Crock Pot Jamaican-Style Lamb Stew

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/18/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

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Crock Pot Jamaican-Style Lamb Stew

The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 hrs 25 mins
Total: 8 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings

While beef and chicken are the most consumed meats in the world, lamb is popular for its versatility in dishes. This Jamaican-inspired, curried lamb stew adds heat and extra savory flavor to a traditional lamb stew recipe, featuring cubed boneless lamb and spices for a stew the whole family can enjoy. Prep the stew in the morning and come home to a dinner that is best served over rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, or even polenta.

"Allspice lends complex, clove-like notes to this rich lamb curry. It's a great change of pace from Indian curries and very easy to put together. I used my biggest sauté pan (14 inches) to brown the meat and it only took two batches. And since I like heat, I didn't remove the seeds from the habanero." —Danielle Centoni

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 3 tablespoons oil, divided

  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced

  • 2 cups chicken or lamb stock, divided

  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon wine, or cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 whole habanero pepper, top cut off (discard seeds for less heat)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Crock Pot Jamaican-Style Lamb Stew ingredients

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  2. Sear lamb cubes with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. (Do not crowd the pan; you may have to sear the meat in batches.)

    lamb cubes in a skillet

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  3. Add seared lamb to the slow cooker.

    seared lamb in a slow cooker

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  4. Cook onion in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet until soft, about 5 minutes.

    onions in a skillet

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  5. Add onions to the slow cooker.

    onions and lamb in a slow cooker

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  6. Remove skillet from heat. Add 1/2 cup stock to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour into the slow cooker.

    stock in a skillet

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  7. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock to the slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

    stock, lamb, and onions cooking in a slow cooker

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  8. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours until the meat is falling apart tender. Discard habanero before serving.

    Crock Pot Jamaican-Style Lamb Stew in a slow cooker

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Tips

  • When buying lamb specifically for stew, forego the expensive lamb chops. You want your lamb meat to come from the shoulder area, such as shoulder arm picnic, arm roast, blade roast, and blade steak. These cuts are actually cheaper to purchase than the leg of lamb, lamb roast, or lamb chops. This meat is well-suited for long cooking times and is heartier than the other cuts. You may also find a boneless lamb that has already been cubed at specialty grocery stores or farmers' markets.
  • Lamb stock may be hard to come by, but it can be found at specialty grocers and even online. Lamb bouillon, however, is more readily available, found at most national chain grocery stores. You may also use chicken stock (store-bought or homemade) for this recipe, but lamb stock will give the dish a deeper flavor.
  • Be careful with the habanero pepper; wear gloves when working with it. Use a smaller amount if you aren't accustomed to hot and spicy food.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the habanero with Scotch bonnet or a milder chili pepper, such as a jalapeno, red Fresno, or serrano.
  • Add fresh thyme sprigs or a rosemary sprig.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
682 Calories
48g Fat
14g Carbs
46g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 682
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 61%
Saturated Fat 16g 81%
Cholesterol 169mg 56%
Sodium 444mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 46g
Vitamin C 21mg 104%
Calcium 64mg 5%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 833mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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