A simple recipe for homemade lamb stock and bone broth aka liquid gold. This rich and fragrant stock makes a great base for a variety of flavourful dishes including hearty soups, stews, and rich sauces. Bones, vegetables, spices, water, and a few hours of simmering are all you need to prepare this nourishing lamb stock in a stock pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker (Instant Pot).
If you are wondering how to make lamb stock or bone broth from scratch, you’re in the right place. Homemade stock is the foundation of many hearty meals as it adds deep flavor and bonus nutrition.
Making stock yourself is also one of the essential skills if you are looking to save money while enjoying high-quality ingredients. In fact, it’s one of the many money-saving tips I’ve covered in this article: 35 ways to save money by cooking from scratch.
What does lamb stock taste like?
This stock is stronger in taste than beef or chicken stock. It suits hearty and fragrant lamb, beef and game dishes and makes an excellent base for rich sauces and nourishing soups.
Lamb stock vs bone broth
Stock needs to simmer for 3 hours while lamb bone broth requires a minimum of 10-12 hours to extract the collagen in the bones.
To make lamb bone broth, simply cook the ingredients for a minimum of 10 hours on the stove, 12 hours in the slow cooker, or 4 hours on high pressure in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot). The resulting bone broth is richer in color and has a thicker almost jelly-like consistency once cooled.
Ingredients
Lamb bones
You can use leftover lamb bones from a dish you’ve already prepared or simply purchase fresh bones from the butcher. I recommend rinsing the bones with water and drying them with paper towels if you’re purchasing them. Shoulder and leg bones work particularly well.
Vegetables
Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic all add great flavors to your stock. Celeriac, leek, spring onions, and parsley stems work well too. Simply wash and roughly chop the vegetables. There is no need to remove any peels or ends and you even just use scraps from all of these vegetables.
Herbs
Rosemary, thyme, and bay go particularly work well for this recipe. Use fresh herbs if possible.
Spices
I tend to keep it simple and only add peppercorns. All my stock is salt-free as I prefer to season the final dish rather than the stock but the whole peppercorns add create depth of flavor during stock making.
Apple cider vinegar
The vinegar ensures maximum extraction of the minerals from the bones. Don’t skip this step.
Method
If you are using fresh bones I suggest roasting them in the oven for 45 minutes at 200C/425F before adding them to the stock pot. The roast aromas add extra flavor and deeper color to the final stock.
The recipe below includes three ways how to make your lamb stock from scratch: On the stove, in the slow cooker, and in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot). The preparation part is the same in all three methods, only the cooking time varies. Simply follow the instructions below.
Uses for lamb stock
You can use homemade lamb stock for a variety of heart dishes including soups, stews, risotto, gravy, and pasta sauces. My Hungarian lamb goulash and Moroccan lamb shanks are great examples.
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FAQ
How to store lamb stock
Use containers or glass jars that match the amount you will likely need in your recipes. A muffin tin works well for smaller portions. Once frozen, you can easily store the frozen stock cubes in a freezer bag or larger container.
Lamb stock lasts up to 4 months in the freezer and 1 week in the fridge.
Recipe
Lamb Stock
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Roasting pan
- Ladle
- Small sieve
- Storage jars
- Slow cooker optional
- Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) optional
Ingredients
- 750 g lamb bones
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 fresh sprig
- 2 tsp dried thyme or 3 fresh sprigs
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups filtered water
Instructions
On the stove
- If you are using leftover lamb bones, you don't have to roast them and can add them straight to a large stock pot.
- If you are using fresh bones, preheat the oven to 200C/425F. Rub the bones with olive oil and place them onto a baking tray. Roast for 45 minutes until browned, turn them halfway. Add the roasted lamb bones and juices to a large stock pot.750 g lamb bones, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Wash and roughly chop the carrot, onion, and celery and add them to the pot.1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 stalk of celery
- Add the herbs, garlic cloves, a bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 2 tsp dried thyme, 5 whole peppercorns
- Top up the stock pot with 8 cups of filtered water. Add more water if the bones and vegetables are not fully covered.8 cups filtered water
- Bring everything to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer the stock for 3 hours and skim off any foam on the surface during this time.
- Strain the lamb stock through a sieve into a freezer and heat-proof containers. Skim off the fat at the top. Once fully cooled, store in the fridge or freezer.
Slow cooker method
- Follow the instructions above and add all ingredients to your slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
Pressure cooker method (Instant Pot)
- Follow the instructions above and add all ingredients to your pressure cooker.
- If you are using an Instant Pot, choose the stock/broth function and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.