Slow Cooker Peruvian Lamb Stew
Slow Cooker Peruvian Lamb Stew (Seco de Cordero) is a tender lamb stew slow cooked to perfection with traditional Peruvian ingredients widely available to the home cook. After about 30 minutes initial preparation, your slow cooker finishes this tasty one-pot dish… Stove top and Instant Pot instructions included in the recipe card!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – Recipe Inspiration
I don’t believe I had this dish in Peru, but I do love any soup/stew/main that features a puréed cilantro and ají amarillo combination. The flavors are spectacular!
This tender lamb stew gets slow simmered (or cooked under pressure) in this puréed cilantro and ají amarillo combination, and combined with beer, broth/stock, veggies, and spices in a flavorful stew that can be served over rice, alongside rice, white beans, and a Peruvian red onion salsa as shown in the photo below.
Peruvians are just as likely to serve Seco de Cordero with boiled potatoes and rice. That’s just too many carbs for this girl! 😂 You’ll love this Peruvian comfort food!
📋 Ingredients Notes
- cilantro
- vegetable or canola oil
- boneless lamb – If you don’t care for lamb, beef is a good substitute
- red onion
- garlic
- ground cumin
- ají amarillo paste – There is no great substitute for ají amarillo paste. Ají amarillo has a really unique-to-Peruvian-food flavor, and there is no great substitute. You can use a dash of your favorite pepper sauce, or order online. For more on Peruvian chiles, see The 6 Most Important Ají Chili Peppers in Peruvian Cuisine!
- beer – I keep little coronitas in my pantry for cooking, and they’re a perfect size. Choose a clean tasting lager like Xingu or Stella Artois. Avoid malty or hoppy beers.
- beef broth – Chicken broth is an okay substitute.
- dried oregano leaves
- carrots
- English peas
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
🔪 Instructions
- Combine cilantro leaves (thin stems are fine) with about 1/2 cup broth or water in a blender or food processor.
- Purée until smooth.
- Season cubed lamb with spices, salt and pepper. Sear in the hot oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, and ají amarillo paste. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until fragrant and onion softens.
- Add the cilantro purée. Stir to combine.
- Scoop the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker and add beer, broth or stock, carrots.
- Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Add peas, season, and taste. Add additional broth or stock as needed. Return to “high” to heat peas through.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with salsa criolla, rice, boiled potatoes, and/or white beans.
❓ FAQ
Can I make this in my Instant Pot instead?
YES! I use my slow cooker and my Instant Pot for many of the same recipes according to my schedule. Tender lamb stew requires about 30 minutes under high pressure and a 10 minute pressure release to achieve fork tender results! It’s a great option. See recipe card.
That’ll work too, though you’ll need to keep an eye on it and allow closer to 1 1/2 hours to get the lamb tender. See recipe card.
Yes! Double the recipe, and freeze half for a second meal. It’ll keep for months in the freezer.
We love peas and carrots, but sweet potatoes and potatoes would be typical as well. You might even try giant corn (choclo).
💭 Tips
The flavors of Peruvian food seem at once familiar and exotic. Is that possible? I hope you’ll give this delicious, tender lamb stew a try. It’s a favorite at Andersen casa!
Slow Cooker Peruvian Lamb Stew
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch cilantro
- A drizzle of olive - coconut, or vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless lamb – stew meat is perfect!
- 1 medium red onion - diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ají amarillo paste - see notes
- 7-8 ounces beer - see notes
- 1 cup beef - lamb, chicken broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup frozen and thawed peas - see notes
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Combine cilantro leaves (thin stems are fine) with about 1/2 cup broth or water in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper. Sear in the hot oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, cumin and ají amarillo paste. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until fragrant and onion softens.
- Scoop into the slow cooker. Add cilantro purée, beer, broth or stock, oregano leaves, and diced carrots.
- Cover and cook on "high" 3-4 hours or "low" 6-8 hours.
- Add peas, season, and taste. Add additional broth or stock as needed. Return to "high" to heat peas through.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with salsa criolla, rice, boiled potatoes, and/or white beans.
Stove Top
- Combine cilantro leaves (thin stems are fine) with about 1/2 cup broth or water in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- To a heavy dutch oven with a cover, add the oil and sear lamb cubes.
- Add the onion, garlic, cumin and ají amarillo paste. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until fragrant and onion softens.
- Add cilantro purée, beer, broth or stock, oregano leaves, and diced carrots. Bring to a simmer and cover. Stir occasionally. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours on a simmer.
- When lamb is tender, add peas, season, and taste. Add additional broth or stock as needed. Return to simmer to heat peas through.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with salsa criolla, rice, boiled potatoes, and/or white beans.
Instant Pot
- Combine cilantro leaves (thin stems are fine) with about 1/2 cup broth or water in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper. With Instant Pot on "sauté," add oil and sear seasoned lamb until edges are browned.
- Add the onion, garlic, cumin and ají amarillo paste. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until fragrant and onion softens.
- Add cilantro purée, beer, broth or stock, oregano leaves, and diced carrots. Lock cover. Set to high pressure for 30 minutes, and follow with a 10 minute pressure release.
- Add peas, season, and taste. Add additional broth or stock as needed. Return to simmer to heat peas through.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with salsa criolla, rice, boiled potatoes, and/or white beans.
To Serve
- My favorite side with Seco de Cordero is a simple mushy white beans. I use canned cannelini, but navy or northern are great too. Cook them in olive oil with some sautéed onion, garlic, cumin or oregano, salt and pepper. Use a potato masher to partially mash them.
- Peruvians are likely to serve this lamb stew with boiled potatoes and white rice (kinda carb heavy!). Simple Peruvian rice is perfect! White rice will work as well.
- I’ve not tried it, but I’m guessing quinoa would be a great side as well!
- As you can see in the photo above, I topped my lamb stew with salsa criolla (my recipe minus the tomato). This would be authentic!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
