Instant Pot Lamb Butternut Squash Stew

Reminiscent of Mexican mole, Instant Pot Lamb Butternut Squash Stew combines a rich Mexican-style sauce including cinnamon, cumin, ancho, chocolate, and tahini (sesame paste) with cubed lamb and butternut squash, healthy garbanzos (chick peas), and sweet bell pepper in a flavorful, tender lamb stew made quickly and easily with an Instant Pot or pressure cooker!

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – About Lamb and Latin Cooking

As I continue to “niche down” from global to Latin-inspired, I feel compelled to defend my recent emphasis on lamb. While lamb isn’t a typical protein in Latin cooking, it is definitely part of many countries’ cuisines.

You’ll find it in simmering in stews in Peru (seco de cordero), in Guatemalan seasoned ground lamb empanadas, roasting on a spit in Argentina. Of course chimichurri is a must! Cordero a la barbacoa en adobo is a traditional Mexican dish made with lamb or sheep.

So, what? One focus of my blog has always been to introduce my readers to new ingredients and new dishes. When thinking of ground lamb, do you think of an enchilada style ground lamb casserole? Probably not. How about a Moroccan-style couscous and ground lamb dish with warm spices, dried fruit, and nuts? You are probably more familiar with this type of dish.

Starting with a Quick Ground Lamb Casserole (Enchilada-Style) the first week of November, I’ll be introducing a new lamb recipe each week. I hope you’ll try (and enjoy) them as much as we do! Check out my Ground Lamb Recipes for even more inspiration!

As I’ve said before, I am not attempting to recreate abuelita’s generations old recipe. Rather, I want to use both familiar and new ingredients to bring you creative, healthyish recipes to make meal time both interesting and delicious.

Butternut squash isn’t common in Mexican or most Latin cooking. It is, however, synonymous with fall and winter cooking, and pairs beautifully with lamb. This hearty stew combines the two with some of the ingredients typically found in a Mexican mole – cinnamon, ancho, cocoa, and cumin.

Garbanzos (chick peas), onion, sweet bell pepper, and beer round out this Instant Pot stew. Served with warm corn tortillas, it’s a complete, balanced, one-dish meal.

📋 Ingredients Notes

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• coconut or vegetable oil
• onion
• garlic
• lamb stew meat
• instant masa
• spices – cumin, ancho powder, cinnamon or Mexican mole spice blend
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• beer (optional, not gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• broth/stock
• butternut squash
• red bell pepper
• garbanzos (chick peas)
• cilantro (or parsley if cilantro is an issue!)

🔪 Instructions

1. Sauté aromatics – Sauté onion and garlic with oil in Instant Pot on the sauté setting about 2 minutes.
2. Brown the lamb – Add lamb, spices, 2 tablespoons masa. Stir an additional 3-4 minutes until lamb begins to brown.
3. Add the liquids – Add beer, tahini, broth/stock. Stir vigorously to remove browned bits from the bottom (see Tips). Bring to a boil. Lock lid in place. Cook 30 minutes on high pressure. Release pressure (be careful).
4. Add the vegetables and garbanzos – Add squash, garbanzos, bell pepper. Lock lid in place and cook an additional 5 minutes on high pressure. Release pressure again. Stir to combine. (See Tips).
5. Serve – Taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!

💭 Tips

My secret ingredient is instant masa flour – maseca. This is the specific product I use, and if you can’t find it, order it from Amazon! Masa is naturally gluten free, but if sensitivity is an issue, be sure to confirm it is “safe.” NOTE: If gluten sensitivity is an issue, beer is not gluten free unless you use a “gluten free” beer!

I don’t really want a big bag of masa that I won’t use. Substitutions? I have not tried wheat flour, but if you’re not gluten sensitive, it’d probably be fine. Unfortunately, you’ll be missing the unique flavor of the masa. While flour will work fine as a thickener, I love the flavor provided by the masa… like a tortilla. I use it in my Gluten Free Corn Chowder with Green Chile.

I am gluten sensitive. Can I add beer? The beer does add depth to the stew. There are gluten free beers out there if you wish to include it. Otherwise, replace with an equal amount of broth/stock.

What beer works well? I keep Coronitas in my pantry for cooking as their light, clean flavor works really well in my Latin dishes. Coronitas are small. Choose a light lager that won’t mess with the flavor profile.

Do I have to use garbanzos? Nope! You can substitute your favorite beans (ie. pintos, kidney).

What kind of broth/stock? You probably don’t have lamb stock on hand. Lol. I have used both chicken and beef.

Can I make this on the stove? Yes indeed! Allow about 60 minutes before adding squash. Cook until squash is tender (20-30 minutes).

Can I make this lamb stew thicker? Yes. I specify 1/3 cup masa, but only add 2 tablespoons with the lamb at the beginning. I like to extract the flavor that comes with cooking it prior to adding liquid, but too much thickener of any kind can lead to a “burn” warning on the electric pressure cooker. Be sure to stir the liquids in with the lamb/masa mixture thoroughly scraping the bottom. I’ve not had problems with this recipe, but I have with my lamb stew Provençal. If you’d like a thicker stew, stir in more masa little by little, allowing it to come up to a boil in the “sauté” setting.

Bagged, cubed butternut squash is a HUGE time saver! It’s about the right amount for the stew…

🧂 Useful Stuff

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