One of my favorite things to order when I go to a Sichuan restaurant is Cumin Lamb Stir Fry (aka 孜然羊). Something about cumin and lamb stir fried together, it just really go super well together. I absolutely love the flavor combo! What else is awesome? You can actually also make this at home, and it's not hard!

What is Cumin Lamb?

First things first, what is cumin lamb? Cumin Lamb is a super flavorful stir fry with slices or chunks of lamb cooked with cumin and chili. Often times cooked with scallions, onions, chili pepper, chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn, and sprinkled with cilantro.

Cumin Lamb Origin

As someone that always ordered Cumin Lamb in Sichuan restaurants, I was surprised to find that it in fact, is not originally from Sichuan!

It originates from the Uyghurs community. Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking minority ethnic group that mostly reside in Xin Jiang, which is Northwest China.

As you may have noticed, tasty food spreads, and so this flavorful dish is served in many Uyghur restaurants in Sichuan. Over time, it became a very popular dish in Sichuan also. So that's why you will find Cumin Lamb in almost every Sichuan restaurant here in the states!

What lamb to use for stir fry?

Now I do a life hack when I cook this dish and buy pre-sliced lamb from the hot pot section of my local Asian supermarket. However, if you are buying lamb and slicing it yourself, that is just fine too!

Here are some recommended cuts of lamb for stir frying:

Rump

The rump is an individual muscle cut from the hind leg of the lamb. It’s very tender and has a lot of flavor with a layer of fat too. This is a great cut for stir fries!

Tenderloin

Similar to beef tenderloin, lamb tenderloin is very tender and and also has a velvety texture. This cut is great for stir fries also!

Leg

The leg of lambs has is also a tender cut, and has a strong flavor. It’s great sliced or cubed – and also makes a great cut of lamb for stir fries.

By the way - if you like lamb and mutton - here's some other delicious recipes for you to try!

Stir Fry Lamb with Asparagus

Bitter Melon Lamb Stir Fry

Pan Fried Cumin Lamb Chops

Lamb Stir Fry with Peppers

Paleo Cumin Lamb

Since I get asked this all the time, I'm being proactive and letting you know how to make this dish paleo!

Soy sauce - You can use coconut aminos to directly replace soy sauce in just about any recipe in a 1:1 ratio.

Cornstarch - The corn starch is actually used to tenderize the meat. Instead of cornstarch, you can also use tapioca starch to do this.

How to make Cumin Lamb?

First, gather your ingredients:

• Lamb Marinade:
  • 1 lb lamb, sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• Stir Fry:
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, julienned
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ white onion, sliced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried red chili pepper
  • 1 stalk green onions, cut in to 1 inch length
  • Salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup of cilantro

In a large mixing bowl or zip lock bag, add sliced lamb, soy sauce, rice cooking wine, cornstarch, and cumin, and mix well to combine. Allow to marinade for at 30 minutes (or up to over night).

Heat a wok or large skillet with 1 tablespoon cooking oil and when oil is hot add lamb and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the meat is mostly browned. Remove lamb from heat and set aside.

Add the another tablespoon of oil, and then add ginger, onions and stir fry until onions are translucent.

Add the lamb back in to wok, stirring occasionally for about another minute.

Add garlic, sugar, crushed red pepper, dried red chili pepper, salt to taste, and stir to mix well. Stir fry until lamb is cooked thoroughly.

Optionally, garnish with cilantro. Remove from heat and serve!

Pro tip - the next day, you can make cumin lamb noodles! This can be dry noodle by just adding noodles and mixing with the sauce and cumin lamb stir fry, or even cumin lamb noodle soup!

By the way, if you love the flavor of this dish - you're also going to love my Pan Fried Lamb Chops with Cumin! Recipe here.

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