE!

Ingredients:

• Lamb shoulder and shank (frozen or thawed)
• Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic
• 2 yellow onions (rough chopped)
• 1 cup water (2 cups if cooking from frozen)

Steps:

1. Add lamb directly into the crock pot and season.
2. Top with chopped onions and water.
3. Cook on low for 3–4 hours or until fork-tender.
4. Remove bones, save some onions, and mix in your favorite BBQ sauce.

Serve on a toasted bun, a baked potato, or both.

Note on flavor:
I raise Dorper sheep, which are hair sheep—not wool sheep. Since lanolin (a natural oil in wool) is what causes the gamey flavor many Americans dislike, my lamb has a much milder taste.
Bonus: Cooking lamb with garlic and onion tones it down even more.

3. Birria Tacos (With Lamb!)

This was my first time trying Birria, and with 14 different spices, I was nervous. Traditionally made with beef in the States, Birria originated as a lamb or goat dish in Mexico.

For the complete recipe, download my free Cookbook HERE!

I used:

• Lamb shoulder and neck roast
• Salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Mesquite seasoning (for a rub)
• 4 types of chilis, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves (for mole sauce)
• 10 additional spices
• Beef broth, apple cider vinegar
• Mexican queso + Monterey Jack cheese
• Mini tortillas

Steps:

1. Rub seasoning onto meat and let it rest.
2. Boil chilis, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and bay leaves.
3. Sear meat 3 mins per side, then add to Dutch oven.
4. Blend boiled ingredients with spices and liquids for mole sauce.
5. Pour mole over meat and bake at 350°F for 3 hours.
6. Shred meat, separate from sauce.

To assemble tacos:

1. Dip both sides of tortillas in mole.
2. Add shredded meat and cheese.
3. Fry on both sides in a hot oiled pan.

Final thoughts:
The cloves and peppers gave off a sweet, spicy aroma. The cheese pull was incredible, and the flavor blew me away—rich, slightly sweet, and no harsh spice.

4. “Marry Me” Lamb Tenderloin Pasta

This is the Shepherdess rendition of the viral Marry Me Chicken. I upgraded the dish by using lamb tenderloin, doubling the sauce, and adding angel hair pasta.

For the complete recipe, download my free Cookbook HERE!

Ingredients:

• Lamb tenderloin (marinated in orange juice overnight)
• Flour and spices for breading
• Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes
• Butter, oil
• Beef broth, cream, milk
• Angel hair pasta

Steps:

1. Bread marinated tenderloin and let rest.
2. Sear lamb 2 mins per side and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, brown leftover flour mix with butter, oil, and garlic.
4. Add sun-dried tomatoes and sizzle for 3 mins.
5. Add broth, cream, and milk to thicken the sauce.
6. Add lamb back to sauce for 3 minutes.
7. Toss in cooked pasta and serve with lamb on top.

Result:
One bite and I was crying (maybe because it was so good, maybe because I was exhausted from cooking all day… haha!)! The loin stayed perfectly pink inside, and the creamy sauce tied it all together.

5. Loaded Lamb Omelet

I wrapped things up with a loaded breakfast omelet using leftovers from the week.

For the complete recipe, download my free Cookbook HERE!

Steps:

This omelet did not disappoint.

📥 Don’t Forget the FREE Cookbook HERE:

All five of these lamb recipes are available in my FREE downloadable cookbook.

Thank you for reading—and make sure to give the video a thumbs up before you head out!