Lamb is among the most flavorful meats you possibly can cook dinner. Whether or not it’s a slow-braised lamb shank, a roasted leg, or pan-seared lamb chops, it is nice on it is personal. However, the suitable aspect dishes may also steadiness its richness, from shiny citrusy salads to creamy potatoes and hearty grains. Under, you’ll discover greater than 40 of the most effective aspect dishes for lamb—regardless of the way you wish to cook dinner it.
Arguably one of many biggest lamb scenes in cinema (is that this one thing individuals argue about?) comes by the use of My Massive Fats Greek Wedding ceremony, the 2002 rom-com that had a $5 million funds however went on to gross over $240 million.
Protagonist, Toula, is introducing her boyfriend to her household when she has to interrupt the information that he’s a vegetarian. Her aunt is horrified. “What do you imply he don’t eat no meat?” she screams. The room goes silent. However then, her aunt realizes an answer: “That’s okay, that’s okay,” she says, squeezing his cheeks. “I make lamb!”
However what’s going to she make to go with the lamb? That is vital. Lamb works simply as effectively with minerally, bitter components as gentle, candy ones—the robust half is understanding how you can slender down.
Fortunately, we have now some concepts. Under are a number of the highest aspect dishes for lamb.
Soar to:
Recent & Vivid Asparagus Sides for Lamb
Bitter & Daring Veggie Sides to Stability Wealthy Lamb
Candy & Savory Carrot Sides That Complement Lamb
Selfmade Buttery, Fluffy Dinner Rolls
The Finest Potato Sides to Serve With Lamb
Fast & Straightforward Radish Recipes to Attempt With Lamb
Feta-Laced Salads That Pair Superbly With Lamb
Up to date in April 2025 to incorporate much more scrumptious aspect dishes to serve with lamb—as a result of you possibly can by no means have too many choices.
Recent & Vivid Asparagus Sides for Lamb
1. Shaved Asparagus & Arugula Salad
A easy, but spectacular aspect that proves asparagus doesn’t all the time have to be cooked. The truth is, with a wealthy protein like lamb, leaving it uncooked—shaved into ribbons like pappardelle—is a good match.
2. Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Brown Butter, Lemon & Eggs Mimosa
When smooshed by means of a fine-mesh sieve, hard-boiled eggs flip into fluffy snow. Right here, that falls on brown buttered asparagus, however don’t hesitate to do this on any inexperienced vegetable.
3. Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
This addictive roasted asparagus recipe is a high 10 favourite, that includes pancetta, leeks, garlic, and citrus zest—a deliciously savory aspect dish for roast lamb or grilled lamb chops.
4. Shaved Asparagus & Mint Salad
As an alternative of the old-school mint jelly, attempt serving lamb with recent mint, in a method or one other. Right here, it’s an herby salad with Parmesan and hazelnuts.
5. Crispy Chickpea Fattoush with Asparagus and Radishes
Recipe developer EmilyC gives up a foolproof fattoush formulation: crispy pita + greens + herbs + dressing. This model right here with translucent-crisp radishes, shortly toasted asparagus, and heaps (heaps!) of recent dill will bounce some spring into your lamb’s step.
6. Asparagus With Tender-Boiled Eggs & Anchovy Bread Crumbs
Barely blanched asparagus will get dotted with oozy eggs, crispy crunchy ‘chovy crumbs, and fruity Calabrian chile. I estimate a pound (sure, a pound!) of springtime goodness per individual, however be at liberty to halve or quarter the serving dimension if serving as a aspect.
7. Pea, Asparagus, & Avocado Salad With Burrata
This pretty, fraîche salad from A Cozy Kitchen options crisp butter lettuce leaves, tender asparagus stems, and snappy peas tossed in a yogurt dressing and served with a ball of burrata. Dairy on dairy? Sure, please.
8. Tagliarini with Asparagus and Herbs
From Ruth Rogers of the beloved River Cafe London comes this recipe for creamy, herby pasta with asparagus. The asparagus are reduce to the identical thickness because the pasta, making for astonishing bites (is it pasta or is it asparagus?) we simply can’t pull our forks away from.
Bitter & Daring Veggie Sides to Stability Wealthy Lamb
1. Charred Radicchio With Arugula, Cherries & Parmesan
Sorta counterintuitively, charring radicchio undermines its bitterness. Cherries and balsamic add sweetness, whereas arugula and black pepper deliver spice.
2. Broccoli Rabe in Lemon Cream
This dish made our co-founder Amanda Hesser take a look at broccoli rabe in a model new means. And sure, you must give the lemon-cream remedy to different bitter issues, like radicchio or escarole.
3. Marinated White Bean & Radicchio Salad
A heavy-on-the-Pecorino salad for any season. In case you can’t discover oversize gigante or corona beans (psst: you possibly can order on-line from Rancho Gordo), go for cannellini.
4. Broccoli Rabe Goma-ae
A easy broccoli rabe salad that’s all in regards to the sesame seeds. Soy sauce provides salty-savoriness and a pinch of sugar retains every little thing even-keeled.
5. Berardino’s Crispy Pancotto
Add this to your listing of “Methods to Use Up Stale Bread.” With garlic, chiles, and many olive oil, it’s paying homage to a greens-stuffed, crispy-bottomed bread pudding.
6. Fall Salad with Lemony Brown Butter French dressing
Fall, shmall. Carrots are technically a spring vegetable, too! A head of treviso, fluffy herbs, and beady lentils get tossed in a cumin- and fennel-spiced French dressing.
7. Union Sq. Café’s Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds & Lemon
This Genius recipe, involves us from beloved N.Y.C. establishment, Union Sq. Café. Uncooked and roasted brussels are hashed and tossed in a shiny, nutty, fruity dressing. Topped with a fried egg, this may additionally make for a beautiful gentle foremost.
8. Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pears & Pistachios
Our readers voted this recipe “Our Finest Inexperienced Vacation Facet,” which suggests you possibly can hold it on rotation from Easter by means of Thanksgiving.
9. Roasted Spring Root Greens with Horseradish-Thyme Butter
Spring root greens get deep, caramelized taste from roasting, whereas horseradish butter provides simply the suitable kick—a straightforward, earthy match for lamb.
10. Chopped Radicchio Salad With Sourdough Croutons
This chopped radicchio salad from Ella Henry combines crisp, barely bitter greens with crunchy sourdough croutons for a satisfying texture distinction (an effective way to make use of up a day-old loaf). Tossed in a easy, tangy French dressing, it’s a refreshing and simply customizable.
Candy & Savory Carrot Sides That Complement Lamb
1. Pomegranate Roasted Carrots
Consider pomegranate molasses as the best glaze your carrots will ever meet. To not point out, the fruitiest and tangiest, as well.
2. Candy Smoky Roasted Carrots
Candy from honey (maple syrup would even be pretty), smoky from smoked paprika. Dorie Greenspan dreamed up this recipe for her e book On a regular basis Dorie.
3. Buttery Maple Cumin Carrots
Cumin seeds and coriander seeds workforce up with maple syrup–smooched carrots. We wouldn’t complain for those who sprinkled some recent herbs on high, like cilantro, dill, and/or mint.
4. Carrots Cooked Without end
Carrots, however with the tenderness and silkiness of mashed potatoes. You is likely to be tempted to stint on the olive oil. Don’t.
5. Golden Carrot Souffle
Regardless of how intimidating making a soufflé could appear, you don’t have to fret about this one collapsing mid-bake. Carrot purée is whipped with egg whites, sugar, and vanilla to create a candy, ethereal combination that’s then baked. In case you’re searching for a spring aspect dish to serve with lamb, that is it.
Selfmade Buttery, Fluffy Dinner Rolls
1. Traditional Dinner Rolls
I do know I mentioned no vacation feast is full with out mashed potatoes, however it’s actually incomplete with out at the very least one basket of dinner rolls (however ideally there’s one at every finish of the dinner desk and a backup batch warming within the oven). There are such a lot of variations of dinner rolls, however these are as traditional because it will get.
2. Milk Buns with Salted Maple Butter
These milk buns are tender, fluffy, and irresistible, with simply the suitable steadiness of sweetness. Topped with a wealthy salted maple butter, they’re the proper accompaniment to roasted lamb.
Peas of All Sorts
1. Peas in Mint Cream
The title simply informed you a lot of the components on this fuss-free recipe. Be happy to swap in frozen peas; simply regulate the cook dinner time accordingly.
2. Pea Salad With Parmesan & Mint
Peas might be salad, too. Right here, they’re dressed up with recent mint, lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan (a vegetable peeler is up for the duty).
3. Creamy Watercress, Pea & Mint Soup
As shiny and glad as soup will get. In case you can’t discover watercress, be at liberty to swap in spinach (sure, frozen works!). This plus roast lamb plus bread could be a dream.
4. Radish, Snap Pea & Burrata Salad With Chives & Lemon
Creamy burrata can’t get sufficient of perky-crunchy greens, like snap peas and radishes. Mozzarella works in a pinch.
The Finest Potato Sides to Serve With Lamb
1. Garlicky Roasted Potato Salad
Lamb loves garlic nearly as a lot as I do. This roasted-not-boiled potato salad makes use of 4 cloves, which you can definitely improve for those who dare.
2. Squashed Potatoes
Squashed is often an unlucky destiny, however on this case, it’s a blessing. The potatoes turn out to be exceptionally crispy with irregular, craggy edges.
3. Medley of Roasted Potatoes With Selfmade Za’atar & Aleppo Pepper
Za’atar is a spice mix, aromatic with thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. Right here, it’s a superpower for roasted potatoes (assorted colours are fairly however not mandatory).
4. Potatoes a la Lyonnaise
“What are you able to say a few easy potato dish that goes with every little thing?” Mimi Thorisson writes. “Every thing” clearly contains lamb, lamb, and extra lamb.
5. Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
These scalloped potatoes are so not your grandmother’s, however even she may admit they’re higher. In between layers of sliced potatoes, cheese, and a wealthy béchamel sauce are candy caramelized onions.
6. On the spot Pot Buttermilk & Leek Mashed Potatoes
Sure, each vacation feast ought to have mashed potatoes. Sorry, I don’t make the principles (okay, possibly on this case I’ll declare one spud-tastic rule, however everybody shall be higher off for it). However for those who’re bored of a traditional mashed potato aspect dish, do this: Yukon gold potatoes and leeks, strain cooked after which mashed with buttermilk and heavy cream.
7. Candy Potatoes Roasted in Coconut Oil
In fact, you’d look forward to finding a candy potato dish on the desk for Thanksgiving however it’s not precisely a aspect dish that involves thoughts for roast lamb. By roasting the orange-hued taters with coconut oil, they tackle a fair lighter, sweeter taste that simply is smart for spring dinners.
Fast & Straightforward Radish Recipes to Attempt With Lamb
1. Radish Salad With Anchovy Sauce
Anchovies underscore lamb’s savoriness. On this salad—with uncooked radishes, capers, and parsley—all you want is one tiny fish.
2. Pan-Braised Radishes & Greens
The subsequent time you decide up a bunch of radishes with their greens nonetheless hooked up, don’t throw these greens out. As an alternative, whip up this cheerful braise with butter and tarragon.
3. Roasted Radishes With Almond Salsa Verde
Roasting renders radishes caramelized and fork-tender. This oregano-y almond salsa verde is the proper teammate (superior with nearly any roasted vegetable, too).
4. Radish & Pecan Grain Salad
The important thing to this chewy-crunchy salad is combined grains—say farro and quinoa or rice and wheat berries. This element provides a great deal of texture and nuttiness.
Feta-Laced Salads That Pair Superbly With Lamb
1. Herb Salad With Chickpeas & Feta
The extra forms of herbs, the higher. Ensure you purchase feta in a block (ideally in brine), then crumble it your self; its taste and consistency are far more scrumptious.
2. Wilted Escarole With Feta, Walnuts & Honey
Escarole is bitterish, sure. That’s the place the fatty walnuts and sticky-sweet honey are available in. Don’t maintain again on the latter.
3. Lemony Inexperienced Bean Salad With Feta, Purple Onion & Marjoram
A salad that’s filled with lamb’s favourite phrases: lemon, feta, onion, marjoram (or, for those who can’t discover it, oregano—one other favourite phrase).
4. Shaved Broccoli Stalk Salad With Tender Feta & Golden Raisins
Broccoli stalks, now filled with objective. This may be dreamy alongside (or piled on high of!) juicy-rare lamb chops.
5. Pita Panzanella with Sumac & Feta Cheese
This shiny, herby fattoush is the proper match for lamb—it’s loaded with crunchy pita, tangy sumac, and salty feta, all of which steadiness the richness of the meat. The recent greens and juicy tomatoes add a refreshing distinction, making each chunk really feel gentle but satisfying.
6. Shaved Fennel Feta Salad
Spring means lamb, and lamb loves fennel. This crisp, citrusy salad cuts by means of the meat’s richness, making it a recent, vibrant pairing for the season.
