Easy Cumin Lamb

A bold, quick stir-fry of thinly sliced lamb, toasted spices, and tender onion, this easy Cumin Lamb recipe comes together in just 25 minutes.

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I checked Lucky Peach: 101 Easy Asian Recipes out from the library and started marking pages with post-it notes. After a dozen or so, I went straight to my computer and ordered the book. As the title promises, the recipes are approachable with easy-to-find ingredients. The photography is off-beat but compelling, and the writing is just plain fun. You might be told to “scavenge” a rotisserie chicken or to add green beans “as soon as the oil is getting to the oh sh*t this oil means business level of heat.”

As you’ve probably guessed, this Cumin Lamb stir fry was one of the first recipes I made from the book, and it’s fabulous. You’ll toast and then grind your own spices filling your kitchen with an intoxicating aroma. And, like the oil in the green bean recipe, the flavors in this dish mean business.

“Amazing! Thank you so much! I was blown away by the cumin tingle on my tongue, I never experienced it before. So good! Definitely making it again and again. Served it with rice and sautéed spinach. So glad to have leftovers!” ~Jola

Recipe at a glance

• Quick: 25 minutes total
• Cuisine: Chinese-inspired stir-fry
• Skill Level: Moderate (due to thin slicing and high-heat cooking)
• Key flavors: Cumin, chili, Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce
• Pairs well with: Rice, scallion pancakes, sautéed greens

Ingredients for Cumin Lamb

• Boneless leg of lamb: I like this cut because it’s lean and easy to slice thinly against the grain. Ask your butcher to slice it thin, or do it yourself with a sharp knife and a short freeze beforehand. Lamb shoulder would work too, but trim excess fat.
• Cumin seeds: Whole seeds are essential here. Their earthy, citrusy flavor holds up better than ground cumin, and toasting them briefly unlocks even more aroma.
• Sichuan peppercorns: These aren’t spicy in the chili pepper sense; they have a floral, almost lemony taste with a subtle tingling effect. I keep a small bag in the freezer to preserve their punch.
• Chili flakes: Use a type you like. I like a medium heat—Korean or Aleppo pepper both work well.
• White onion: A standard white onions or yellow onion are ideal for this fast stir-fry. Either will caramelize nicely and soften quickly at high heat.
• Green onions: Add color and freshness—slice the whole thing, white and green parts.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are a must here.
• Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami. Use regular soy sauce, not low-sodium.
• Dry sherry or Shaoxing wine: Either one works for a touch of acidity and depth. I often use dry sherry because it’s already in my pantry.
• Cilantro: Added at the end for freshness. You want coarsely chopped leaves and tender stems.

Why This Recipe Works

• Toasting and grinding the spices builds real flavor: Grinding your own cumin and Sichuan peppercorns brings out their full aroma, which gives this dish the bold, tingly flavor you’d expect from traditional Xinjiang-style cumin lamb.
• Thin slicing lets the lamb sear instead of stew: I’ve found it helps to partially freeze the lamb first—it’s easier to cut thinly.
• Cooking the onions first means they stay tender, not soggy: You’ll layer them back in at the end for great texture.
• Soy sauce and dry sherry balance the spice and salt: Just a splash of each deepens the flavor without muddying the spice profile.
• Cilantro finishes the dish with brightness: It cuts the richness and adds freshness.

How to Make Cumin Lamb

Toast and grind the spices

In a dry skillet, toast cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Coarsely grind them and mix with salt and chili flakes.

Prep the lamb

Toss thinly sliced lamb with the spice mix and set aside.

Stir-fry the aromatics and cook the lamb

Heat oil in a hot skillet or wok. Cook onions for a couple of minutes until softened and just starting to brown. Transfer to a bowl. Add marinated lamb to the pan and sear quickly, stirring, until it starts to brown. Add green onions, garlic, soy sauce, and dry sherry. Cook briefly until just done, then stir in cooked onions and cilantro.

Recipe Variations

• Try beef: This recipe works well with thinly sliced flank or skirt steak too.
• Add bell peppers or green beans: Toss them in with the onion or lamb for a vegetable boost.
• Make it spicier: Add a few dried chilies to the oil when it heats, or a pinch of cayenne to the spice mix.

Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating

• Prep ahead: You can slice the lamb and mix the spices a day ahead; store separately in the refrigerator.
• Leftovers: Store in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat quickly in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Freezing not recommended: Unfortunately, the texture of the lamb and onions suffers so I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.

FAQ

What to serve with Cumin Lamb

• Steamed jasmine rice or basmati rice
• Lo mein or fresh Chinese wheat noodles
• Simple sautéed greens (bok choy, spinach, or broccoli rabe)
• Pickled vegetables (for contrast)
• This dish is also an excellent start to making Lamb Shawarma at home.

This cumin lamb dish is everything I want from a weeknight stir-fry: bold flavor, simple prep, and just enough heat. If you’ve never tried Sichuan peppercorns, this is a great way to start.

More Delicious Lamb Recipes

Grilled Lamb Chops

Baked Lamb Chops

Gyro Meat Recipe

Easy Lamb Ragu Recipe

Easy Cumin Lamb

5 from 5 votes

By: Marissa Stevens

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 435

Servings: 4 people

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A quick and boldly flavorful lamb stir-fry with fragrant toasted spices, tender onions, and fresh cilantro. Inspired by Chinese restaurant versions but easy to make at home.

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Equipment

• spice grinder or mortar and pestle

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• ▢ 1 pound boneless lamb leg thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ▢ 1 large white onion thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 bunch green onions chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
• ▢ 1 cup cilantro coarsely chopped

Instructions 

• In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast cumin seeds and peppercorns for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Coarsely grind toasted spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Mix with salt and chili flakes.
• Add spice mixture to sliced lamb and toss to coat evenly.
• Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until hot. Add oil and when it just starts to smoke, add onions. Cook and stir about 2 minutes until the edges are translucent. Transfer onions to a bowl.
• Add lamb with spices to the wok; cook and stir until meat starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add green onions, garlic, soy sauce and wine; bring to simmer. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or until lamb is just cooked through. Add onions and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Transfer to platter and serve.

Notes

• Slicing the lamb: For super-thin slices, partially freeze the lamb first — about 30 minutes in the freezer makes it much easier to cut.
• Spice grinding: A coffee grinder works great for the toasted cumin and Sichuan peppercorns, but a mortar and pestle also works well.
• Don’t skip the toasting step: It makes a huge difference in flavor; the whole spices become fragrant and nutty in under a minute.
• Shaoxing wine: If you don’t have it, dry sherry is a solid substitute.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1165mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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