Lamb has a distinctive taste that some might appreciate while others might detest. While preparing food for guests, such a factor must be considered as everybody’s preferences are subjective.
However, if you have a lamb recipe but you need a substitute for the meat, we are here to help you out. In place of lamb, you can add goat, pork, turkey, or chicken. Don’t worry, as these substitutes will not alter the taste and consistency of the dish.
Along with that, the following article contains vegan alternatives for lamb as well. Explore what you can do with these components, then pick your finest substitutions and whip up delicious meals that will please both meat and vegetable fans!
Some Tasty Lamb Substitutes for Your MealÂ
When you have the following meat options in your fridge, there’s no need to go to the market to buy lamb. Read on for a delicious lamb alternative that you can cook with your family.
1. Goat Meat
You can try goat meat as an alternative to lamb meat. The goat meat contains a strong flavor and is similar to lamb meat. The perk of using goat meat is that it has low cholesterol and fat content.
Moreover, it is also loaded with high-protein. This healthy red meat is high in vitamins and minerals, in addition to being delicious.
As a result, you have a better choice not just in terms of taste but also in terms of nutrient content.
However, your cooking methods will slightly change to make the goat meat dishes as it has a mild flavor and tender texture.
You can always go for marinating the meat before the cooking option. It will enhance the magical flavor of the meat, and you can enjoy its juicy texture.
Why not try using goat meat in soups and stews? Yes, it tastes wonderful.
If you love the flavor of lamb, we promise you will surely enjoy eating young goat meat too!
2. Pork Meat
You can swap lamb with pork meat. Pork meat tastes similar to lamb, plus it is juicy and tasty. It is budget-friendly and pretty popular.
In traditional Greek kabobs, the pig might be a better option for lamb when marinating garlic, oregano, pepper, and lemon juice with pork. The aroma will please your soul and taste heavenly in every bite.
You can use pork meat in place of lamb in many dishes, like pork salad and Coorg Pandi curry or balsamic-glazed pork chops with spinach mashed potatoes.
Don’t worry about calories per serving. Lamb and pork have about the same amount of calories, potassium, protein, and saturated fat.
3. Turkey Legs
Do you enjoy having a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving?
Well, then you will like the idea of substituting lamb with turkey legs. It comprises the bird’s thigh and the drumstick (the part of the leg below the knee joint). It is cheap, and you will find it tasty too.
This dark meat has juice, an umami flavor, and a touch of gaminess. The legs can have crispy, salty skin, depending on how you cook them.
You can swap lamb with turkey legs in a stew salad or shred it and use it in tacos, casseroles, and sandwiches.
4. Chicken
As chicken is the most popular meat all over the continent, it can work as the best replacement for lamb meat. The greatest part is that it goes with every dish: salad, sandwich, burger, or curry. You can add chicken meat to any dish.
When chicken meat is cooked, the skin releases water and oil, giving it a delicious flavor. It gets mixed and balances the flavor. Moreover, the best part is that it doesn’t take much time to cook.
Note: When you cook the chicken, make sure to set it at the right temperature. It will dry out if you don’t do so, and you won’t be able to savor the juicy, soft flavor.
This time you must try making the Mediterranean chicken curry dish instead of the traditional lamb curry. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
5. Veal
The next substitute for lamb is veal. Veal meat comes from calves, mainly from dairy farms, mainly bull calves, because they can’t produce milk. Veal meat is famous for its pale and tender texture.
Moreover, lamb contains more calories than veal. If you serve 100g of lamb, it contains 294 calories. On the other hand, veal contains 172 calories.
So, if you are seeking a low-calorie, low-fat diet, then veal is healthier meat than lamb meat.
Veal flesh is used in a variety of traditional cuisines from around the world. Many Mediterranean, Italian, and French cuisines use veal.
Moreover, veal cutlets are popular and used in most of these meals.
So, don’t be scared to experiment with new ingredients and serve them in unusual ways.
6. Veal Shanks
Veal shanks are another veal cut that can be substituted for lamb. It’s the bone in the leg that’s weighted between the shoulder and the knee.
Italian braised veal shanks, a traditional meal featuring veal shanks, are a popular dish. It is braised with veggies, white wine, and broth.
Compared to other cuts of veal, veal shanks have a richer, stronger flavor. It is exceptionally soft and comes with a generous amount of delicious sauce.
7. Beef
Yes, beef can also work great as a substitute for lamb meat. Without changing the flavor of the lamb stew, you can replace lamb with beef. Plus, it is also less expensive than lamb.
When you choose beef over lamb, the cooking process will alter because beef takes longer than lamb to absorb the flavors of the juice and dissolve into soft meat.
So, make sure to cook it properly. Otherwise, it can get dry and become chewy.
Beef meats are naturally rich in protein and are also loaded with iron and four essential vitamins: niacin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12.
Note: Beef is high in cholesterol and saturated fats, which can lead to fatty deposits in the bloodstream.
8. Oxtails
You might not have anticipated oxtails to be on the menu. Well, the fact is that oxtail meat can work as a decent replacement for lamb meat.
When you take a bite of oxtail meat, you will find its consistency more like gelatin, as it contains a good amount of collagen content.
The flavor of oxtail meal is almost identical to that of beef. You can make dishes with oxtail.
Although it may not belong to the same meat profile, you can try some delicious braised oxtail or oxtail stew for dinner.
If you are looking for some vegetarian alternatives to lamb, then read the next section. There are some easy, tasty replacements that you can try making at home for dinner.
Vegetarian/Vegan Substitute for Lamb
Simply using these basic lamb replacements opens up a world of possibilities. So, let’s just check it out and try adding this to our meal.
1. Tofu
If you are trying to avoid meat and looking for a tasty and nutritious lamb replacement, then you can definitely go for tofu.
It is low in calories, includes lots of protein, has zero cholesterol, and is rich in iron and calcium.
Did you know for over 2,000 years, Japanese people have made tofu?
Tofu is made of soaked soya beans that have been smashed till the texture is puree-like. The liquid has separated, and you may use it to prepare a tasty dish in place of lamb.
You can try some tofu salad, tofu sandwiches, tofu curry, and rice as well.
2. Tempeh
Another vegetarian and vegan alternative to lamb is tempeh. It is an Indonesian dish made from fermented soybeans and has a nutty flavor.
It is a full protein source and contains vitamin B12. It contains all nine necessary amino acids required by your body for strong bones and muscles.
It is manufactured using a controlled fermentation and natural culturing process that binds soybeans into a cake form.
So, try making some marinated baked tempeh, tempeh stir fry, or bbq tempeh with black rice if you like.
3. Seitan
Next, you can swap lamb with seitan. It is also named “wheat meat.” When you take a bit of seitan, you will feel like you are eating chicken or a portobello mushroom.
Seitan is gluten-free, power-packed with protein, and has a stretchy texture. It is created when the starch in the dough is eliminated, leaving only the gluten.
If you plan to make some healthy food options but also miss the meat in your diet, you should definitely go for seitan. It contains fewer fats, calories, and carbs. Plus it has lots of minerals too.
If you compare seitan with lamb meat, it has fewer calories, fewer fats, and approximately the same protein content.
Isn’t it wonderful that you can have a complete vegetarian meal with more nutrients, fewer fats, and no need to miss the lamb?
How to Store Lamb?Â
If you want to avoid using any substitute for lambs in the future, you can buy some in bulk and store them.
But wait, wouldn’t that affect its quality?
Not if you store it adequately.
The following tips can help you store lamb for the future:
- Â If you are using the lamb in a day or two, it must be kept in the original packaging and popped in the freezer.
- If you aren’t going to use the lamb for a couple of days, you must freeze it by storing it on a plate to prevent the juices from leaking.
- If you are freezing it, it is advisable to remove the lamb from the original packaging and rewrap it in foil.
FAQs
What is a better vegetarian alternative for lamb mince?
You can try soya mince as an alternative to lamb mince. It is made up of dried soya, and it can be used as a meat substitute in practically any recipe once blended with water. It is tasty, power-packed with protein, and budget-friendly too.
What are better options for lamb neck?
You can try lamb shoulder, lamb shank, or oxtail in place of lamb neck. Make sure to cook any of the meat at the right temperature and add sauces.
Well, that’s a wrap!
There are many alternatives to lamb in the market. You can opt for different meat options like beef, pork, veal, or oxtail in place of lamb.
So, keep in mind that cooking these substitutes will necessitate a variety of cooking techniques as well as varying temperatures and durations.
If you want vegan options in exchange for lamb, then you can try tofu, tempeh, and even seitan too. Try some dishes out of our list, and do let us know in the comment section below.
