Ohhh yes—Greek comfort food with soul 🇬🇷🍲
This is a rich, lemony Greek lamb stew with orzo (in the style of Giouvetsi), slow-simmered until the lamb is fall-apart tender.
Greek Lamb Stew with Orzo (Giouvetsi-Style)
Ingredients
For the stew
- 2 lb lamb shoulder or leg, cut into chunks
- Salt & black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (very subtle, don’t skip)
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
For the orzo
- 1½ cups orzo pasta
- 2 cups hot broth (from the stew if possible)
To finish
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½–1 lemon (to taste)
- Fresh parsley or dill
- Grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan (optional but traditional-adjacent)
Instructions
- Brown the lamb
Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Brown lamb in batches; remove and set aside. - Build the base
In the same pot, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook until brick-red and fragrant. - Simmer
Return lamb to pot. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, bay leaves.
Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer 1½–2 hours, until lamb is very tender. - Add the orzo
Stir in orzo and hot broth. Simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender and sauce is thick and glossy. - Finish Greek-style
Remove bay leaves. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve It Like a Greek Kitchen
- Sprinkle with parsley or dill
- Finish with grated cheese
- Serve with crusty bread, Greek salad, and maybe a glass of red wine 🍷
Pro tips
- The stew should be saucy, not soupy—orzo will thicken as it rests
- Cinnamon should whisper, not shout
- Even better the next day
If you want a slow-cooker, oven-baked giouvetsi, or no-tomato lemon-forward version, just say the word 😌
