Chinese Red Braised Lamb (红烧羊肉)

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    1 hr

  • Additional Time

    1 hr

  • Total Time

    2 hrs 10 mins

  • Servings

    6 servings

  • Calories

    246 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Chinese

Chinese Red Braised Lamb (红烧羊肉)

Try this Chinese-style braised lamb cooked in a savory sauce with very simple seasonings until tender and juicy. It will have everyone asking for seconds! Serve it over steamed rice for a special dinner, or enjoy it throughout the week as meal prep.

I Made This!

Be the first!

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 2 lb (900 g) lamb stew meat (or lamb leg) , cubed into large bite-size pieces
  • 4 green onions , sliced to 2” (5 cm) pieces
  • 1 thumb ginger , sliced
  • 2 dried Chinese chili peppers
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
  • 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
  • 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon white sugar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (Skip if not serving with rice)
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large wok (or dutch oven) until hot. Add the lamb pieces without overlapping. You might need to cook in two batches. Brown the lamb until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip to brown the other side. Once both sides are browned, transfer the lamb to a large plate and set aside.
  2. Your pan should still have some oil. If not, add 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add the green onion, ginger, chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  3. Pour 6 cups of water into the pan, or until most of the lamb pieces are covered (*Footnote 1). Scrape the bottom to release any brown bits. Add the Shaoxing wine. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Add back the lamb. Keep boiling the lamb while using a skimmer to skim and discard the foam from the surface until the broth is clear, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Cover the pan and turn to medium or medium-low heat, so the broth is boiling rapidly (less intensely than a full boil, but much more than simmering). Cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Uncover the pan. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar and salt. Cover the pan and keep cooking for 30 to 40 minutes or so, until the lamb turns tender. You can use a paring knife to poke through the lamb to test. The fatty pieces should be pierced through without resistance, but the lean pieces should be tender-ish but might need a bit more cooking. (*Footnote 2)
  6. Uncover the pan and turn to medium-high or high heat for a full boil, to reduce and thicken the sauce. Boil for 20 minutes or so, scoop the meat from the bottom occasionally at the beginning and constantly at the end to prevent it from sticking, until the sauce has thickened enough to thinly coat the lamb. You can lower the heat from time to time, to check on the sauce without overcooking. The sauce will thicken more once it cools down slightly, so be careful not to reduce it too much.
  7. Once done, turn off the heat and transfer everything to a large plate. Serve as a main dish over steamed rice with vegetables sides, or by itself.

Notes

  • If using a dutch oven or large pot, you probably need more water to cover the lamb. It will slightly change the time you’ll need to reduce the sauce.
  • The lean pieces will be cooked further while you reduce the sauce. However, if you use a dutch oven, it will be more difficult to reduce the sauce due to the shape of the pan (takes longer, and it’s harder to flip the meat to prevent it from burning). In this case, you can choose to braise the lamb longer until it reaches the desired texture, remove it from the pot, then reduce the sauce by itself.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1serving Calories 246kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 31.1g (62%) Fat 10.2g (16%) Saturated Fat 3.2g (16%) Cholesterol 98mg (33%) Sodium 620mg (26%) Potassium 383mg (11%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 3.5g (7%) Calcium 16mg (2%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 246 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 246kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Protein 31.1g 62%
Fat 10.2g 16%
Saturated Fat 3.2g 16%
Cholesterol 98mg 33%
Sodium 620mg 26%
Potassium 383mg 8%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 3.5g 7%
Calcium 16mg 2%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

9 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love