Harissa Ground Lamb with Chickpeas
Seasoned ground lamb simmered in harissa and tomato with tender chickpeas, finished with a creamy yogurt feta dressing and served with warm naan, peppery arugula, and a fresh cucumber and pepper salad.
This dinner comes together in a single skillet band has so much flavor. Ground lamb, warm spices, tomato paste, harissa, and chickpeas all simmer together into a rich, saucy mixture. Then it’s finished with a cool yogurt and feta dressing that balances everything out.
I love serving this with warm homemade naan for scooping up all that sauce. The chickpeas make it hearty, and as they simmer, some soften and break down a little, helping thicken everything. It’s a simple meal, but it feels like something a little different from our usual weeknight dinners.
For the harissa, I used a mild Moroccan red pepper sauce from Thrive Market. Harissa can vary quite a bit in heat depending on the brand, so I’d recommend starting with a little less if you’re unsure. You can always add more as it simmers. This version has plenty of flavor without making the dish too spicy for the whole family.
Main Ingredients & Swaps
- Ground Lamb: 2 lbs of ground lamb, or substitute ground beef.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, and salt add warm, savory flavor.
- Harissa Sauce: Mild harissa, tomato paste, and garlic create a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Chickpeas: Add texture and make the dish more filling. Mash a few to thicken the sauce.
- Yogurt Feta Dressing: Full-fat yogurt, feta, honey, and lemon juice make a creamy, tangy topping.
- Fresh Salad: Cucumbers and bell peppers tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
- For Serving: Fresh arugula and my Homemade Naan with Fresh Milled Flour for scooping up all that delicious sauce.
How I Make Harissa Ground Lamb with Chickpeas
Mix the spice blend in a small bowl (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, salt) and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground lamb, and cook, breaking it apart as it browns.
Once it is cooked through, tilt the pan and drain or spoon off the excess fat. Stir in the spice blend, tomato paste, harissa sauce, and minced garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes so the tomato paste and spices bloom.
Add the water and drained chickpeas, stir, cover, and let it simmer, adding more water as needed to keep the mixture saucy.
Lightly mash some of the chickpeas into the lamb to thicken the sauce. Finish with a small splash of lemon juice and a small drizzle of honey, then taste and adjust.
While the lamb simmers, blend the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, and honey with an immersion blender until creamy with small buts of feta. (it wont get completely creamy with an immersion blender)
Toss the chopped cucumbers and bell peppers with lemon juice, olive oil, and a little salt. Spoon the lamb into bowls, drizzle with the yogurt feta dressing, top with fresh arugula, and serve with warm homemade naan and the cucumber pepper salad.
Tips
- Choose your harissa carefully. I used a mild Moroccan red pepper sauce from Thrive Market. Harissa varies in heat and flavor depending on the brand, so start with less and adjust to taste.
- Drain the excess lamb fat. Ground lamb can release quite a bit of grease as it cooks. Spoon off the excess fat before adding the seasonings to keep the sauce from becoming too oily.
- Let the spices bloom. Cooking the spices, tomato paste, and harissa with the browned lamb for a couple of minutes helps deepen the flavor.
- Mash some of the chickpeas. Lightly mashing a few chickpeas into the lamb naturally thickens the sauce and helps everything come together.
- Keep it saucy. The lamb mixture will thicken as it simmers, so add a splash of water as needed to keep it moist and perfect for scooping up with naan.
- Make the dressing ahead. The yogurt feta dressing can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until serving. Give it a good stir before drizzling over the warm lamb.
Video
More Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this harissa lamb dinner, here are a few more dinner recipes you might like:
- Fiesta Pasta Chicken Bake
- Skillet Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Korean BBQ Beef Tacos (Slow Cooker)
Harissa Lamb Dinner
Ingredients
Harissa ground lamb
- 2 lbs ground lamb
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup mild harissa sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Small splash of lemon juice (for finishing the lamb)
- Small drizzle of honey (for finishing the lamb)
- Olive oil, for cooking
Yogurt feta dressing
- 1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Fresh cucumber and pepper salad
- 1 Bell pepper, chopped
- 2-3 Garden cucumbers, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt, to taste
For serving
- Fresh arugula
- Warm homemade naan
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoning: in a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Brown the lamb: heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking it apart as it browns. Once cooked through, tilt the pan and carefully drain or spoon off the excess fat.
- Add the seasonings: stir in the prepared spice blend, tomato paste, harissa sauce, and minced garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes to allow the tomato paste and spices to bloom.
- Simmer with chickpeas: add the water and drained chickpeas. Stir to combine, cover, and let simmer. Add more water as needed to keep the mixture saucy.
- Thicken the mixture: lightly mash some of the chickpeas into the lamb.
- Finish the lamb: add a small splash of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Make the dressing: combine the yogurt, feta, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp honey. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy. A little feta texture is perfectly fine.
- Prepare the salad: toss chopped cucumbers and bell peppers with lemon juice, olive oil, and a little salt.
- Serve: spoon the harissa lamb into bowls and drizzle with the yogurt feta dressing. Top with fresh arugula and serve with warm homemade naan and the fresh cucumber pepper salad.
Video
Notes
-
Choose your harissa carefully. I used a mild Moroccan red pepper sauce from Thrive Market. Harissa varies in heat and flavor depending on the brand, so start with less and adjust to taste.
-
Drain the excess lamb fat. Ground lamb can release quite a bit of grease as it cooks. Spoon off the excess fat before adding the seasonings to keep the sauce from becoming too oily.
-
Let the spices bloom. Cooking the spices, tomato paste, and harissa with the browned lamb for a couple of minutes helps deepen the flavor.
-
Mash some of the chickpeas. Lightly mashing a few chickpeas into the lamb naturally thickens the sauce and helps everything come together.
-
Keep it saucy. The lamb mixture will thicken as it simmers, so add a splash of water as needed to keep it moist and perfect for scooping up with naan.
-
Make the dressing ahead. The yogurt feta dressing can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until serving. Give it a good stir before drizzling over the warm lamb.
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