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Lamb Giouvetsi

September 4, 2022 by Lucy Parissi 2 Comments

2608 shares
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Lamb Giouvetsi is the ultimate Greek comfort food – tender meat and orzo cooked in a rich tomato sauce. Easy to make in your Instant Pot or stovetop.

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Bowl of Greek Giouvetsi stew with meat and orzo in tomato sauce

Some recipes evoke so many memories… Giouvetsi was one of my favourite dishes growing up in Greece, a delicious one-pot meal that my mum would make on the weekends.

This simple casserole would definitely be in my top five ‘ultimate comfort foods’ list. Though it has few ingredients it is incredibly nourishing and slimming friendly.

What does ‘giouvetsi’ mean?

Giouvetsi or Youvetsi (Γιουβέτσι pronounced as ‘you-vet-si’) takes its name from the lidded clay pot it is cooked in. 

It can be made with lamb, beef or chicken and orzo (κριθαράκι) or hilopites (small, flat, square pasta) all cooked together in a rich aromatic tomato sauce.

Traditionally, giouvetsi is cooked on the stove and then the oven. The meat, vegetables and tomato sauce are cooked first then the orzo is added with additional water or stock and cooked until tender.

Greek lamb stew with orzo pasta

Grocery List

You only need a handful of ingredients to make giouvetsi, a lot of them pantry staples. 

  • Olive oil or cooking spray such as Fry Light
  • Lamb neck or lamb steaks
  • Onions, garlic, carrots, celery
  • Tinned chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. I only had tinned plum tomatoes so I liquidised them before using.
  • Cinnamon stick, bay leaves, dried thyme
  • Vegetable stock or red wine – or a combination of both
  • Orzo pasta
  • Feta or grated kefalotyri cheese (optional)
Greek lamb casserole with orzo in a bowl

How to make Giouvetsi in the Instant Pot

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole dish or directly in your Instant Pot using the ‘sauté function. Brown the meat, in batches, until nicely coloured on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add a little more oil in the Instant Pot and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Season with the salt, garlic granules and thyme.

Making giouvetsi in the Instant Pot

Add the browned meat into the Instant Pot together with stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaves. If you are worried about getting a ‘Burn’ notice, don’t stir the tomatoes and paste in at this stage.

Making giouvetsi in the Instant Pot

Set vent to sealing and cook for 17 minutes on high pressure. Release the steam manually. Stir in the orzo and additional stock and cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Release the steam manually.

Making giouvetsi in the Instant Pot

Give the stew a good stir – it will probably still have quite a lot of liquid. Turn the Instant Pot off, loosely cover with the lid (without sealing just resting it on top) and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Making giouvetsi in the Instant Pot

Check again – the stew should have thickened as the orzo will have absorbed more of the liquid and be ready to serve. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Transfer to a platter, season with pepper and sprinkle with feta cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 

Greek lamb Giouvetsi

Giouvetsi on the Hob

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat the olive oil in a large lidded casserole dish (Dutch oven). Brown the meat, in batches, for 5 minutes, until nicely coloured on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

searing meat cubes in a pot

Add a little more oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Season, add the browned meat together with all the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover.

Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven and cook for 90 minutes or until the meat is very tender. You might need to add more stock if it looks a bit dry at this point.

Add the orzo and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through. 
Transfer to a platter, season with pepper and sprinkle with feta cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately!

Greek Lamb Giouvetsi

You will also like…

  • Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta
  • One-Pot Shrimp Orzo
  • Slow Cooker Greek Chicken and Orzo
  • Cajun Chicken Orzo
  • Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

HAVE YOU MADE MY GIOUVETSI RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!

Giouvetsi – Greek Lamb Casserole

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
Giouvetsi is the original one-pot meal: a delicious Greek casserole with tender meat and orzo in a rich tomato sauce. Cook it slowly in the oven or make it in your Instant Pot.
4.41 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: giouvetsi, Instant pot stew, Lamb Casserole, Slimming World Lamb Casserole, Youvetsi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 706kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil or cooking spray , more as needed
  • 900 g (2 lbs) lamb steaks, fat removed , cubed (or use beef, chicken thighs)
  • 1 large onion or 6 shallots , roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves , sliced
  • 3 carrots , peeled and cut into chunky cubes
  • 3 celery sticks , diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 400 g (4oz) chopped tomatoes or pureed plum tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or mixed Italian herbs
  • 250 g (1 ⅓ cups) orzo
  • 750 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock
  • Handful parsley leaves , roughly chopped to garnish
  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) feta cheese , crumbled to serve (Healthy Extra)
  • Ground pepper , to taste

Instructions

Instant Pot method

  • Heat at the olive oil in a large casserole dish or directly in your Instant Pot using the ‘sauté function. Use cooking spray such as Fry Light for SW version.
  • Brown the meat, in batches, until nicely coloured on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add a little more oil in the Instant Pot (or use cooking spray) and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Season with the salt, garlic granules and thyme.
  • Return the browned meat into the Instant Pot together with 250ml (1 cup) of stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaves.
  • Set vent to sealing and cook for 17 minutes on high pressure. Release the steam manually.
  • Add the orzo and remaining stock and cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Release the steam manually.
  • Give the stew a good stir – it will probably still have quite a lot of liquid. Turn the Instant Pot off, loosely cover with the lid (without sealing just resting it on top) and leave for 10-15 minutes.
  • Check again – the stew should have thickened as the orzo will have absorbed more of the liquid and be ready to serve. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  • Transfer to a platter, season with pepper and sprinkle with feta cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately!

Stove/oven method

  • Please note you will need 1litre (4 cups) stock for this version. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  • Heat the olive oil in a large lidded casserole dish (Dutch oven). Use cooking spray such as Fry Light for SW version.
  • Brown the meat, in batches, for 5 minutes, until nicely coloured on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add a little more oil (or use cooking spray) and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Season with the salt, garlic granules and thyme.
  • Now add the browned meat together with all the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover.
  • Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender.
  • Add the orzo and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  • Transfer to a platter, season with pepper and sprinkle with feta cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately!

Video

Notes

You can replace the lamb with beef or chicken thighs, whatever your preference is.
Slimming World: This recipe is syn-free unless you use oil which comes at 6 Syns per tablespoon (2 per serving). Feta cheese can be part of your healthy extra allowance or you can use fat-free Polish curd cheese as a free substitute.
Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World. Syn values are based on the Slimming World online calculator. Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on the ingredients you choose, serving sizes etc.
 
 

Nutritional Info

Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 2541mg | Potassium: 1395mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 8559IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 7mg
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« Gemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes
Greek Spaghetti With Meat Sauce (Makaronia me Kima) »
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Comments

  1. F sethman says

    February 23, 2021 at 1:14 am

    5 stars
    I just made this delicious meal. I just started the Mediterranean diet; focusing on lower sodium. Is there anything that can reduce the amount of sodium? I’m attempting to be compliant majority of the week.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      February 23, 2021 at 11:26 am

      Hi! I would say avoid adding salt to the food until it is cooked then taste and season. But I would say reduce salt (seasoning) in your food gradually. Avoid high salt cheeses (like halloumi) and try to compensate for the flavour by adding lots of fresh herbs, extra virgin olive oil etc.

      Reply

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Picture of Lucy ParissiHi, I am Lucy Parissi, the recipe developer, food  photographer and author behind Supergolden Bakes. If you are looking for easy sweet and savoury recipes that are packed with flavour you have come to the right place!  READ MORE

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