Alentejo Lamb Stew

Old-fashioned Portuguese Lamb Stew | Easy and Tasty Traditional Recipe

Today I bring you a delicious Alentejano Lamb Stew, a specialty of Portuguese cuisine. The lamb is slowly cooked with aromatic seasonings, resulting in a comforting dish full of flavor. Pure comfort food, this recipe has all the flavors of the best Alentejo tradition.

03 Mar 2026 2 min read 63

Cooking time: 50 mins | Total time: 50 mins + marinating time | To: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

2 kg lamb neck and chops, cut into pieces
2 tbsp (soup) ground chilli pepper
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp black pepper
125 ml of white wine
2 Tbsp sweet pepper (paprika)
lemon slices
125 g of lard
2 bay leaves
3 onions cut into half moon slices
chopped parsley q.s.
125 ml white wine vinegar
800 ml of hot water
1.5 kg potatoes, peeled, cut into medium pieces
salt q.s.
slices of Alentejo bread from the day before

PREPARATION:

Place the lamb parts in a container, season with salt and ground chilli. Add the chopped or crushed garlic cloves, black pepper, white wine and paprika. Mix everything very well. Add lemon slices and cover with cling film and refrigerate. Leave to marinate for 8 hours. Turn the meat after 4 hours.

In a large pan, melt the lard and bay leaves. Add the lamb pieces and the meat marinade. Fry the lamb pieces little by little over medium heat. Add the onions cut into half-moon slices, the chopped parsley and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes soft.

Drizzle with vinegar and add approximately 800 ml of boiling water, enough to cover the meat. Cover and let cook over medium heat for approximately 40 minutes. After the lamb is cooked, season with rosemary.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into medium pieces. Add them to the cooking. Cover and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve in a clay dish over slices of bread.