These Mediterranean Lamb Bowls are an easy and healthy ground lamb recipe with exotic Mediterranean flavors to spice up dinner any night of the week!
Have you ever tried to make a ground lamb recipe? Lamb isn’t as popular in the U.S. as it is in some other countries, but don’t let that deter you! If you’ve never tried it, you may be wondering what lamb tastes like.
What does ground lamb taste like?
Lamb has a great, meaty flavor – a stronger flavor than beef. It really has a distinctive taste unlike anything else. Some people would call it gamey, but not in an unpleasant way.
What spices and herbs go best with lamb?
The classic herb to mix with lamb is mint. However, lamb is used in many different cuisines. It is a popular choice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. Because of that I decided to use the same spices I used in my Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs. In that recipe I used Aleppo Pepper, but due to the conflict in Syria, where Aleppo Pepper comes from, that spice hard to find. Instead, I substituted paprika and red pepper flakes. I also added allspice and ground ginger.
To make an easy dinner, the Mediterranean Lamb Bowls have vibrant Turmeric Rice, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, hummus, feta cheese and some pita bread on the side. It’s a complete meal in a bowl!
If you want to really go all out, you can make the hummus and pita from scratch using my Easy Hummus and Homemade Pita recipes. But if you want to use store bought, that will work too. This actually makes a quick dinner if the hummus and pita are already made!
Mediterranean Lamb Bowls
Ingredients
For Spiced Ground Lamb:
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped plus more for garnish
For Bowls:
- 1 cup Turmeric Rice or other rice of choice
- Spiced Ground Lamb
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 cucumber peeled and diced
- 1 cup hummus homemade or store bought
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 2 pita bread optional, for serving
Instructions
To Make The Spiced Ground Lamb:
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil.
- When oil is hot, add onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
- Add ground lamb. Brown lamb until cooked through.
- Add paprika, allspice, red pepper flakes, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix until fully combined, cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs.
To Assemble Bowls
- In a bowl, layer Turmeric Rice, then top with some of the spiced ground lamb, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus and feta. Sprinkle with more fresh mint and parsley if desired.
Jeff says
I buy gyro meat, it’s like a halal Steak-um, at my local international market normally. I tried this because it started pouring rain when I was going to grill lamb burgers. Thank God for the rain. This was delicious and I am not sure if I’ll buy the premade stuff again!
Meghan says
So happy you loved it!
Tracy says
Excellent! I did add some toasted pine nuts to the lamb mixture. Also combined the tomato, cucumbers, feta, olive oil and a bit of lemon juice so some of the juices could soak into the rice. So good! Thank you
Kathryn says
Love this recipe. Won’t change anything
A says
This was huge hit with hubby and kids!! Thank you!!!
Suzy says
Delicious! great combination of flavors and textures.
Lindsay says
I have not stopped sharing this recipe since I found it. It is a new family favorite. I make it almost weekly now. I have subbed ras Al hanout in for some of the seasonings just because I had it. It is just delicious. Thanks so much!
Meghan says
So happy you love it!
Kathy says
My husband and I both loved the turmeric rice and the spiced lamb bowls. Can’t wait to share with guests visiting next week.
Meghan says
So glad you like it!
Lisa says
Made this tonight for dinner! WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making this again!
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Brook says
This was amazing! It was so easy to whip together and the flavors are incredible. This might be an every week dish.
Meghan says
So glad to hear that!
Julie says
These lamb bowls have become a family favorite and go-to. Quick and easy to make, and full of flavor. Thanks for sharing!
Sonja Grant says
This is my absolute favorite dish to make as a last minute meal. I have so many people hooked on it. It’s easy , delicious and comes tiebreaker in a jiffy. I make it work the turmeric rice recipe as a side with all the other condiments.
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Pam says
This has to be one of my best meals that I have ever cooked and I cook alot. So delicious!!! I took a shortcut and purchased the Hummus and bread. I’m so glad I have leftovers. Definitely will make this again.
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Michele says
This was absolutely amazing!! Added garlic sauce, but everything else was exactly the same. New fav for my husband and I !!
Meghan says
Yay, so glad to hear that!
Debbie says
As good as our nearest Lebanese Restaurant…yummy!
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Rhonda says
I had some ground lamb and wanted something other then lamb burgers(hubby wants). This was delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing!
Meghan says
SO glad you loved them!
Dan says
I’ve made this twice, it’s incredible and it’ll turn Into a regular on a monthly basis I reckon.
Meghan says
So glad to hear that!
Audrey D. says
This was a huge win for our family. The flavor was wonderful and the bowls made it easy for everyone to only add in what they liked. I did purchase some tzatziki sauce from our local coop to compliment the lamb and turmeric rice. Love that we had leftovers for a quick pick up meal another night and as another commenter mentioned the flavors get even better after a couple of days. Thank you for sharing. This one made it into our five star keeper folder!
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Jnette says
Our family loves lamb. During the pandemic had to be creative since restaurants were out. This became a menu staple, still is. So delicious 😋. Love the turmeric rice!!
Meghan says
I’m so glad you love it!
Laila says
Amazing!! My mom is Persian so I added a Persian yogurt (cucumber, lemon, dill, salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt) and it tasted amazing with the turmeric rice and Pita bread! I will for sure make again!
Meghan says
That yogurt sounds delicious!
Tracey Garrell says
This is the first lamb recipe made and it was delicious. I added 1/4 t tumeric and put the parsley in while cooking. For my bowl, I used 3 oz sweet potato, 3 oz green peas, 6 oz ground lamb and 12 oz Brussel Sprouts. I added 1 T evoo and 1 T apple cider vinegar with mother to the Brussels beforehand. Shared recipe with a couple friends and hope to make again at Christmas time. It was fun to try something new! Thank you!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Dianna Rountree says
Very good
Melinda says
This was a delicious dinner! I’m making it again this week. Last time I hid the leftovers and devoured them for lunch the next day before anyone else could find them.
And that’s the point of this note: the flavors are even better the second day!
Meghan says
So glad you loved them!
Heather Liechty says
Phenomenal, tastes just like the food truck downtown that serves middle eastern cuisine. I made the turmeric rice as well and it was stellar. I just threw it all into my rice cooker. 10/10 would make again. Also if you’re a heathen like me you can top with a little ranch
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Danielle says
My boyfriend and I absolutely adore this recipe – we’ve had it every week for the past month lol. A couple changes though — I took the diced cucumber and tomatoes and tossed with a 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, added some black pepper, feta, and oregano to the cucumber/tomato mixture and it really took the dish to the next level! Also my boyfriend doesn’t like hummus so we subbed tzaziki sauce and it was fantastic. The turmeric rice is amazing as well.
Meghan says
I’m so happy you love it!
Ashley says
I had ground lamb and didn’t want lamb burgers so I tried this recipe and it was excellent! I didn’t have allspice so I added cinnamon and nutmeg and it still turned out great just like the restaurant!
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Linda Ryden says
Loved this recipe! Made it without Jasmine rice but it was still wonderful!
stephanie summerill says
This is the best dish ever! My whole family loves it. I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe! During the pandemic we haven’t eaten out once or left the house ( so I’m a little nuts!) but what a refreshing addition to my repertoire! I miss being able to go out for Middle Eastern Cuisine! Now I don’t really have to. I look forward to eventually going to let someone cook for me but in the meantime .. nomnomnom! Thank you so much for sharing. <3
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Linda Angela Day says
I love the look of this recipe and look forward to making it. My only issue is that the way it prints out (I keep recipes I love in a notebook) is very poor. The printing starts 1/3 the way down the page, and the introductory paragraphs (everything before the ingredient list) prints out very light gray, almost unreadable. Can you fix this?
Meghan says
Thanks for letting me know, I will see if I can get that fixed!
Nadirah says
We eat lamb in our house a lot. I have fixed lamb chops, shanks, leg of lamb. First time for ground lamb. I have most othe spieces. Also Ihad lamb ribs last week.. Can’t find my red pepper. It will be alright l. Thanks for the recipe.
Eli Loehrke says
This recipe came up when I frantically typed, “oh no I need to make something easy for my wife’s birthday dinner”, into google. Thank you so much! Super easy. Super tasty. Everyone cleaned their plates. Bonus: I even managed to correctly identify fresh mint in our yard. This will be going into the rotation for, “make me something different for dinner.”
Meghan says
Ahh, I love that! So happy you liked it!
Karen says
Made this tonight. Used mint from garden and garlic scapes (from the garden- we grow our own garlic) with the chopped garlic. This was FANTASTIC!!! Definitely will be making this again!
Meghan says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Lydia Falk says
I made this twice. It is so delicious. I look forward to left overs
Jayne says
I made this tonight for me and the hubby with a keto twist making turmeric cauliflower rice and chips made from low carb tortillas. Big hit! Definatelu keeping this one in the rotation.perfect flavor combination! Thanks!😋
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Lanza says
Absolutely delicious!
Cindy says
My husband cannot have lamb, to much saturated fat , do you think this would be good with ground turkey or ground bison?
Meghan says
Hi, I haven’t tried it but I think it would be fine!
Pp says
Measurements needed in grams and nutrition per 100g. Too generic to be useful otherwise.
Tina says
We’ve made it numerous times with ground lamb and ground turkey. Both taste great.
Grace Lamont says
We tried it with beef when our stores were out of lamb. Still good!
Linda says
Making this tonight. At what point is the parsley and mint added to the recipe (besides as a garnish)?
Meghan says
Hi, in step 4 you stir in the fresh herbs after removing it from heat.
beth says
Great recipe for Gyro lovers! Big hit with my whole family! Thank you!
Meghan says
So glad you loved them!
Carla says
Really delicious! I have a possibly dumb question… The nutritional information: is it per serving or in total?
Meghan says
Hi, it is per serving 🙂
Kristen says
I made these last night and they were amazing. The whole family raved about them, even my young daughter who normally doesn’t love lamb. Will definitely be making them again!
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Jeanne Stanton says
Delicious! so easy! I made home made tzatziki to accompany it too. And I just finished my homemade hummus so I made Mediterranean Chickpea salad. We’ll definitely be making this again soon. Thank you for the delicious recipes! We made the turmeric rice in our mini rice cooker (1st time using – perfection!). ♥
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Louise says
A keeper!
Kerri Cark says
So good!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it.
Nancy says
Delicious lamb recipe.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
P.J. says
I really, really liked this recipe! I also made the tumeric rice and got the REAL feta (sheep milk). I could eat this all the time. Thank you for this recipe because I am not a great cook but this made me feel like I was making some progress LOL.
Meghan says
So glad you liked it!
Mercedes says
Absolutely delicious.
Meghan says
So happy you loved it!
Donald Harrison says
Had everything in the house except for the mint. So I put a couple of spoons of mint jelly and let the heat liquify the jelly so it mixed well.
WOW
WOW
WOW
Meghan says
So glad to hear you loved it!
Charmaine says
This was absolutely delicious! I bought my hummus and pita from the store but the whole meal was satisfying and delicious! On top of that it was absolutely beautiful! Thanks!!!!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Joy F Valentine says
Great and easy recipe!!! I added a blend of Italian seasons I purchased in Italy, a teaspoon of brown sugar, and a bit of red wine after the lamb was browned. Delicioso!
Meghan says
So glad you liked it!
GK Lissy says
Everything about this recipe was excellent. We made the tumeric rice and homemade hummus.
Meghan says
So happy you loved it!
Stevie P Momaly says
Every element of this recipe was delicious! I also used your hummus, turmeric rice, and pita recipes which were perfect. The turmeric was a great way to spruce up my day old rice. The pizza stone tip gave me perfect pitas for my first ever attempt. I added some red cabbage and pickled carrots for more color and crunch.
Meghan says
I’m so happy you loved everything!
Marie Dispoto says
Love, Love this recipe and I really don’t love lamb. It is so good we eat it twice a month. The presentation is so pretty and so easy it makes a great dinner to make for friends.
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Judith says
OMG I made this for dinner tonight and I am swooning with delight! It’s very delicious and hubby says it’s a keeper. I only made one minor change sort of. I didn’t have fresh mint so I used about 1 1/2 tsps of dried mint. I also made the turmeric rice to serve with it and the bowls look so pretty. I will be making this again and again.
Meghan says
I’m so happy to hear that Judith!
Heather says
This is on heavy rotation at our house! I spent a year in the ME and this captures those flavors nicely. Thank you for sharing. Fabulous recipe!
Meghan says
So glad you love it!
Natasha says
Loved this recipe!!! I added Zahtar to the lamb, one of my favorite lamb seasonings along with a little cumin. Used goat cheese instead of feta also. Served with jasmine rice and orzo. This was a hit last night for dinner and for lunch again for hubby!
Meghan says
So happy you loved it!
Shaoshi says
I had to prepare this with couscous and more toddler-friendly (less spices etc.) and even then it was sooo delicious. The lamb and hummus are perfect together. Also a big hit with my one year old. Next time – and there will be a next time soon 😉 – I‘ll make the bread as well.
Meghan says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Louise says
Winner….Winner…Mediterranean Lamb Bowls for dinner!
These are great…making them again today.
I put the mint on the side as some find it overpowers the lamb.
Such a beautiful presentation too.
Thanks for the recipe!
Meghan says
So happy you loved it Louise!
Amber says
Wow! The flavors in this dish are phenomenal! Most flavorable rice I’ve ever made, and the lamb delish!
Meghan says
So glad you love it Amber!
Deb k says
Winner Winner Ground Lamb Dinner! This was an instant hit! Have made the rice three times, tonight is the second time for the complete meal 🙂
Meghan says
I am so glad to hear that Deb!
Marian downing says
We love lamb, and I am always looking for a new recipe to use the inexpensive ground lamb I can get here. This tastes like something you would get in a restaurant — have made it several times already, as written, except have served it with tumeric cous-cous (available at HEB here in TX). Highly recommend.
Meghan says
Hi Marian, I’m so happy to hear that!
Lte says
Very tasty. Adding this to rotation of weekday dinners 🙂
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Olive says
So delicious! The whole family loves it!
Meghan says
Wonderful!
Rae Huff says
absolutely delicious! Will recommend and make again
Meghan says
So glad to hear that Rae!
Janice says
Delicious. A little heat balanced with hummus and vegetables. Will make this again.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it Janice!
Kathy says
So easy and delicious. The turmeric rice was the perfect paired with the lamb. I was a little concerned that the lamb would be gamey but the spices made it wonder delicious.
Meghan says
I’m so happy to hear that!
nancy says
Purchased ground lamb for the first time in my life and fortunately found your recipe! I made the lamb bowls, the turmeric rice and the hummus recipe. WOW! My family of seven raved about the food. My husband said he’s never had a better meal!
Thank you!!!
Meghan says
Wonderful, I am so happy to hear that!
Sandra says
This was delicious. First time for me cooking minced lamb, followed the recipes, which is unusual for me. Shared with a friend and granddaughter, they liked it too.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it Sandra!
Kaley Sechman says
so tasty!! we really enjoyed this recipe – we substituted sour cream instead of Greek yogurt and it was delish.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it Kaley!
Michelle Sealey says
Wow! I made this today! So good! I didn’t have pepper so I used cayenne and I had no mint on hand. I did have peppermint herbal tea in bags, so I made do with that substitution and reduced by half since it was dry rather than fresh. I will certainly be making this again. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Meghan says
Wonderful! I am so happy you loved it!
Francey says
Amazing recipe and so easy!! Is the recipe missing instructions to add the mint to the lamb to combine it with the remaining spices? I assumed so and it tasted great. But might be good to add if there are any other beginner cooks like me:)
Meghan says
Hi Francey – I’m so happy you loved it! The instruction say to stir in the fresh herbs after removing from heat, but adding them with the spices is fine too!
Naijalady says
That was so delish! I just made this for lunch after randomly stumbling on your site while looking for ground lamb recipes. The Pita turned out yummy and the lamb is so flavorful! Definitely putting this in my rotation! I didn’t have tahini but will be buying some on my next grocery store strip so i can make the hummus! Thank you:)
Meghan says
I’m so happy you loved it!
Carolina says
I honestly don’t even know how I ended up on this page but I am SO GLAD I did!! My goodness! So delicious! Such a great mix of bold delicious flavors, one of my best let me just try this recipes. I made it with basmati rice and played around with extra seasonings I had at home, just because and not because it needed it and omg! So delicious! Even my lamb disliking bf loved it! Thank you!
Meghan says
I’m so happy you loved it!
Linda Muse says
We are in the middle of being quarantined and so I have more time on my hands to cook. I found some ground lamb in my freezer and started looking for a recipe (I’m new to lamb). I settled on this and made the lamb, the turmeric rice, and the pita bread recipes. I used a different, but almost the same recipe for the salad and hummus (didn’t have chickpeas so had to sub with another bean). It was so good. Especially the pita bread. Nothing beats fresh bread! I will be making more today as there is enough leftover to repeat the meal, except for the bread. I had a problem with my stove and so cooked the last three pitas in the air fryer. Oh my- it turned out better than the oven! Hubs LOVED this meal, as did I.
Meghan says
I’m so glad you and your husband loved it! It is fun being able to cook more during the quarantine, glad I could contribute 🙂
Kathy says
Loved all the subtle flavors here. I thought the spice combination might be too strong, but it was perfect. In fact, I added a little bit of cumin and smoke paprika. Didn’t have any fresh tomatoes or cucumber, so I sliced up red and orange bell peppers and fired those in a pan until just soft. The feta I had was crumbled, so those went on top. My husband loves lamb, but felt he didn’t digest it well. Next time I might try using ground beef instead, but ground lamb would shine best in this recipe.
Meghan says
So happy to hear that Kathy! I do think it would work with beef as well.
Melissa tedeschi says
This was a great hit with my family! I made some tzatziki sauce to go along with it too.
Meghan says
So happy to hear that!
Trisha says
Definitely a keeper! This was delicious and so easy!
Meghan says
So happy you loved it Trisha!
Patrice says
I’m not even a lamb fan but inadvertently bought ground lamb instead of ground beef. Searched recipes and glad I came across this one! Had to add a pound of ground beef to the lamb because we had 4 unexpected guests. Made the hummus, turmeric rice (swapping brown instead of jasmine), used small Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, crunchy slaw mix (trader joe), diced avocado, and diced sautéed eggplant. Set everything in separate bowls and everyone put together their own plate. Wow! Rave reviews from EVERYBODY! Can’t wait to make again!
Meghan says
Yay! SO happy to hear that Patrice!
Elizabeth says
This sounds like a wonderful recipe that I would love to try. I’m off of night shades. What would you recommend as a paprika substitute? Please let me know..
Meghan says
Hi Elizabeth – I would suggest another kind of chili powder but I believe all chilies and peppers are nightshades. I would suggest trying cumin and maybe a little cinnamon.
Elizabeth says
Thank you! Your message came just in time for us to make it. It was a big hit with hubbie, kids, and parents. A very fun idea.
You are correct that the the chilis are night shades as well.
Meghan says
I’m so glad everyone loved it!
J. says
So good!! Easy, delicious and even pretty! My family and I loved this and my son even said for me to save the recipe!
Meghan says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that J!
Pj says
This recipe is delicious, the seasonings on the lamb are on point. My husband and I like this even better than our favorite local Mediterranean spot!! We made
Cauliflower “rice” with the turmeric seasoning. Leftovers are great over a salad!!
Meghan says
Oh yay! I am so happy to hear that! Love that you served cauliflower rice with these!
Kimber says
Great as a fast salad with meat over lettuce! Delicious! Thanks!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Julie says
My family loves lamb and this is their new favorite way to have it. Everyone customizes their own bowl with more of this and less of that. It is a meal the whole family looks forward to!!!! The turmeric rice has also become a regular side at my house!
Meghan says
Yay! So happy to hear that Julie!
edna lewis says
Ilove lamb. But it often takes too long to cook. First time using ground lamb; a lot quicker but still had the richness of roasted lamb. This was my Easter dinner.
However, I had forgotten how fatty the lamb was; drained it before adding the spices. Served with roasted tumeric cauliflower.
Next time might add some golden raisins, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts for additional texture.
Five stars all around!
Meghan says
So happy you loved it Edna!
JSSP says
Absolutely delicious! And easy! A winner all around. I even made the Turmeric Rice.
Meghan says
Yay! SO happy to hear that!
Pam says
This recipe is delicious! Better than our favorite local Mediterranean take-out place!! The lamb was perfectly seasoned. We made turmeric ‘cauliflower-rice’ with your recipe. We also marinated the cucumber and tomato in white wine vinegar & olive oil. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Meghan says
That sounds delicious! Thank you Pam, so glad you and your family loved it!
Christi says
I just made these for dinner tonight and it was so delicious and so easy! I’ve never cooked with lamb because I was too scared to. But I loved this recipe! I also added premade taziki sauce and skipped the cucumber since my the sauce had cucumber chunks in it. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Meghan says
I’m so happy to hear that Christi!
Carolyn says
This sounds divine!
Meghan says
Thank you Carolyn!
Megan @ megunprocessed says
I love making bowls! It makes such a hearty meal!
Meghan says
Yes! So satisfying!
Linda | Brunch-n-Bites says
Cooking with lamb is one hardest thing to do but you made it so simple and easy to follow. And I totally dig into this colorful plate!
Meghan says
Thank you Linda!