16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (2024)

A traditional Passover Seder plate includes a shank bone, which symbolizes the sacrificial lamb that was offered in the temple in Jerusalem. While it's appropriate to serve lamb for Passover, interpretations of the rules for preparation vary. For a dish with the shank intact, try 2018 F&W Best New Chef Katianna Hong's make-ahead Braised Lamb Shanks with Herb Salad or Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov's super-seasonal Braised Lamb Shanks with Peas, Mint, and Rhubarb. For something easy yet impressive, lamb chops might be the way to go, like our Lamb Loin Chops Sizzled with Garlic. Whether you're planning a reform meal or something more orthodox, here's a selection of our best lamb recipes to make for Passover.

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Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (1)

Incredibly easy to prepare, this bone-in leg of lamb is coated with an herby, pleasantly salty crust before marinating in the refrigerator for about eight hours. The dry brine results in a juicy, tender, and deliciously garlicky lamb roast. Potatoes and leeks are added about 45 minutes before the roast is finished cooking, absorbing the flavors of the herbs and lamb juices as they roast.

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02of 16

Rosé-Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb with Walnut Salsa Fresca

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (2)

Studding a leg of lamb with anchovies adds savory depth to this beautiful cut of meat flavored with a garlicky, herbal rosé-based marinade. The flavors in the walnut salsa fresca served alongside mirror those of the marinade, bringing a final dose of richness and flavor to this standout dish.

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03of 16

Garlic-Crusted Roast Rack of Lamb

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (3)

When lamb is at the center of the dinner table — especially something as eye-catching as this roast rack of lamb — it makes the meal feel special. This lamb roast recipe is one of our favorite ways to prepare a rack of lamb because it's simple but has wonderfully complex flavors from the marinade.

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04of 16

Braised Lamb Shanks with Herb Salad

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (4)

These lamb shanks, crispy on the outside yet fall-off-the-bone tender, make an impressive holiday dinner party dish. 2018 F&W Best New Chef Katianna Hong recommends braising the shanks one day before your party, then brushing with hot mustard sauce and crisping them up right before serving.

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Spicy Lamb Chops

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (5)

This quick and impressive lamb chop recipe is perfect to serve for an elegant party. The sharp heat and bright flavors from the chopped herb, chile, and lemon sauce balance the fat and gaminess in the lamb.

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06of 16

Leg of Lamb Cooked Over New Potatoes with Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (6)

Dried lavender and fresh thyme lend floral, woodsy flavor to garlic cloves in a simple paste that seasons the lamb and helps the dried spice crust stick to the meat. The mint sauce — made by cooking mint jelly in a skillet with a splash of rum and jalapeño — will appear very thin when hot but thickens to a glaze as it cools.

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07of 16

Double-Cut Lamb Chops with Garlic-Caper Rub

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (7)

Punchy anchovies and garlic mellow during their short cook time, adding umami to double-cut lamb chops. Reverse-searing using the broiler results in perfectly cooked lamb with a crispy exterior; use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature for best results. Serve the carved chops over cooked orzo to balance out the meal.

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08of 16

Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Shallots and White Wine

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (8)

Cookbook author Aria Adjani's lamb shoulder roast is braised atop shallots and thyme in a honey-tinged bath of white wine and orange juice, then served with a bright lemon-oregano gremolata.

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Lamb Loin Chops Sizzled with Garlic

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (9)

This easy lamb chop recipe comes together quickly. The sizzled garlic balances the richness of the lamb and pairs nicely with the lemon-parsley pan sauce.

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10of 16

Rack of Lamb with Mustard-Shallot Sauce

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (10)

The secret to a perfectly cooked rack of lamb: Sear it in a skillet, transfer the pan to the oven to cook through, and make a quick pan sauce.

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11of 16

Petite Leg of Lamb with Pickled Rhubarb Salsa

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (11)

Former F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple loves leg of lamb, but it’s sometimes such a commitment to make a whole one. Here, he opts to roast a petite leg, which is the shank end with the hip bone removed. It’s ideal for a small group.

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Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Lavender

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (12)

Sweet and sour shallot jam made from dates, honey, and apple cider vinegar accompanies this fantastic roast.

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Lamb Chops with Frizzled Herbs

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (13)

Frying herbs like rosemary, parsley, and sage for less than 45 seconds in a half inch of oil makes them ultra-crispy; they're delicious with these tender lamb chops.

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Roast Leg of Lamb with Lemony Dill Sauce

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (14)

Chef Andrew Zimmern roasts a whole leg of lamb in the oven, and the recipe is easily adaptable for the grill, cooking over medium indirect heat.

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Zinfandel-Braised Lamb Chops with Dried Fruit

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (15)

A jammy Zinfandel and dried fruit lend a ton of flavor to lamb-shoulder chops.

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Braised Lamb Shanks with Peas, Mint, and Rhubarb

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (16)

Chef Michael Solomonov braises lamb shanks with sweet date molasses until the meat is tender, then adds tangy rhubarb to the sauce. The dish can also be prepared with tart fruits like quince or crabapples when rhubarb isn’t in season.

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16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table (2024)

FAQs

16 Passover Lamb Recipes for Your Holiday Table? ›

The actual Seder meal is also quite variable. Traditions among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings), matzo ball soup, brisket or roast chicken, potato kugel (somewhat like a casserole) and tzimmes, a stew of carrots and prunes, sometimes including potatoes or sweet potatoes.

What is a typical Passover dinner menu? ›

The actual Seder meal is also quite variable. Traditions among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings), matzo ball soup, brisket or roast chicken, potato kugel (somewhat like a casserole) and tzimmes, a stew of carrots and prunes, sometimes including potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Why don't Jews eat lamb on Passover? ›

The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. Ashkenazim do not eat lamb at the Seder meal. Why? Because they believe that doing so is equivalent to eating the paschal sacrifice that was intended to be made only at the Temple in Jerusalem.

How to prepare the lamb for Passover? ›

Preheat the oven to 400F when you are ready to cook the lamb! Rinse and dry the lamb. Slice away any egregious blobs of fat, but do not remove all visible fat (while roasting, a modicum of melting fat adds a lot of flavor). Make 6 to 10 slits into the meat of the leg, about an inch in both length and depth.

What does the lamb symbolize in Passover? ›

Paul, drawing a parallel with the sacrifice made by Jesus, referred to Christ as the Paschal lamb (I Corinthians 5:7); hence, the Christian view of Christ as the spotless Lamb of God who by his death freed mankind from the bonds of sin.

What are the five forbidden foods on Passover? ›

The tradition goes back to the 13th century, when custom dictated a prohibition against wheat, barley, oats, rice, rye and spelt, Rabbi Amy Levin said on NPR in 2016.

What is the lamb at Seder Night? ›

Zeroa: A roasted lamb or goat bone, symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.

Did Jesus eat lamb at Passover? ›

The claim by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that Jesus was a vegetarian is just another attempt at this type of exploitation. The verse in Luke 22:7 reads: "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

Can you eat lamb on Seder night? ›

Ashkenazic Jews have a custom of not eating lamb or goat during the Seder in deference to the absence of the Temple. Many Sephardic Jews, however, have the opposite custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder in memory of the Korban Pesach.

Can you eat leg of lamb on Passover? ›

But what about lamb? Roast lamb was eaten at Passover until A.D. 70, when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. In memory of this, the eating of roasted lamb was prohibited. But many Jews find lamb acceptable as long as it is not roasted but cooked in a pan with liquid.

Can you eat lamb chops on Passover? ›

Some Jews won't eat lamb at Passover (or any roasted meats or poultry, for that matter), but others will eat it as long as it's not roasted. For most, lamb is considered an acceptable entree.

What is a substitute for lamb in the Passover? ›

Z'roah: a roasted shank bone of a lamb. Represents the Passover plate offering of a lamb made at the ancient Temple in Jerusalem in the early spring. Sometimes a chicken neck is substituted, and in vegetarian homes, a beet, a yam, or a carrot may be substituted.

Why did Jesus celebrate Passover? ›

This is a festival which remembers the escape of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal together. As this was the last meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, he took elements of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death.

What did Jesus say about Passover? ›

So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

Do you say happy Passover? ›

If you want to greet a loved one who is celebrating Passover, “Happy Passover” is an appropriate sentiment. You could also say “chag sameach,” which means happy holiday in Hebrew, or chag kasher v'semeach, which means have a happy and kosher Passover.

Can you eat potatoes on Passover? ›

You don't have to give up potatoes to balance your meals—just add something to them! Pesach is the perfect time to experiment with potato-combination dishes.

Can you eat pasta during Passover? ›

Because of this, any type of leavened bread or bread product is prohibited during Passover. These leavened products, known as chametz, include certain grain-based foods like breads, pasta, pastries, breadcrumbs, crackers, etc. Unleavened bread, aka “matzo,” traditionally takes the place of chametz during Passover.

What are the four rules for the Passover? ›

The 4 essential rules of Passover
  • No chametz. During Passover, leavened bread and fermentable grains (chametz) are forbidden. ...
  • Eating matzah. It's a commandment to eat matzah on the first night of Passover. ...
  • Refraining from work. ...
  • The telling of the story.
Apr 23, 2024

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