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    Home » Meat and Game

    How to Cook Lamb or Goat Breast (Brisket)

    Published: Jan 6, 2018 Modified: Feb 11, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Lamb and goat brisket (also known as breast) are an under-used cut of the animal you have to try. It's the same cut of meat as the brisket, and is connected to the lamb ribs. It's just not as large as the ones from beef and pork. Goat breast and lamb breast are interchangeable in recipes, venison too.

    sliced lamb on a plate with sauce and mushrooms
    Stuffed lamb breast.

    Where to buy Lamb Breast

    Depending on where you live, it can be difficult to buy lamb breast as it's not commonly sold in grocery stores. The best place to buy it I know of is direct from a farm.

    lamb breast on the bone
    A breast still attached to the bone.

    I work closely with Shepherd Song Farm Lamb and Goat Meat, and theirs is the best I've had. They sell breast on the bone, as well as double-breasts or rolled breasts off the bone.

    shepherd song farm logo
    The best grass fed lamb and goat money can buy.

    How to Cook Lamb Breast

    How you cook it will depend on how it's cut. One thing that's always true is that you'll want to turn the oven temperature down.

    I cook breasts at about 300-325 F low and slow until the meat is tender. However you cook it, you'll be rewarded with tender lamb that will impress your friends and family.

    Fried lamb breast salad
    Salad of fried lamb breast and vegetables.

    Off the bone

    The easiest way to cook is using rolled breast which is sold off the bone. This is the cut used to make stuffed lamb breast. A filling is put on the meat, and it's rolled up and tied, browned and braised or roasted. After cooking it's cooled and sliced.

    rolled lamb breast
    Rolled breast is the best for stuffing.

    Butcher cuts can vary too, and it's possible to get two breasts connected together, or a single breast. For rolling and stuffing, you will want two breasts connected in one piece as pictured below.

    Whole, rolled breast.
    The two briskets still connected.

    On the bone

    Sometimes the breast is sold on the bone. These are more difficult to cook. You can easily cut the meat off the bone using a paring knife, or you can cook it on the bone until fork-tender.

    Cutting a lamb breast in half
    Break the breast in half.
    Season and put in a baking sheet or pan.
    a pan of lamb breast covered with aluminum foil
    Add a little water, cover with foil and bake.
    Cooked lamb breast
    Cook until fork tender.
    removing meat from lamb breast bones
    Remove the meat and save bones for stock.
    Saving the fat from cooked lamb breast
    Save the fat for cooking potatoes if you want.

    After the meat is cooked the breast is chilled which makes the meat firm. After cooling, the meat can be cut into pieces. Reheat lamb breast in a pan for delicious stir-fries and sautés. If you cut the meat from the bone, the leftover bones make delicious stock or lamb bone broth.

    Recipes

    Stuffed Lamb Breast

    A classic recipe loved in the U.K. A rolled breast is stuffed with a simple filling, browned and roasted or braised until tender. After cooking it's cooled and sliced. This is one of the most delicious ways to cook this cut.

    Get The Recipe

    Dry Rubbed Lamb Breast

    If you want to make smoked or roasted lamb breast, try marinating the meat with a spicy dry rub seasoning. This is the easiest recipe I know for cooking a whole breast off the bone if it's your first time. Season and marinate a breast overnight, then wrap in parchment paper or aluminum foil.

    cooked sliced lamb breast
    A simple dry-rubbed roasted breast.
    lamb breast hash
    Roasted or smoked this cut makes a fantastic lamb hash.

    Preheat an oven to 300 degrees and cook low and slow in a roasting pan until the meat is fork tender. Chill, cut into pieces, and reheat, adding to dishes like you would rib tips. It can also be smoked and makes a wonderful lamb hash.

    Get The Recipe

    Lamb or Goat Breast Rice Bowl

    Cook the breast until the meat is fork tender and cool. After cooling the meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and sauteed with vegetables to make a simple rice bowl. This is an easy recipe to make if it's your first time cooking the cut.

    Lamb breast wild rice bowl with turnips (3)
    Read More

    Cured for Lamb or Goat Bacon

    The breast is rich in intramuscular fat and can be cured and smoked to make delicious bacon. This is one of the most popular things I make with this cut. If you have a smoker I recommend you try it. It's best made with boneless breast.

    Get The Recipe

    Breaded Breast of Lamb

    A traditional French recipe where breast is cooked and pressed. After pressing it's cut into pieces, breaded, fried and served with a spicy tomato sauce and a salad of watercress dressed with olive oil.

    Baked breaded goat breast with tomato sauce
    French baked goat breast.
    Get The Recipe

    Other interesting cuts to try

    If you like breast or brisket, you have to try some of my other favorite alternative goat and lamb cuts. Working with them is one of my specialties.

    Saratoga or Neck Roast

    This is a cut from the neck and shoulder and one of the best for slow-cooking.

    sliced lamb in a pan with potatoes
    Saratoga.

    Whole Lamb Neck

    One of the most tender cuts, the neck is loved by chefs and can be used anywhere you want soft, tender meat that melts in your mouth. See my post How to Cook Goat or Lamb Neck, with Recipes.

    smoked lamb neck on a baking sheet
    Neck roast.

    Lamb Ribs

    Often overlooked because they're a fatty cut, lamb and goat ribs are wonderful if properly trimmed and cut into small portions. Shepherd Song sells lamb riblets that are ideal for appetizers and barbecue.

    lamb ribs on a plate with slaw
    Lamb ribs.
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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

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