These middle eastern-style tacos are packed with protein, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory herbs. The lamb gets browned in the pan with warming spices and topped with cooling yogurt, fresh tomato, and lots of pickle onions (plus some arugula for good measure!). Lamb pairs so well with all of the flavors, but you can easily use beef, bison, or chicken (see substitutions section also for vegetarian option).Ingredient Highlight
Ingredient Highlight
Lamb! Is a very underrated protein that also happens to be extremely nutrient-dense. It’s loaded with vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, iron, and healthy omega-3 fats.
If you’re not a fan of lamb or just lamb-curious, give it a try in this recipe. The herby patties paired with the yogurt sauce and crunchy veg are to die for!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 8 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼-½ cup chopped herbs (optional)
- Arugula (optional)*
- Pickled red onions (see recipe)
- 8-12 flour tortillas (or use corn for GF)
For the yogurt sauce:**
- 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped dill or parsley (optional)
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- *Arugula adds a good dose of greens and a peppery flavor, but it’s totally optional.
- **If you want to save time, just top the tacos with a dollop of Greek yogurt and squeeze some lemon over the tacos along with a sprinkle of salt. I’m all about shortcuts!
Instructions
- In a large skillet over high heat, warm the olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the lamb and break it up into chunks using a spatula or wooden spoon. Spread out into an even layer and sprinkle the salt all over. Let cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, or until deeply browned.
- Give the meat and stir and continue to break it up into smaller chunks, letting it continue to brown and cook through, about 2 more minutes. If there is more than one or two tablespoons oil in your pan, tilt the pan and use a spoon to remove some of it (we want the fat for flavor and for the spices to toast in, but we don’t want it to be too greasy).
- Once it’s mostly cooked through, reduce the heat to low and stir in the cumin, cinnamon, pepper, and garlic for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes and herbs (if using), then remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt sauce ingredients.
- Warm up your tortillas over an open flame or in a pan. Top with arugula (if using), lamb crumbles, yogurt sauce, pickled red onions, and some fresh herbs if you have some left over.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make yogurt sauce
- Pickle red onions
- Chop 2-3 tomatoes (1 cup)
- Prep ¼-½ cup herbs (optional)
- Make lamb filling
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, substitute the lamb either with crumbled tofu or with mushrooms and walnuts. Use anywhere between 10-16 oz of chopped mushrooms – brown them in the pan like you would the lamb and follow the recipe as is. Stir in 1- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts with the spices.
- Easily substitute the lamb with beef, bison, or chicken.
- To make dairy free, skip the yogurt and top with guacamole or avocado slices (be sure to squeeze lime over top!).
- To make vegan, follow vegetarian and dairy-free instructions.
- Turn it into a salad by skipping the tortillas and tossing arugula with oil, vinegar, and salt. Sprinkle lamb mixture over top, a dollop of yogurt sauce, and plenty of pickled onions and herbs.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Leftover lamb mixture: up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer
- Leftover yogurt sauce: up to 7 days in the fridge
- Pickled red onions: up to 2 weeks in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up your tortillas and lamb. Place arugula on top of tortilla, then warm lamb, then sauce, pickled onions, and herbs. Top with a fresh squeeze of lemon.
- Turn it into a salad (see substitution section + photo above).
- Turn it into a grain bowl!
- Use leftover yogurt sauce on anything from cooked meats to roasted veggies to leftover grains with a fried egg.
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