Healthy Lamb Main Dish Recipes

In this simple shepherd's pie recipe, we call for flavorful lean ground lamb, which isn't always easy to find. You can use lean ground beef or turkey instead. If you want to use lamb, ask your butcher to grind it for you or, to make your own ground lamb, start with a lean cut of lamb, such as leg or loin, trimmed of any excess fat and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Pulse briefly in a food processor just until uniformly ground.

Layers of fresh Mediterranean vegetables, seasoned with an abundance of bay, garlic and oregano, meld with tender lamb into a luscious harvest-time supper. Serve the stew with rice or warm whole-wheat pita.

In this healthy lamb and white bean chili recipe, the addition of eggplant makes this chili velvety and creamy, while the cinnamon and allspice make the house smell amazing while the chili is cooking. To keep the saturated fat low, we use one pound of ground lamb and add whole-grain bulgur to boost the volume and fiber in this chili recipe. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, we like to slowly simmer our chili for close to an hour to develop the best flavor, but if you're in a hurry, reduce the liquid by half and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Make this luscious lamb entree for a special weekend dinner. It's a terrific recipe when you're craving something completely different.

In Greece, moussaka is made with beef or lamb, layers of sliced eggplant and a creamy béchamel sauce all baked together in the oven. This variation takes plenty of liberties to make it easy, quick and healthful. Serve over whole-wheat pasta or with potatoes.

Lamb loin chops are a healthy alternative to the more popular and more fatty lamb shoulder chops. The loin chops have quite enough flavor to stand up to this herbaceous couscous.

Heavy on exotic spices, this decadent sandwich is a great way to familiarize yourself with the joys of Turkish cooking. Lean turkey blended with lamb lightens the mix. Stuff the patties into warm pita bread or roll the mixture into meatballs and serve with the yogurt sauce on the side as an hors d'oeuvre.

These cabbage rolls are stuffed with lamb and infused with the flavors of turmeric, ground ginger and allspice.

Sometimes simple is best. These grilled lamb chops are a standout on their own, seasoned with just fresh thyme and a bit of crushed red pepper.

Serve this flavorful and filling lamb curry with a steamed grain like brown rice, millet or whole-wheat couscous for soaking up the sauce.

Peas and lamb are a natural pairing. Here pan-roasted lamb chops are served with mashed peas seasoned with mint. Serve with bulgur tossed with chopped scallion greens, a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.

Lamb and eggplant are combined in dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Together they deliver a complex, hearty, earthy flavor that's truly satisfying. In this dish, toasted pine nuts and tangy feta cheese are excellent accents.

These traditional Lebanese lamb-and-rice stuffed grape leaves are fragrant with mint, marjoram, cinnamon, cumin and allspice. Serve with lemon wedges and plain yogurt for dipping.

Serve with Rösti Potatoes and a mixed green salad.

These succulent meatballs can be served on little plates with plenty of bread for sopping up the rich tomato sauce or simply with toothpicks (and a napkin!). They are best served warm.

This Middle-Eastern-inspired dish uses just a small amount of lamb to stuff the eggplant, which keeps the saturated fat in check. It calls for cooked brown rice, which you can prepare up to a day ahead. Save time by using instant brown rice, which cooks in under 10 minutes.

This spring stew, known as a navarin or ragoût in France, features seasonal lamb and uses tender young vegetables that add a fresh flavor to the hearty mix. While a braised dish like this takes a little time, it can be prepared entirely in advance, making it perfect for entertaining.

Having a few specialty ingredients in your pantry, such as the spice blend ras el hanout and oil-cured olives, is the fastest way to a deluxe dinner that's easy enough for weeknights and special enough for Saturday's dinner party. Round out the meal with steamed potatoes, simply dressed salad greens and a glass of white Côtes du Rhône.

Simple pan-roasted lamb chops are served alongside deliciously spiced stewed green beans and tomatoes in a riff on a Lebanese favorite, lubiyeh. Serve with: Bulgur or rice pilaf.

Sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic add flavor and help keep calories in check and portions hearty in this easy lamb meatball recipe. We like to serve these meatballs Middle Eastern-style: with warm pita, cucumbers, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce or hummus.

Olives, fresh lemon, and rosemary add to the flavor in these juicy slower-cooker Greek Lamb Chops. When serving, garnish with homemade herbed goat cheese.

Fresh dill, lemon, escarole and artichokes give this healthy slow-cooker lamb stew recipe a decidedly springtime flavor. Dried white beans are perfect in this healthy crock pot recipe, but you could also add frozen lima beans at the end.

Inspired by Middle Eastern shawarma sandwiches, here we season leg of lamb with a flavorful spice paste spiked with garlic, cardamom, paprika and cumin and grill it over indirect heat to approximate the gentle cooking of a rotisserie. Serve the tahini sauce on the side--and be sure to keep any leftovers. They're great tucked into a pita pocket with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.

A savory herb and white wine marinade flavors these grilled rib chops, which are great for family dinners or entertaining.