Use your Air-Fryer to make this beautifully marinated Sichuan Cumin Lamb! It’s rich in flavor and comes together in a very short amount of time. I love the combo of spicy and savory, with the wonderful tongue-tingle from the Sichuan peppers.
Why You Should Try Szechuan Cumin Lamb
- Fast. Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes .
- Easy. Simply marinate the cumin lamb and cook it in your air fryer .
- Low Carb . There are only two carbs per serving.
- Delicious. You’ll be overjoyed with the amazing flavors that come from such an easy recipe.
What Is Sichuan Cumin Lamb?
If you’ve ever been to a Sichuan restaurant, you’ve probably seen Sichuan Cumin Lamb on the menu. That’s because it’s an amazing dish and an incredibly popular way to cook lamb.
I love making restaurant-quality food at home with a short cooking time so we can enjoy restaurant food at home. This allows me to put in what I want, and leave out what I don’t want for special dietary needs or just for a different flavor choice.
An interesting little tidbit: Although it’s served in nearly every Szechuan restaurant in the US, Cumin Lamb may not be a super traditional Sichuan dish. It’s more commonly found in Northern Chinese districts in Muslim-run restaurants. Nevertheless, it’s amazing and is a great recipe to cook in your air fryer .
Does Cumin Go Well With Lamb?
The earthy flavors of cumin pair extremely well with lamb. The seeds can be used either ground or whole and produce equally delicious results. The subtle gaminess of the lamb marries well with the aromatics of the cumin when they are cooked.
How To Make Sichuan Cumin Lamb
Making Szechuan Cumin Lamb is incredibly simple, especially if you make it in your air fryer. You’ll love how quickly it cooks without taking the time to preheat a full-sized oven. Here are the simple steps to get a tasty lamb dish on your table in under 30 minutes:
- In a dry skillet, roast together cumin seeds and Sichuan red peppers. When they have cooled, use a mortar and pestle and give them a rough grind.
- Use a fork to poke holes into the lamb to allow the marinade to penetrate better.
- In a large bowl or a Ziploc bag, marinate the lamb with the cumin and Sichuan pepper blend, oil, soy sauce, garlic, red chili peppers, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the marinated lamb in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the lamb and remove it to a serving tray.
- Mix in the chopped scallions and cilantro, and serve.
Do You Have To Use Lamb?
No. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can use a cut of meat that is more easily accessible if you have issues finding lamb in your local market.
I have also tried making this dish with flank steak for cumin beef and it turned out beautifully. Here’s how I did it:
- Prepare the marinade according to the recipe and allow your flank steak to soak in the flavors for 30 minutes.
- Set the air-fryer to 400°F for 8-10 minutes for medium, 145°F when tested with a meat thermometer.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain.
Love the interesting flavor of Sichuan peppers? Try my Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad .
Want More Easy Lamb Recipes?
- Lamb Rogan Josh
- Instant Pot Kacchi Lamb Dum Biryani
- Loin Lamb Chop Recipe With Harissa Sauce
- Spicy Lamb Sirloin Steak
- Instant Pot Jordanian Mansaf
If you found this Sichuan Cumin Lamb as delicious as my family did, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try it too.
Sichuan Cumin Lamb
Ingredients
For the Lamb:
- ▢ 1.5 tablespoons ( 1.5 tablespoons ) Ground Cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ( 1 teaspoon ) Sichuan peppers (or 1/2 tsp cayenne)
- ▢ 1 pound ( 453.59 g ) lamb (preferably shoulder) , cut into 1/2" by 2" pieces
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 2 tablespoons ) Vegetable Oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 1 tablespoon ) Soy Sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoons ( 1 tablespoons ) Minced Garlic
- ▢ 2 ( 2 ) Red Chili Peppers , chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ( 1 teaspoon ) Kosher Salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) Sugar Or Other Sweetener Equivalent
For finishing:
- ▢ 2 ( 2 ) Chopped Green Scallions , chopped
- ▢ 1 large handful ( 1 large handful ) chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a dry skillet, roast together 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan red peppers if using until fragrant. When they have cooled, use a mortar and pestle and give them a rough grind.
- Use a fork to poke holes into the lamb to allow the marinade to penetrate better.
- In a large bowl or a Ziploc bag, marinate the lamb with the cumin and Sichuan pepper blend, oil, soy sauce, garlic, red chili peppers, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Set your air fryer to 360F for 10 minutes and place the marinated lamb in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Using a meat thermometer, ensure that the lamb has reached an internal temperature of 145F and remove to a serving tray.
- Mix in the chopped scallions and cilantro, and serve.
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Sichuan Cumin Lamb
Ingredients
For the Lamb:
- 1.5 tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppers (or 1/2 tsp cayenne)
- 1 pound lamb (preferably shoulder) cut into 1/2" by 2" pieces
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoons Minced Garlic
- 2 Red Chili Peppers chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Sugar Or Other Sweetener Equivalent
For finishing:
- 2 Chopped Green Scallions chopped
- 1 large handful chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a dry skillet, roast together 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan red peppers if using until fragrant. When they have cooled, use a mortar and pestle and give them a rough grind.
- Use a fork to poke holes into the lamb to allow the marinade to penetrate better.
- In a large bowl or a Ziploc bag, marinate the lamb with the cumin and Sichuan pepper blend, oil, soy sauce, garlic, red chili peppers, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Set your air fryer to 360F for 10 minutes and place the marinated lamb in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Using a meat thermometer, ensure that the lamb has reached an internal temperature of 145F and remove to a serving tray.
- Mix in the chopped scallions and cilantro, and serve.
Sichuan Cumin Lamb https://twosleevers.com/sichuan-cumin-lamb/
Make your own homemade Sambhar Masala and have the freshest, best sambhar masala recipe ever! Nothing beats the taste of homemade spice mixes, and this sambhar masala is no exception.
Yes, it is indeed possible to make sambhar masala at home. I got this recipe from Shubha Iyengar from my group. Shubha is an amazing cook, and she agreed to share her family’s Sambar Masala recipe with us.
I made one or two small changes but for the most part, I stuck to what Shubha shared with me. I really think you need to make this Sambhar masala or sambar powder mix at home, because I am about to post the Instant pot sambhar that I made with this mix, and you are going to LOVE it.
By the way, if you are looking for other homemade spice mixes, I have several recipes here
HOW DO I MAKE SAMBHAR MASALA AT HOME?
So it’s actually very simple. All you have to do is gather ingredients together and toast the raw ingredients lightly. Then you let them cool before you grind the spices together in a Coffee Spice Grinder .
One way to keep this masala fresh is to roast all the spices–but don’t grind them until you’re ready to make the sambhar.
This recipe makes enough for one batch of sambhar which I will post.
Underneath here I am going to post a picture of what the sambhar masala ingredients should look like once toasted.
EQUIPMENT YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE THIS HOMEMADE SAMBAR MASALA RECIPE:
- Measuring Cups
- Coffee grinder to make the spice mix
Want To Make More Homemade Spice Blends?
- Egyptian Dukkah
- Lebanese 7 Spice
- Cajun Spice Mix
- Sambhar Masala
- Kafta Kabab Spice Mix
- Ras Al Hanout Spice
- Shawarma Spice Mix
- Dry Sesame Garlic Chutney
- Ethiopian Berbere
- Maharash Trian Goda Masala
- Garama Masala
- Punjabi Garam Masala
- Apple Pie Spice
?Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate.
Homemade Sambar Masala Blend
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Shredded Coconut , dried and shredded
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Urad Dal
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- ▢ 5-10 curry leaves
- ▢ 3-4 Dried chilis
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan on a stovetop, and once the pan is hot, add all the other ingredients and start toasting the spices.
- You want to stir the spices occasionally so nothing gets burned. This process takes about 2-4 minutes if your pan was hot to start with.
- Look at the picture I’ve included to see when to stop roasting.
- Pour the toasted spices into a wide plate and let the ingredients cool. Do not rush this process because if you try to grind hot spices, you will have a paste, not a powder.
- Once the spices have cooled, use a good coffee blender and grind the ingredients to a coarse powder.
- That’s it! You’re ready to use it.
