Preparing Lamb: Easy Does It!

Whether you buy your lamb fresh, frozen or cooked, preparations are simple and take little time.

Fresh Lamb

Fresh lamb should be stored in the refrigerator or frozen immediately after purchasing.

Refrigerate

Refrigerate fresh lamb at 40°F, or below, immediately after purchasing.  Ground lamb or stew meat should be used within 1 to 2 days.  Lamb chops, roasts and steaks should be used within 3 to 5 days.  Fresh lamb can also be frozen immediately at 0°F or below.

Freeze

Lamb can be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged.  If you plan to freeze lamb for long periods of time, be sure to wrap the original packaging with airtight freezer wrap or place in an airtight freezer bag to prevent “freezer burn.”  To maintain optimum quality, frozen lamb roasts, steaks, and chops should be used within 6 to 9 months and ground lamb within 3 to 4 months.

Frozen Lamb

There are three ways to thaw frozen lamb safely:  in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.

In the Refrigerator

Once frozen lamb has thawed in the refrigerator, roasts, steaks and chops can be stored safely in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days and ground lamb will be safe for 1 to 2 days.  If you decide not to use it during this time period, you may refreeze lamb without cooking it first.

In Cold Water

When thawing in cold water, leave frozen lamb in its packaging, making sure it is air tight.  If not, transfer it to a leak-proof bag.  Keep the lamb submerged in cold water, changing it every 30 minutes to continue thawing. Plan to cook it immediately.  It should not be re-frozen unless cooked first.

In the Microwave

As with the cold water method, when frozen lamb is thawed in the microwave, it must be cooked immediately.  It should not be re-frozen unless cooked first.

Cooked Lamb

Cooked lamb from take-out should be hot when bought.  Be sure to use it within 2 hours (or 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90°F).  Otherwise, refrigerate it at 40°F or below in shallow, covered containers and eat within 3 to 4 days cold or reheated to 165°F.  Prepared lamb can also be safely frozen and should be eaten within 2 to 3 months for best quality.

Cooking Lamb: Simple, Versatile, and Delicious!

Lamb is easy to cook and brings variety to the table. Cooking lamb is just as simple as cooking other meats, but lamb has more flavor. From grilling to roasting, braising to broiling, stir frying to slow cooking, lamb can accommodate many cooking techniques.

With a variety of cuts to choose from, there are lots of options with lamb, and it fits within any budget. Lamb is an important ingredient in many popular global cuisines—from French to Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian and North African.

There's a place for lamb in every kitchen—click here to get started with healthy, simple and inspiring recipes.

What's the correct temperature?

To ensure lamb remains safe throughout cooking, the USDA* recommends cooking lamb patties and ground lamb mixtures, such as meat loaf, to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F as measured on a food thermometer.  However, whole muscle meats such as roasts, steaks, and chops may be cooked to 145°F (medium rare), 160°F (medium), or 170°F (well done).  For approximate cooking times for use in meal planning, see the chart below.

Times are based on lamb at refrigerator temperature (40°F).  Remember appliances and outdoor grills can vary in heat.  Use a food thermometer to check for safe cooking and doneness.

* USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service's Lamb from Farm to Table Fact Sheet