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Lamb youvetsi is a comforting Greek dish that brings together slow-braised lamb, tomato sauce, and kritharaki, the small rice-shaped pasta you may know as orzo. Also spelled lamb giouvetsi, my version uses whole bone-in lamb shanks, braises them with pearl onions, then finishes the orzo right in the same Dutch oven. It’s comforting and is exactly what I grew up enjoying with my family. It’s simple, uses easy-to-find ingredients, but is all about the slow cook to build that delicious flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Lamb Youvetsi
This lamb youvetsi is perfect if you’re craving a hearty Greek meal.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
- It’s a complete Greek main: Each lamb shank is served over flavored orzo with plenty of braising liquid, fresh herbs, and grated cheese.
- It has layers of flavor: Cinnamon and allspice warm up the tomato sauce without making it sweet, while red wine gives the braise more depth.
- The lamb shanks are the centerpiece: Instead of using small pieces of lamb, this recipe gives everyone a whole bone-in shank that becomes perfectly tender during the long braise. The richness of the lamb is also delicious alongside my Greek tzatziki sauce.
- Everything happens in one Dutch oven: You’ll brown the lamb, build the sauce, braise the shanks, and cook the orzo in the same pot.
What Is Youvetsi?
Youvetsi is a Greek dish made with meat and orzo cooked in a tomato-based sauce. In Greek, the little rice-shaped pasta is known as kritharaki. Despite its rice-like appearance, kritharaki is pasta, not rice.
You may see the name spelled youvetsi or giouvetsi in English, depending on the transliteration. Lamb giouvetsi refers to the same style of dish. Youvetsi can be prepared with different proteins, but this version uses whole lamb shanks.
Want to try another version? My chicken youvetsi with tomatoes and orzo is another delicious way to enjoy this classic combination.
Key Ingredients and Why They Work
Lamb shanks: You’ll need four lamb shanks weighing about 1,600 grams total. Keeping the shanks whole gives each serving an impressive centerpiece while the long braise transforms the meat until it’s tender.
Pearl onions and garlic: Pearl onions soften and begin to brown before you build the sauce, bringing sweetness and body to the dish. The garlic goes in afterward and cooks until fragrant.
Del Fresco tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar: Chopped fresh tomatoes create the base of the braising sauce, while tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor. A teaspoon of sugar helps balance the acidity.
Red wine and broth: Red wine deglazes the Dutch oven, lifting all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Beef or chicken broth provides the liquid needed for braising and, later, cooking the orzo. If you don’t cook with alcohol, you can replace the wine with an equal amount of beef broth.
Oregano, paprika, garlic powder, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves: This combination creates the warm, aromatic flavor for the tomato sauce. You can use either two cinnamon sticks or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Orzo: The dry orzo cooks directly in the braising liquid near the end. As it cooks, it absorbs all that flavor while releasing starch that helps give the sauce its luscious texture.
Parsley and mizithra or Parmesan: Fresh parsley brightens the dish, while freshly grated mizithra or Parmesan brings a salty finish.
The Lamb Shank Difference
Lamb shanks need time and moisture to become tender, which is exactly what this tomato-based braise gives them. When you sear the shanks, look for a good browned color on all four sides before moving on to the sauce.
When they’re finished, don’t rely on the clock alone. Lamb shanks can vary in size, so tenderness is your best indicator. The lamb is ready when a fork slips in easily and the meat starts pulling away from the bone.
The braising liquid will also reduce as everything cooks. By the time the dish is finished, it should have reduced by roughly one-quarter to one-third, but you still want enough of that rich tomato liquid left to spoon over each serving.
For serving, I like to spoon the orzo into a low bowl or onto a plate first, then set that whole lamb shank right on top and finish it with braising liquid, parsley, and grated cheese. It makes the shank the star while ensuring you get plenty of saucy orzo underneath.
How to Keep the Orzo Tender and Saucy
One of the best parts of Greek lamb orzo is the flavor. Orzo is thirsty! As it cooks, it absorbs liquid and releases starch, so keeping an eye on the consistency is important.
When you add the dry orzo, stir it in and around the lamb shanks so the pasta is in contact with the braising liquid. Check the pot periodically during the final bake. If it starts looking too dry before the pasta and lamb are ready, add more broth as needed.
Most importantly, this shouldn’t resemble a dry pasta bake. There should still be enough tomato-rich braising liquid to spoon over the lamb when you serve it.
Remember that orzo continues absorbing liquid even after it comes out of the oven. That’s another reason to judge the dish by its texture and appearance instead of relying exclusively on cooking time.
Wine and Broth Options
For the red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, or a Greek red wine will all work well.
If you prefer to cook without alcohol, replace the 1 cup of red wine with 1 cup of beef broth.
The recipe also calls for 6 cups of broth for the braise, and you can use either beef broth or chicken broth.
What to Serve with Lamb Youvetsi
Lamb youvetsi is already a substantial meal with tender meat, orzo, and tomato sauce, so I like to keep the accompaniments simple.
Serve it with fluffy Greek pita bread to scoop up every last bit of that tomato braising liquid. A bright, crisp Greek salad is also a great contrast to the rich lamb.
If you’re turning dinner into more of a Greek meze-style spread, start with some classic hummus before bringing the lamb and orzo to the table.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The orzo will keep soaking up the sauce, so add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.
FAQs
Lamb youvetsi is a Greek dish that combines slowly braised lamb with orzo in a rich tomato-based sauce. This version uses whole lamb shanks, red wine, pearl onions, garlic, oregano, paprika, allspice, and cinnamon, then finishes the orzo directly in the braising liquid.
Yes. Youvetsi and giouvetsi are alternate English spellings of the Greek dish γιουβέτσι. Both names refer to meat cooked with orzo, known in Greek as kritharaki, in a tomato-based sauce. This recipe uses bone-in lamb shanks.
Check the pot periodically after adding the orzo and add more broth if needed. The pasta should cook in the braising liquid, and the finished dish should still have enough rich tomato sauce to spoon over the lamb rather than becoming a dry pasta bake.
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Ingredients
For the lamb shanks
- 4 lamb shanks, about 1600g total for 4 shanks
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups pearl onions, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground all spice
- 2 cinnamon sticks, (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 cups beef broth, (or substitute with chicken broth)
- 6 Del Fresco tomatoes, chopped (about 6 cups chopped)
For the orzo
- 1 ½ cups dry orzo
- More broth if needed
Garnishes
- fresh parsley leaves
- freshly grated mizithra or parmesan cheese
Instructions
Start Cooking- Season the lamb shanks well with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the lamb shanks to the put and sear until well browned on all 4 sides.
- Once browned, remove the lamb shanks to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
- Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Next, add the dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, ground all spice, cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon), salt, pepper and bay leaves and mix to combine.
- Deglaze with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and let cook until it reduces slightly, 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sugar and cook, stirring the whole time, for 1 minute.
- Then add the broth and chopped tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Place the lamb shanks back in the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes and then turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid, and bake in the oven at 350F for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Then, remove the lid and stir in the orzo in and around the lamb shanks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the orzo is cooked and the lamb shanks are very tender.
- Check on them periodically through the cooking process in case you need to add more broth (the liquid will have reduced by ¼-⅓ by the time they’re done) or until they are tender enough to fall off the bone.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaves.
- To serve, scoop out orzo onto a plate or low bowl and add the lamb shanks on top with some of the braising liquid. Garnish with fresh parsley and freshly grated mizithra or parmesan cheese.
Notes
- A red wine like a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz or a Greek red wine will work for this recipe.
- If you don’t use wine in your cooking, substitute with an equal amount of beef broth.
- If you like this recipe, try our Greek-Style Braised Lamb Shanks
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