Asian Beef & Lamb Recipes
A tour of Asia through beef & lamb: 78 authentic dishes, each tied to a real country and region, each with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in.
78 recipes · showing 1 to 48
BibimbapSeoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · medium · 55 minA bowl of rice crowned with seasoned vegetables, beef, and a fried egg, all mixed with gochujang at the table.
Bibimbap Uzbek PlovTashkent, Uzbekistan · medium · 1 h 35 minSilk Road rice cooked in one kazan with lamb, mountains of carrots, cumin, and whole garlic heads.
Uzbek Plov Ghormeh SabziTehran, Iran · medium · 2 h 30 minIran’s beloved herb stew: mountains of sautéed greens, kidney beans, dried limes, and lamb over saffron rice.
Ghormeh Sabzi Taiwanese Beef Noodle SoupTaipei, Taiwan · medium · 2 h 55 minChewy wheat noodles in a dark, star-anise beef broth with melting shank and pickled mustard greens.
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Khuushuur (Fried Meat Pastry)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 5 minCrisp deep-fried half-moon pastries filled with minced mutton, onion, and garlic, the taste of the Naadam festival.
Khuushuur (Fried Meat Pastry) TsuivanUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 hSteppe-style fried noodles steamed over a mutton and vegetable braise, Mongolia’s one-pan answer to a cold night.
BeshbarmakAlmaty, Kazakhstan · medium · 2 h 30 min"Five fingers": boiled meat over wide noodle sheets with onion gravy, Kazakhstan’s dish of honor, eaten by hand.
Beshbarmak LahmacunGaziantep, Turkey · medium · 1 h 50 minPaper-thin flatbread blistered under a spiced lamb, pepper, and parsley crust, rolled with lemon and herbs.
Lahmacun Shuwa (Home-Oven Version)Muscat, Oman · medium · 13 h 45 minLamb rubbed with date-dark Omani spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and roasted low until it falls apart, Eid on a platter.
Shuwa (Home-Oven Version) Iraqi DolmaBaghdad, Iraq · advanced · 2 h 15 minVine leaves and vegetables stuffed with tomato-and-pomegranate rice, packed tight and steamed until sweet-sour and tender.
Iraqi Dolma Bún Bò HuếHuế (Central), Vietnam · medium · 2 h 25 minThe imperial city’s fierce beef-and-lemongrass noodle soup, spiked with chili oil and shrimp paste, bolder than pho.
Bún Bò Huế SaltahSana’a, Yemen · medium · 1 h 5 minA bubbling stone-pot stew crowned with whipped fenugreek froth (hulba) and fiery green sahawiq, Yemen’s national dish.
Saltah Massaman CurrySouthern Thailand, Thailand · medium · 1 h 35 minA mild, aromatic curry of beef, potatoes, and peanuts scented with cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, Thailand’s gentlest, most fragrant curry.
Massaman Curry Beef RendangWest Sumatra, Indonesia · advanced · 4 hBeef simmered for hours in coconut milk and spice paste until the liquid vanishes and the meat turns dark, dry, and intense.
Beef Rendang BulgogiSeoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · easy · 4 h 40 minThin beef marinated in soy, pear, sesame, and garlic, seared fast and sweet-savory, Korea’s beloved "fire meat."
MantiKayseri, Turkey · advanced · 1 h 30 minTiny hand-pinched meat dumplings under garlic yogurt and paprika-mint butter, Kayseri’s legendary labor of love.
LagmanBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · advanced · 1 h 20 minHand-pulled noodles topped with a stir-fried stew of beef, peppers, and tomatoes in a savory sauce.
Lagman DogramaAshgabat, Turkmenistan · medium · 2 h 10 minHand-crumbled flatbread and boiled meat with onion, moistened with rich broth, Turkmenistan's dish of celebration.
Dograma Pyongyang NaengmyeonPyongyang, North Korea · advanced · 2 h 40 minChewy buckwheat noodles in an icy, clear beef-and-radish broth, topped with pear, egg, and pickles.
Pyongyang Naengmyeon Or LamLuang Prabang, Laos · medium · 1 h 15 minA Luang Prabang herb stew of meat and vegetables thickened with sticky rice and buzzed with peppery sakhan vine.
Or Lam Kabuli PulaoKabul, Afghanistan · advanced · 2 hAfghanistan's national dish: steamed rice piled over lamb and crowned with candied carrots and raisins.
Kabuli Pulao KibbehDamascus, Syria · advanced · 1 h 10 minTorpedo-shaped bulgur shells stuffed with spiced meat and pine nuts, fried until crisp.
Kibbeh Emirati SalonaDubai, United Arab Emirates · easy · 1 h 15 minA tangy Emirati stew of meat or fish and vegetables in a spiced tomato-and-dried-lime broth.
Emirati Salona PitiBaku, Azerbaijan · medium · 2 h 55 minA slow-baked crock stew of lamb, chickpeas, and chestnuts scented with saffron and dried plum.
Piti KhinkaliImereti, Georgia · medium · 1 hTwisted soup dumplings filled with spiced meat and hot broth, eaten by hand, a proud Georgian mountain dish.
Khinkali Adana KebapGaziantep, Turkey · medium · 45 minHand-minced spiced lamb pressed onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, served with flatbread and sumac onions.
Chapli KababLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · easy · 1 h 10 minFlat, spiced minced-beef patties studded with tomato and pomegranate, shallow-fried crisp, a Khyber specialty.
Chapli Kabab SamsaTashkent, Uzbekistan · medium · 1 h 10 minFlaky baked pastries filled with spiced lamb and onion, blistered golden in a tandoor, a Silk Road staple.
MansafAmman, Jordan · medium · 2 h 30 minLamb cooked in a tangy fermented-yogurt sauce over rice and flatbread, Jordan's national dish of hospitality.
Mansaf Chelo Kabab KoobidehTehran, Iran · medium · 50 minGrilled skewers of seasoned minced meat with saffron buttered rice and grilled tomato, Iran's national dish.
MantuKabul, Afghanistan · advanced · 1 h 30 minSteamed dumplings of spiced beef and onion topped with garlicky yogurt and a lentil-tomato sauce, an Afghan favorite.
BuuzUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 5 minJuicy steamed dumplings of minced mutton and onion, the dumpling Mongolia eats by the dozen, above all at Tsagaan Sar.
KuyrdakAlmaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 55 minA hearty fry-up of meat, potato, and onion, the celebratory dish traditionally made when an animal is freshly butchered.
MandiSana’a, Yemen · medium · 1 h 55 minSmoky spiced rice and tender meat traditionally cooked in an underground oven, a celebrated dish of Yemen and the Gulf.
MutabbaqRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · medium · 50 minA thin folded pastry stuffed with spiced minced meat and egg, griddled crisp, a favorite Saudi street snack.
Mutabbaq Emirati ThareedDubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 1 h 40 minA spiced meat-and-vegetable stew ladled over thin crisp regag bread, a comforting Emirati dish, especially in Ramadan.
OromoBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · medium · 1 h 30 minA rolled, spiraled steamed dumpling of thin dough layered with meat, potato, and pumpkin, a hearty Kyrgyz favorite.
GhooziManama, Bahrain · medium · 3 hSpiced rice crowned with tender roasted lamb, fried nuts, and raisins, a grand Bahraini and Gulf celebration platter.
Ghoozi MastavaDushanbe, Tajikistan · easy · 1 h 10 minA hearty rice soup with meat, chickpeas, and vegetables, brightened with herbs and a spoon of yogurt, a Tajik staple.
Mastava IchlekliAshgabat, Turkmenistan · medium · 1 h 25 minA large baked pastry pie filled with spiced meat, onion, and potato, a rustic Turkmen specialty for gatherings.
Turkmen Shashlyk (Çişlik)Ashgabat, Turkmenistan · easy · 3 h 50 minCubes of lamb marinated overnight with onion and vinegar, threaded onto skewers, grilled over coals, and finished with a pour of melted butter.
Beef Lok LakSiem Reap, Cambodia · easy · 30 minCubes of marinated beef seared hard and shaken in the pan, piled on crisp lettuce and tomato with a tangy Kampot pepper and lime dipping sauce.
Beef Lok Lak NihariLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · advanced · 4 h 30 minA dawn stew of beef shank and marrow slow-cooked in a dozen spices until the gravy turns silky, brightened with ginger, chilli and lemon.
HaleemLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · advanced · 4 hA thick, slow-pounded porridge of shredded beef, wheat, barley and lentils, crowned with crisp fried onions, ginger and lemon.
Guriltai Shul (Mutton Noodle Soup)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 45 minA hearty Mongolian soup of fatty mutton and thick hand-cut wheat noodles in a peppery broth with onion and root vegetables.
Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup)Tashkent, Uzbekistan · easy · 2 h 20 minA slow-simmered Uzbek soup of bone-in lamb and large chunks of vegetables in a clear golden broth, finished with dill and cilantro.
Dimlama (Layered Steamed Stew)Tashkent, Uzbekistan · easy · 3 h 30 minAn Uzbek one-pot stew of meat and vegetables layered in a sealed pot and cooked in their own steam and juices until everything is meltingly tender.
Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty)Kabul, Afghanistan · medium · 50 minA flat, disc-shaped Pashtun patty of coarsely minced beef packed with coarsely crushed coriander, pomegranate seeds, chilli, and tomato, shallow-fried crisp at the edges.
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