How to Cook Diced Lamb on Stove? (Step By Step Guide)

With countless available methods for cooking diced lamb, choosing one may present a somewhat difficult task.

Those seeking healthy options may prefer sauteing lamb on the stove, as it uses less fat than other dry heat methods such as frying.

The key tips to cooking cubed lamb on the stove are to never overcrowd the pan and to cook in sizzling oil. This method can take as few as 3 minutes to cook fully.

Those new to cooking lamb may require a little extra guidance. To this end, you’ll find full step-by-step instructions below.

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Table of Contents

How to Cook Diced Lamb on the Stove

To sauté lamb essentially means to heat it in an uncovered pan with a small amount of oil. The process is similar to that of pan frying. However, since less oil is required, your cholesterol will thank you. Note that you may season your lamb however you wish.

For the simple act of sauteing, you’ll want to follow these steps:

Dice the lamb into cubes no more than an inch thick. This will allow them to sauté more quickly.
Pat the cubes with paper towels. This helps to dry them out, which will also decrease overall cooking time.
Preheat the pan on medium-high heat. It should be hot enough that the oil sizzles when added, yet does not smoke.
Lightly season your lamb cubes. There are infinite ways to do this, although as little as salt and pepper will suffice for particularly succulent cuts of lamb.
Pour one or two tablespoons of canola or olive oil into your skillet.
If the oil sizzles, you’re ready to add your lamb cubes. Space them so they do not touch.
Heat on one side until golden-brown. This should only take 2-3 minutes.
Flip the cubes with tongs and cook the other side. This should again only take a few minutes.
Remove the meat from the pan. It can be served immediately.

Note that you may wish to drizzle the juices over the lamb cubes. You can add other seasonings or ingredients if you wish to make a more complex sauce.

However, basic lamb served in its own juices will suffice for a light and flavorful dish.

What to Serve with Diced Lamb

If you’re looking for a heartier meal, the most common starch to serve with lamb is potatoes. You can roast a medley of various types of potatoes with garlic, prepare a somewhat lighter potato salad, opt for simplicity in the form of mashed or baked potatoes, or get a little creative with scalloped potatoes. Sweet potatoes work great in the autumn months.

For lighter meals, many prefer their lamb with carrots. Roasted carrots work wonderfully for this, although those looking for a sweet taste without the need to make a dessert might consider caramelizing sliced carrots in a mixture of butter and brown sugar. It isn’t very health-conscious, but it certainly tastes fantastic.

Diced lamb pairs exceptionally well with Indian-style dishes. If you’ve chosen to spice your lamb with cumin or other strong spices, a basic grain like basmati rice can be sufficient.

Lavender rice works particularly well if you intend to serve your lamb spicy, as the earthiness of the rice juxtaposes deliciously with the heat of the spices.

How to Store Leftover Diced Lamb

If you’re preparing more than you anticipate eating in one sitting, you’ll want to store it within two hours.

Allowing cooked meats to sit at room temperature for any longer can enable rapid bacteria growth. The sooner you cool your leftovers, the fresher they’ll be when it’s time to reheat them.

Seal your lamb in an airtight container. You may find it best to use smaller containers and seal them into individual servings.

Lamb should not remain in the fridge for more than two days, so keeping your servings separate will help prevent bacteria from spreading too rapidly as it begins to turn.

It’s best to store lamb in the freezer if you don’t think you’ll be eating it within 2 days. Lamb should keep in the freezer for as long as 6-9 months.

To tell if it’s gone bad, check for the following:

Discoloration. Lamb starts to adopt a grayish tint when it goes bad.
Odor. Bad lamb very distinctively smells like rotten eggs.
Sliminess. If it feels gross against your fingertips, then you definitely don’t want it in your body.
Taste. Although this method isn’t recommended for obvious reasons, it won’t take you long upon tasting your lamb to determine if you should turn back and abort the meal.

Best Ingredients for Stovetop Diced Lamb

Selecting the best lamb to use for sauteing should actually be the easy part. You’ll want the meat to be a deep red in color, although light and even marbling will give you the best flavor when it’s finished cooking.

It should also be firm to the touch, yet with a soft texture on the surface.

As for the oil in which you choose to cook it, most chefs prefer canola or olive oil. Truthfully, any oil will do the trick. However, you’ll find these two options the healthiest.

If the texture is important to you, note that canola oil might give your finished lamb cubes a slightly less oily feel.

You can choose any spices you want. As previously noted, even light salt and pepper will bring out the flavor in a well-selected cut of lamb.

However, other common spices used in cubed lamb tend to include those with rather strong or spicy flavors, such as:

Cumin (the smellier, the better)
Garlic
Coriander
Mustard powder
Chili powder
Paprika

Nutrition Facts per Serving

It can be a little difficult to estimate serving size when working with diced meats. However, the appropriate serving size for lamb cubes is approximately 3 ounces.

This equates to roughly the size of an average lambchop. For this serving size, general nutrition facts should be:

158 calories (56 from fat)
6 grams total fat (about 2 grams saturated fat)
24 grams protein
77 milligrams cholesterol
65 milligrams sodium
285 milligrams potassium
11 milligrams calcium
26 milligrams magnesium
190 milligrams phosphorous

Note that the vitamin content tends to be rather negligible. On the plus side, the carbohydrate content is nonexistent.

Equipment and Cooking Time

If you want to maintain a relatively low cooking time for succulent bits of lamb, heavy pans work better. Cast-iron or steel pans will heat the lamb more evenly.

This is especially beneficial since you’re trying not to overcrowd the pan, meaning not all cubes will necessarily be over the center of the burner.

Some novice cooks may think to turn the lamb with a fork, rather than a pair of tongs as recommended. However, this will ruin the quality of the lamb cubes.

Puncturing with a fork or inadvertently pressing down too hard with a spatula will cause the lamb to lose some of its juices. This won’t extend cooking time, but it will rob you of flavor.

Notice that an internal thermometer has not been recommended. However, unlike larger cuts of lamb, diced lamb should not be served pink.

Fully browning the lamb should ensure it has reached the proper temperature. If you do choose to use a thermometer, you want your lamb to be around 145°F on the inside.

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Diced Lamb Cooking FAQs

Is it true that you can cook lamb in both the stove and oven?

Some cooks do indeed prefer to combine cooking methods when working with sauce. For this, they typically opt for pan frying rather than sauteing.

Follow the same general instructions but coat the entire pan in oil and simmer the lamb covered. You can turn more than once while preheating the oven to 275°F.

When browned, pop in the oven for 2 hours with your sauce.

How do you tell if diced lamb is overcooked?

Lamb is best when it comes out a crispy, dark brown on the outside. The inside should appear lighter while still maintaining a soft, juicy texture.

If you do have an internal thermometer, you can use it to prevent making overly tough lamb. Anything over 150°F is on the risky side.

Can undercooked lamb give you food poisoning?

Undercooking any meat can be dangerous. While red meats are not quite as dangerous as fish or chicken, undercooked lamb can still potentially give you salmonella.

However, food poisoning from lamb often traces back to the manner in which the lamb was slaughtered.

You may wish to shop organic if particularly concerned with this issue.

Conclusion

While lamb sounds borderline exotic to those who haven’t cooked it before, it can sometimes be acquired inexpensively and cooked with relative ease.

Moreover, choosing the right cut ensures a flavorful dish with minimal seasoning.

Follow the base directions above, and you can have fun experimenting with various seasonings to your heart’s content!

References

https://www.livestrong.com/article/449882-how-to-cook-cubed-lamb/

https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t–897/sautingpanfrying-lamb.asp