Yield: 6

Instant Pot Lamb Stew (Israeli Chili)

Instant Pot Lamb Stew (Israeli Chili)

If you love chili, middle eastern and mediterranean flavors, prepare yourselves (and your ladle) for one astoundingly hearty meal to fill your bowl.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of salted butter
  • 1 yellow onion, cut longways into thick slices
  • 1 red onion, cut sideways into strands
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
  • 2 lbs of ground lamb (or ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey, but the flavor will be different so I suggest the lamb. If your market doesn’t have it, a butcher will!)
  • 1 lb of chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks (breasts are fine too, but I suggest thighs)
  • 6 oz can of tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp of paprika
  • 1 tsp of turmeric
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp of curry powder
  • 1/2 tbsp of cumin
  • 2 tsp of black pepper
  • 1 tbsp of seasoned salt
  • 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups of chicken broth (I used 2 tsp of Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 2 cups of water)
  • 2 cups of garlic broth (I used 2 tsp of Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 2 cups of water but you can also use 4 cups of chicken broth instead if you don’t have this)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Two 15.5 oz cans of chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups of shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix)
  • 1 cup of frozen corn
  • 1 cup of crushed tomatoes (the whole 28 oz can isn’t necessary here)
  • 1 tsp of celery salt
  • 1 tsp of garlic salt
  • 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp of dried cilantro

Toppings:

Instructions

  1. Add the butter and olive oil to the Instant Pot, hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. One the butter’s melted and the oil’s bubbling, Add in the red onion, yellow onion and carrots and let cook for 5 minutes until softened and it cooks down. Then, add in the garlic and cook for one minute longer
  2. Next, add in the ground lamb and stir/cook until very lightly browned and it crumbles. You can either ladle out the juices it releases and discard now or allow it to simmer in the pot so it cooks in with the stew (I suggest doing this as it enhances the flavor). Add in the chicken and then add in the paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, curry powder, cumin, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well so all the spices are mixed in with everything in the pot
  3. Then, add in the tomato paste and stir well along with the chicken broth, garlic broth, lemon juice, diced tomatoes (but NOT the crushed tomatoes yet), chickpeas and cabbage. Stir very well, deglazing/scraping the bottom of the pot
  4. Secure the lid, hit the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 7 minutes. Be patient – there’s a lot going on in this pot and it will take a solid 10-20 minutes to come to pressure. When done, quick release. If you haven’t already skimmed off the excess fat from the lamb, now is the time to do it (unless you want it mixed in with the stew as some do). About 4-6 skims with a serving spoon should do it!
  5. Add in the final spices of garlic salt, celery salt, dried cilantro and Italian seasoning as well as the crushed tomatoes and frozen corn (which well thaw and cook VERY quickly due to how hot the pot is). Stir well and let set for 2 minutes
  6. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of tzatziki and a few diced pieces of dill or sour pickle (if using, but I STRONGLY suggest you do. It sets it over the top in the best of ways). Mix well and…
  7. Enjoy!

Jeffrey's Tips

This stew is practically a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean-style chili! Is it absolutely astounding!

The stew is perfect as is, but I would DEFINITELY add a dollop of the tzatziki (click here to make mine or just buy some in the market) and the pickles to really send it home and keep it more authentic in flavor! It’s an absolutely sensational experience!

I wouldn’t suggest using any other style of lamb other than ground lamb for this stew as it cooks best this way. To that point, if you want it with ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey instead of lamb, go for it! But the flavor will be different and will lose that incredible lamb domination.

Want more corn? Add in a whole 10 oz frozen box!

Feel free to add in more of the shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix once it’s done cooking if you want more of a crunch!