Hummus with Spiced Ground Lamb

Creamy hummus is topped with warm, spiced lamb, lots of fresh herbs and bright lemon for a deliciously satisfying hummus dish that could be a meal in itself! Serve this juicy, aromatic ground lamb with hummus as an appetizer or as the main meal with a side salad.

Why this Recipe Works

• The lamb-hummus combo! Spiced lamb with hummus is a classic middle eastern pairing and for very good reason! Called hummus kawarma in Lebanon, hummus b’lahmeh in Syria, and hummus basar in Israel, each region has a slight variation in the how they make this deliciously traditional dish and I love them all!
• Quick & Easy! Throw all the hummus ingredients in a food processor or even use store bought hummus as the base. Then take it to the next level by topping with lamb.
• Balance of flavor! The spiced, juicy and garlicky lamb and creamy, rich hummus are balanced by fresh herbs and bright lemon.
• Recipe is versatile! Any other type of ground meat can be substituted for the lamb, spices can be swapped out and quantities can easily be altered.

Please no NOT be intimidated by the long list of spices!!!

You may have picked up by now that I like to share “ideas” rather than exact recipes. SEO be damned. The idea for this dish is simple: spread hummus on dish, cook lamb with lots of fragrant spices, put said lamb on hummus. Top with fresh herbs and lemon. That’s it.

I have an epic spice collection and love using LOTS of spices in my food. But you can mix n’match from the spice list below. If you’re missing 1 or 2 of the spices, you can still make this dish! And if you have a spice you love that’s not in my lamb, play away and just add it.

A good rule of thumbs is 2-4 tablespoons of spices per pound of lamb. I like my food extra flavorful with loads of spices so go for the full 4 tablespoons.

I'm a spice lover.

To Note: If the recipe is entirely too overwhelming with all the spices, use store bought hummus, cook your lamb with salt, pepper, 1-2 spices from the list and it will still be DELICIOUS!

How to Make this Hummus with Ground Lamb

• If you’re making your own hummus, put all the hummus ingredients in the food processor until smooth, adding water until your desired texture is achieved. Spread hummus on a shallow bowl or dish, making a slight indent in the middle.
• Prep your lamb ingredients & hummus toppings: mince garlic, mix spices in a small bowl, toast pine nuts, chop herbs, and slice radishes or other veggies.
• Cook lamb with the garlic and spices until evenly browned.
• Top your hummus with this lamb and add other toppings, squeeze lemon this dish and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

I’m a big time hummus LOVER!

I love playing around with hummus and all its glorious variations! Which must be pretty obvious since this blog is seemingly becoming all-about-the-hummus, this being the 6^th hummus recipe I’ve shared!

Cause if it’s a veggie it can be a hummus flavor! Like my Roasted Beet Hummus & Carrot Hummus.

Cause if it’s a squash, it can be a hummus flavor! Like my Butternut Squash Hummus.

Cause if it’s a seed, it can be a hummus flavor! Like my Black Tahini Hummus.

Cause hummus can also become an Easy 7 Layer Hummus Dip.

And we can't forget about the Original Hummus.

And now I’m declaring, if you’re ground meat… you can be a hummus topping! This is a hummus-meets-a-meal kinda dish and very popular in the middle east.

Cooks Tip

• The ground lamb can be subsisted with for another type of ground meat such as ground chicken, beef or turkey, although it won’t have the same flavor. I use grass-fed, pasture raised lamb.
• The secret to really, really, really good hummus is the tahini. If you’re making your way, quality matters! Get the good stuff.
• The hummus should be served room temp (or even warmed up in the oven) but never ice cold straight from the fridge.
• Play around with different topping ideas. If it’s a flavor that goes with hummus and lamb, it can be in this dish.
• Don’t forget to toast your pine nuts. Or all your nuts always for that matter.

Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

Let's make waves in the kitchen!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Hummus with Spiced Ground Lamb

Creamy hummus is topped with warm, spiced lamb, lots of fresh herbs and bright lemon for a deliciously satisfying hummus dish that could be a meal in itself! Serve this juicy, aromatic ground lamb with hummus as an appetizer or as the main meal with a side salad.

Prep Time12 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Appetizer, Entree

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas
• 2/3 cup tahini
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1-2 zest & juice lemons
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2-4 tablespoons ice cold water until desired consistency is reached

For the Spiced Lamb

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Sumac
• 1 teaspoon Urfa Chili
• 1 teaspoon Coriander
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Cloves
• ½ teaspoon Cardamom
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound of lamb

For the Hummus Toppings

• ¼ cup Fresh Herbs such as parsley mint and/or dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of Currants
• 1 tablespoon of Pine Nuts
• ¼ cup of thinly sliced radishes optional
• 1 lemon juiced
• Flaky seas salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Hummus

• Combine the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
• With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Add the ice cold water until the desired consistency is reached.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin or salt as needed. I like mine extra garlicky and lemony! Ready-made hummus will keep in the fridge up to 5 days until you're ready to use.

For the Spiced Lamb

• Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and all the spices until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the lam and cook it, breaking it up as it cooks, until it's evenly browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

To Assemble the Spiced Lamb with Hummus Dish

• Spread hummus on a shallow bowl or dish, making a slight indent in the middle. Spoon the warm lamb over the center of the hummus and scatter with currants, pine, fresh herbs, thinly sliced radishes and squeeze fresh lemon juice over all. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Notes

• The ground lamb can be subsisted with for another type of ground meat such as ground chicken, beef or turkey, although it won’t have the same flavor. I use grass-fed, pasture raised lamb.
• The secret to really, really, really good hummus is the tahini. If you’re making your way, quality matters! Get the good stuff.
• The hummus should be served room temp (or even warmed up in the oven) but never ice cold straight from the fridge.
• Play around with different topping ideas. If it’s a flavor that goes with hummus and lamb, it can be in this dish.
• Don’t forget to toast your pine nuts. Or all your nuts always for that matter.