Slow-Cooker Lamb Stew With Chickpeas
Updated August 24, 2026
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Total Time
- About 6¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 6 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 ½ to 3 pounds lamb shanks or 2 (1-pound) bone-in lamb shoulder chops
Salt
Cracked black pepper
1 heaping cup/8 ounces dried chickpeas
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch slices
6 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled
3 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
A handful of mint, basil or cilantro leaves, for serving
Flatbread or rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
60 grams carbs; 228 milligrams cholesterol; 1186 calories; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 74 grams fat; 10 grams fiber; 1406 milligrams sodium; 70 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Combine cumin, paprika and cloves in a large bowl. Place lamb shanks in the bowl and season generously with salt (about 1 teaspoon per pound) and black pepper, then coat evenly with the spices. (For the best flavor, this step can be done up to 48 hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.)
- Step 2
In a 5- to 6-quart slow-cooker, combine chickpeas, onions, garlic, bay leaves and broth. (The chickpeas should be just covered in liquid, since the lamb and onions will release juices as they cook.) Peel wide strips of lemon zest and add to the slow-cooker. Place lamb shanks on top (the meat will not be submerged in liquid), cover and cook on high for 6 hours, until lamb and chickpeas are very tender.
- Step 3
Pull away and discard lamb bones from the meat. Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze in the juice into the stew. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Top with herbs, and serve with lemon wedges and flatbread or rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Coming back the next day to add that it was very greasy. This was alleviated today when I scraped the fat off of cold leftovers before reheating, but only partially.
I could not believe I was done when I hit start on my Crock Pot. So easy and tastes like it took way more effort than it did. I of course didn’t see the note to let it sit up to 48 hours for more flavor. I managed 2. I did not think it was too spicy/flavorful like another commenter- it was just right and could have handled more if you felt adventurous. Maybe they added lemon juice before cooking, because they mentioned not adding lemon next time. The recipe only said to add rind, so that’s what I did. Served it with lemon wedges, mint and flatbread.
Way too spicy,cut them all in half and leave the lemon out. Should have gotten some chutney and flatbread on the way home.
Recipe is good as is but for wow factor I seared lamb chops on both sides in the instapot for a total of 30 minutes to add some depth to the lamb and cook off a bit of fat. Marinated overnight with an herb-heavy spice mix including mint. Added half a preserved lemon and a bit of black garlic in step 2. Otherwise followed recipe exactly. Superb w/rice on side.
can you substitute red lentils for chickpeas?
Made this tonight. It was easy and delicious. I used yellow eyed peas because my grocery store didn’t have dried chickpeas, but that worked just fine. Fresh mint from my garden for the spices at the end, and served over basmati rice. Even my spouse (who doesn’t like lamb as a rule) thought it was lovely.